Why Tripod?

"Why do you call your dog Tripod?"

"Does he have 3 legs?"

"Tripod as in the camera tripod? That Tripod?"

"Your dog's name very unique hor!"

These are the general reactions when people ask Tripod's name and I tell them his name. Let's clear it up now: Why did I name Tripod, Tripod?

For this, we have to travel backwards in time, all the way to when I was 13. One fine rainy morning, I was on the way to school for my history exams (Any one still remembers Chandra Gupta Maria). At that time, I was still very studious and I was extremely concerned about my academic results. I didn't have much time to study the night before, so I was feeling very stress on the way to school. 

I actually have social phobia, where I cannot be in a place full of strangers without my headphones to help block everything out; so I was listening to FM98.7 while I walked to school. That day, I remember clearly, the DJs were asking for people to call in to share the weirdest pet names that have for their souses, aka nicknames. However, one of the callers misheard, and called in to share about her friend's dog's name. The DJs burst out laughing, mainly because of the misunderstanding, and also because of the dog's name as well. 

Honestly, it's not that funny now, it was just a very adorable mistake, but because I was so stressed during that time, I found it hilarious and I was laughing to myself about it. From then, I decided that my first dog's name would be Tripod. Tripod then became my motivation to do well, because I told my mum, that I would get a dog named Tripod once I graduated poly/JC, whichever that I chose to go to. My mum just agreed to it, because she thought it was just a one time thing. Little did she know that I really meant what I said. 

Then came my 3rd year of FYP, and I lost the motivation to work hard for it. A lot of things happened in my 3rd year, I got into a heated argument with my lecturer that has 0 respects for the students, and the issue blew up to be enormous, and it became wide spread to the entire course, not just only my year 3 cohort. Everywhere I went, I felt like everyone was staring and talking about me (probably partially due to my social phobia, idk). It got so bad that I shut myself out from school and my group; not sure if they realized it, they probably thought it was just me with my mood swings.. It badly affected my group, because I was in-charge of the art department in my group, and no one else could / was willing to step up to help cover their own ass somehow. 

Eventually my mum agreed to let me have a dog, and that became my motivation to just work towards graduation. I managed to graduate in the end, even though I refuse to submit my final assignment, thought I still couldn't walk out of the trauma of that incident, and I lost a good friend because of that as well. But tah-dah! I got Tripod! 

Even now, Tripod is still my happy pill and my motivation for everything, he's my motivation to get a job and work hard so that I can provide him with better food, and if anything bad happens during the day, the first thing I do when I go home is to get a hug from tripod and a mouthful of his forever shedding fur, and an occasional whipping from his cane - like tail. He's the reason why I wake up early to go for walks with him, and also the reason I stopped sleeping my life away when I have no work. I honestly have no idea where I would be now if Tripod wasn't around. 

I once asked an AC to help me ask Tripod why he doesn't react to his name at first, and the answer I got was that he feels like people keep laughing at his name. Now, I tell Tripod everyday, that he (and the name Tripod) is very precious to me and plays an important role in my life, regardless of what people say. Some may say that he may not understand what I mean, but I would like to keep my faith that I have at least this bit of connection with him. I'm not sure how many of you can relate to that, maybe it's just me.

Conclusion: please just love Tripod and embrace his name and him as himself! 

Lots of Laughters, 

Tripod and Human

@4leggedtripod

Start of Tripod's Wardrobe Collection

OK. To be honest,  Tripod doesn't have that many accessories. #TrueWordsComingFromTheHeart. He used to have, I think over 40+ bandanas? But now the collection is down to only 30+. Isn't that sad?

Initially when I got Tripod, my family were not 100% agreeable to it, simply because of his breed. Despite my parents having bigger dogs in their home last time in their childhood (by bigger i meant a doberman),  my mum was actually scared of "big dogs", and she was expecting me to adopt a small breed dog which I refused to. This extends all the way to my aunts and grandma, while they thought that Tripod was cute, they were also worried because big dogs = fierce dogs.

Such a scary big pupper :")

Then I met my neighbor, who owns Heihei, Tripod's first friend when he came to our neighborhood. She gave me some of Heihei's shirts, which he doesn't wear, because Heihei doesn't like anything on him other than his collars. Tripod was so tiny at that time, and the shirt was oversized, making him look extremely adorable!! And that triggered Tripod's wardrobe collection. See below for Tripod's first ever shirts! He still wears them now~

Tripod generally doesn't have a temper, he's pretty tolerant to everything that I do, and has absolutely no objections to me putting on clothes for him. This eventually lead to his first bandana (blue), then the first customized bandana, then backpacks, then eventually fancy collars! One of Tripod's first fancier collars came from PawsNWags, a pink sakura one. Tripod's fur is this very neutral color, so pretty much every color looks good on him, including pink!  Tripod also landed his first pawdel gig with PawsNWags too, his photo was on display in their booth when we went for one of the events and chanced upon the human behind PawsNWags by chance!

 But Tripod being Tripod, he just had to cause trouble for me. I eventually realized that he can slip out from his buckle collar, because of his odd body proportion. Tripod's neck circumference is only 36cm. My cousin's maltipoo's neck measures 28cm. Can't understand his body proportion, but I had to deal with it somehow, which was then I came across fabric martingales, and I can't turn back. Mainly because of the variety of designs available. I kept bugging Ocha Mama telling her that when she released her martingale collection, I will be the first to get it! I don't think i managed to fulfill that promise, but I managed to snag myself a one of a kind design for the collar!

I love that design, and we would have used it everyday, if not for the fact that Tripod's neck becoming smaller again when we tried the new collar on him. Right now that beautiful piece is undergoing alterations, but once it's back we will have tons of photos and matching bandanas to have a photoshoot session with it!

I think that's about it, there's nothing much that I can share about Tripod's wardrobe now. We are superlly culturally diverse though, so if anyone has like cool lobangs for new style accessories, do hit us up!

Lots of Licks(From Tripod),
Tripod and Human
@4leggedtripod

The Month Of Tripod!

Yay! March is here. It's Tripod month!

Hi all! Human Zoe and Singapore Special Tripod here! Why Tripod month, you ask? That's just a human thing. I brought Tripod home on the 31st of March 2018, and I had no intention of returning him from the start even though it was for home trial, and hence, the human officially declared March as the Month of Tripod~

Tripod on his first day of homestay! Look at his ears!

Just to share a bit about Tripod:

 Tripod is 1 year 6 months old as of 1st April, I brought him home when he was just shy of 6 month old. When Tripod first came, he was named Nimbus (though i called him Tripod the day he came to our house), was a tiny little (not very) fluff, and has a super long tail, with one ear floppy. Just imagining the half floppy ears makes the human fangirl over it again.

Tripod was very timid, and he was afraid of so many things; he even refused to get out of the house for walks and pee breaks. Here's a never ending list of what Tripod is scared of:

1. Humans (which I now realise he warms up to them quicker if that person has a dog with them )
2. Anything with wheels
3. Babies and little children (beats me why)
4. Traffic
5. My mum (fingers crossed that she doesn't see this)

At that time, honestly, even though he was super adorable, human was just a daaat bit disappointed at how timid Tripod was. Human's ideal kind of dog is actually one that is one that is very human and dog friendly, and barks when there are people at the door etc, but Tripod was the complete opposite. Till today, the number of times that he barked can be counted with one hand; + many left over fingers.

But after a while, I came to terms with it, because he looked for me for comfort, I'm a sucker for that; and I realised that raising Tripod might be a lot more fruitful and rewarding as compared to raising a dog that is "perfect", as per my ideal at that time. Looking back, I see how much Tripod improved; from refusing to get out of the house, to whining to get me to bring him out. From freaking out the moment he sees strangers, to walking calmly (most of the time), in crowded parks. And his most recent achievement: going down the lift!!!!! Every little improvement is documented in his instagram' I feel like time passes too quickly with him. In a blink of an eye, he's with me for 1 year already!

It's frustrating sometimes, I admit, when we end up having to work on our training again, but I cannot deny that Tripod is a bundle of joy to be with. I mean, him and his vain nature, and his goofy long tongue and expressions; what's not to like?

How do you not love this dog? 

Just to further emphasize my point~ 

There's so much more for me to say about Tripod, because I'm obsessed, but let me leave it as it is for now. Next week, I'll share more about how Tripod became known for his 'excessive wardrobe'. (HUMAN BEG TO DIFFER. HE DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF ACCESSORIES)

Thanks for reading about Tripod, please do spread love to us! Till then, ciao!

Lots of Love,
Tripod and Human
@4leggedtripod

How we became a fan of Paws N Wags

Hello again!

It's Rin, mama of Miko, Binky & Churios. I had wanted to write a post on how we became a fan of Paws N Wags last month but was super busy so I finally had time to do it today. So, how do I begin? I think I got to know about Paws N Wags around 2.5 years ago, when Binky was still a pup. Being a pup that she was, I came home one one day to see her collar bitten into 2 pieces. Hence, I contacted P&W as I had always seen her pretty customized collars on IG.

Got to find out that Ocha mummy was the person behind Paws N Wags! I can safely say that I really really like her service, as she took great pains and effort to help me find the designs which I wanted, and customized me 2 collars for Miko & Binky which they are still wearing today!

Red porcupine is for Miko and pink whale is for Binky!

Binky also has a matching collar with her friend.

During Miko's 10th birthday last year, I had asked Ocha mummy to help me customized a bandana for her, and I am absolutely in love with what she had done! She had done an Applique bandana with rainbow confetti which really brings out the birthday mood and atmosphere! Here are some pics!

Pretty Miko with her Applique bandana with the initial "M"

Of course, meimei Binky gets one too.

Miko and her friends during her barkday party!

They also have a wide variety of accessories and selection. One of Binky's childhood best friend, Shadow, customized a bandana from P&W for all of his friends last year during his birthday and it looks so pretty!

And this is a gift from Binky's sister, Sofia for Binky's puppies <3

Last but not least, we also customized a collar for Churios.

Orange collar for baby Churios, which follows her birth color!

All in all, I can say that Paws N Wags will always be my first choice when it comes to doggy accessories. All my 3 girls are wearing collars customized by Ocha mummy. Not only is it pretty, Ocha mummy really put in alot of effort and sometimes sacrificed her sleep to rush out orders for me. We will definitely recommend Paws N Wags to everyone!

From a very satisfied customer,

Rin mama & her 3 baby lions <3

Miko, the special one.

Hi everyone,

I was given the special privilege and invited by Pawsnwags to blog for the month of February. Just to introduce myself, my name is Rin and I have 3 beautiful golden retrievers - Miko, Binky & Churios, aged 11, 2.5 and 6 months old respectively.

Here's a baby Miko at 2 months old!

Another precious baby photo of Miko!

And this is Miko's annoying sister, Binky (on the left) !

Binky and her baby, Churios (on the left).

For this post, I would like to talk about Miko, who is born on February the 10th, 2008. She will always be my first love, and the special one in my heart. The story of how Miko came about, brings me back to my teenage days. My family had adopted a jack russell terrier a few years before Miko came, and I love him. However, I've always wanted a dog of my own.

Miko says hi! <3

Coincidentally, I saw a post on a 8 year old shiba inu up for adoption, and I applied. To my surprise, the owner of the shiba inu had picked me to adopt the dog. I was elated and had prepared to welcome this special one by buying a new bed, clothes, treats and etc. However, the owner texted me on the day of handover to tell me that he had decided to keep his shiba inu, called Mico. I was of course, very disappointed as I was already prepared for another dog. That was when I made the decision to buy a puppy.

To be honest, golden retrievers were never my favorite breed, even though I have 3, lol. I actually loved German Shepherds and Alaskan Malamutes. Anyway, these breeds were hard to come across 11 years ago, so I saw a post of this litter of Golden Retriever puppies that were for sale, went to see, and brought Miko home (named after Mico the shiba inu) that very day.

That was the best decision I had ever made in my entire life. Because having Miko taught me alot about responsibility. I paid for all her food, medical bills, bathe her myself and she even slept with me in my room on my bed every night. For once in my life, I felt that Miko was something that truly belonged to me, and not given by my parents as I had bought her with my own money.

A recent photo of Miko. I still feel the same way about her even til today <3

Everything was jubilant and peaceful until my older brother got married, and his wife HATED dogs. It was to the extend that she wanted both dogs (Miko and jack russell) out of the house or she would divorce my brother. She was also pregnant back then and of course, everyone sided with her. My parents then told me to give both dogs up for adoption as I was only a teenager back then, barely 20 years old and I was still in University.

I can't. I just can't. The thought of losing Miko was just too much to bear and having raised her up as a puppy myself, I know I can't give her up. That was when I made the decision to move out of the house, and ever since then, I never went back. That was also the question many people had been asking me, why don't I stay with my parents? This is the reason why.

Having a dog is for life, please only adopt or buy when you are able to commit at least 10 years of your life.

So, I took the 2 dogs and had been living outside since I was 19 years old. Learnt to do everything by myself as the responsibility of the dogs rests solely on me now. I feed them, walk them, shower them and took care of them myself. It was tiring, but I never complained. Then, one day something happened that would change me forever.

I woke up one morning and found Miko squinting her left eye, she seems to be in pain and was very uncomfortable so I rushed her to the vet immediately. I was told to give her eye drops and bring her back 3 days later. I did as told and when I brought her back to the vet, I heard a very heartbreaking news that Miko is likely blind in that eye, as the pressure in that eye was too high and it had likely damaged her nerves already.

I was left dumbfounded. I was angry, and helpless. Miko was only 2 years old back then and she was still so young. Why didn't the vet do something when I first brought her in? I have so many questions in my head but yet I don't seem to have answers for. This went on for a few months, as I kept taking her to the vet for reviews in hope that I could save that eye. I even booked an appointment for her to see an U.K eye specialist, and everything costed over $10k, all paid by me.

During the appointment with the eye specialist, it was when that he revealed to me that her left eye is confirmed to be blind, and his test kit showed that it was primary glaucoma, which is likely to be caused by genetics, and she eventually will be blind in BOTH eyes. Upon hearing that news, my heart shattered even more. I called up Miko's parents, and the owners told me none of the mother or father has history of eye problems.

Trust me, I was depressed for 6 months. I can say for sure, that this heartbreak is far worse than a breakup (to me). Because Miko was my everything, and I loved her unconditionally. But, everytime when I was reminded of how she might be blind in the other eye, just tears me apart. FYI, primary glaucoma will affect the other eye usually within 6 months to 2 years and eventually both eyes would become blind.

Fast forward, it's been more than 8 years and Miko can still see very well in her right eye and she was always happy. We do not know what caused her to be blind in the left eye even til today but it was likely due to an accident. Miko was also the reason why I was able to pull through all the hardships and remain strong all these years. Because she never once gave up, or showed any pity towards herself. So, why should we let 1 unfortunate incident bring us down?

Instead of blaming everyone or the circumstances, I was very thankful that the other eye was not taken away from her and she can still see. (I seriously had the thought of putting her down if she was totally blind as I fear that it may be too painful for her to live without sight back then). So, everything always happens for a reason and I always believe that you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have Miko to thank for my optimistic character.

Just took the 3 of them to MBS to see lights. They are truly my love and valentine.

So, to the public who is curious as to what happened to Miko's eye, I've written it all here.

Cheers to anyone who is reading this! And for those who is having a difficult time right now, just remember that it won't rain forever. The sun always comes out after a storm :) Or you can always talk to me, I'm a licensed counsellor btw. Hahaha

Btw, Miko has also just celebrated her 11th birthday on 10 Feb 2019! Here are some photos!

Miko's "KFC" themed cake!

And, we are also doing daycare and boarding services. Here are some pictures :)

Look at their happy smiles!

We welcome any breed of dogs and love them like our own.

Golden Retriever gang!

Do follow us on Facebook or Instagram @pawscation.sg if you like our story or wish to be friends with us!

Toodles,

Rin

Miko, Binky & Churios

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Dear Customers,
                            Thank you for your support! It's a time for a break for the holidays! Our storefront will be closed and reopened on the 11th of Feb. We wish everyone a very Gong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Nian Kuai Le! 恭喜发财 新年快乐！

Regards，

Jasmine- Ocha Mama
   

"My Dusty Unicorn"

I never thought I would feel the need to dress up my dog until I got really fed up with people calling her a “him” (despite telling them she is a “her” a million times) and telling me she looks like a boy (Some may say all dogs look the same but this crazy dog mom begs to differ ).

How should I make my dog look more feminine – I wondered 🤔.

The most common accessories for dogs on sale were bandanas and bibs. Ok, I was going to find a REALLY cutesy-girly one for Dusty’s first wardrobe collection 👗. How hard can it be, right? 

❌WRONG❌.

I soon realized that most stores do not customize to suit large breed. My dog belonged to the “Oversized - Outcast” 🤦. I could not find any bandana, bib, clothes or even a simple set of god damn shoes 👠 to fit her (shoes to prevent her paws from getting burnt on hot pavement when we go for pee/poop walks 💩).

At that point, Dusty was turning 1 year old in a few months and I was determined to get her something she could put on for MY photo-taking pleasure 📷 😏. I decided for some reason to make my life even harder by coming up with a theme for her birthday outfit. I wanted her to be a Unicorn 🦄– cliché but no one can say she looks like a boy anymore. (#icouldonlyhope)

In my mind, the most girly outfit would be one with unicorns, glitters and pastel colour shades. I wasn't asking for much, all I needed was a girly looking bandana or bib IN HER SIZE .

After a couple of weeks, I came across “PawNWags” website. As I browsed through their “Fabric Hub”, I saw some cute designs. I was beginning to lose enthusiasm as I started to accept the fact that even if I liked a design, I was never going to get it in Dusty’s size 😖.

For F*** Sake! Why can’t big dogs be pretty too! – The tiny voice of delusion in my head refused to let it go 😠. (#crazyasiandogmom)

As though the Mother of all Unicorns heard my tiny head voice cursing and swearing, I scrolled on to the last page of their “Fabric Hub” and there it was. THE PRETTIEST UNICORN FABRIC I HAVE EVER SEEN - "Unicorn Dreams." It was perfect. My eyes lit up  😍 when I noticed they had an option for personalizing your own bib. I was over the moon! I quickly added in Dusty’s measurements and waited patiently for a respond 🙏🙏🙏.

A few days later, Jasmine from “PawsNWags” contacted me. She told me she would need to check to see if she had enough fabric to make the bib in Dusty’s size. HERE WE GO AGAIN – I thought. I was sure she was coming back with bad news. But once again, the Mother of all Unicorns did its magic. “I have just enough fabric to make a bib for Dusty,” Jasmine told me. I think I might have farted rainbows from being overly excited 🌈.

I chose the “PinkSakura” fabric for the reverse side of the bib and left the font colour for Dusty’s name embroidery solely up to Jasmine’s discretion and just like that, the order was put through!

2 weeks on, I received Dusty's first ever personalized bib. I was really surprised by how well-made it was. The bib was meticulously sewn and it just fitted so well on Dusty. When I first put it on for Dusty, I thought she was the most beautiful FEMALE Husky I have ever seen (totally biased – Yes) .

When I contacted Jasmine to inform her that I had received the product, she said, “If you noticed I placed a single unicorn 🦄 at the centre of the bib aligned to Dusty’s chest close to her heart 💓.” I looked at the bib once more and WOAH! This was something you can’t unsee once you have seen it 👀 . It warmed my heart 💖 that Jasmine made the effort to do that. The colour of the font used for Dusty’s name also really stood out beautifully on the bib.

Jasmine and I continued to chat on Facebook Messenger, and after sending her a picture of Dusty in the bib, I found out she had an undying love for Huskies. She had always wanted one and had even chosen a name for her imaginary Husky 😂.

I have not told Jasmine this but what really blew my mind was how she had decided to use those words “close to her heart” when she described her decision to centralize a single unicorn on the bib. Coincidentally, a few weeks after I got Dusty, I noticed she has a “heart”  💓marking on her forehead. I sometimes call Dusty my “Heart- Dog” because of her marking and how she has grown to be the most endearing, friendly and gentle dog 🐶. This bib really was made for her 🙆. 

On 10 November 2018, Dusty turned ONE 🎂. "My Dusty Unicorn" looked hilarious but also too adorable in her full birthday suit😂😆😘 . My very cooperative model-wannabe dog gave me some great shots 📸📸📸 that day (although she rolled her eyes and side glared me a few times). 

Thanks to “PawsandWags”, Dusty did not have to go topless on her birthday 😅 and she no longer has to be part of the "Oversized - Outcast" 😘. Looking forward to getting her a flower collar 💮 very soon! Might even get one for my human daughter if I ever have one. 

🦄Unicorn Dreams with Centralized Unicorn 💗

Reverse Side - Pink Sakura

My Dusty Unicorn turns O.N.E

Birthday Wink 😉

Clearly happy with her unicorn bib 😍

💖"Heart-Dog"💖

💞2nd Day with us @ 3.5 months and I noticed the "Heart" marking on her forehead 💞