Every Saturday and Sunday for the past 5 weeks, Bessy and I have diligently been attending Puppy Basic Obedience Classes in Pet Safari, Ikano. Besides the twice weekly classes, we've also been having 10-minute training sessions at home every night. Our homework, so to speak.


Bessy and Luna nervously await their turn on Exam Day.

Bessy has learnt to "Heel", "Sit Stay", "Down Stay", "Stand Stay", "Wait" and "Recall".


Bessy waits with the other doggies for the results.

Her Bad:
As the youngest in her entire class, Bessy's "Heel" is really, really bad. She is a certified busybody, and feels it is her responsibility to sniff out anyone and anything. Worse, she makes it a point to poop during the "Heel" routine in every class. Every. Class.

Her Good:
Bessy's "Stay" and "Wait" is surprisingly very, very good.


Luna passes!

Out of a maximum score of 60, Bessy scored 45. Even though she pooped during her "Heeling" exam.

Once past the naughty, cheeky, rebellious and headstrong furry exterior, deep inside there's a good little girl who tries her best to make the people she loves happy.

I mean Bessy, you meanies!

Enough of being growled at by Grumpy Uncle Spitz, Fierce Blackie, Snarling Corgie and Aggressive Auntie Poodle in our neighbourhood. Bessy has finally made a few furry pals of her own!

First pal is Shy Uncle Winston. Bessy loves annoying him with her paw, and running circles around him till he gets fed up and WRUFFS at her to go away. Which she does. For about 5 seconds. And then she's back for more.





Next pal is Pretty Sunshine Che Che. Bessy loves her lots. But Sunshine isn't too fond of Bessy always trying to lick her pretty face and biting her tail. Sunshine has tried telling Bessy to cool it, but that doesn't seem to have deterred Bessy from following Sunshine everywhere.



In Bessy's Puppy Class, she's firm friends with Lovely Luna. When they first met, Luna was really apprehensive of Bessy pawing her face. But now, they love boxing and jumping on each other.








Bessy also has another Puppy Class pal - Chubby Scruffy. Poor Scruffy was told to lose weight, which she did over the few weeks. We think Scruffy has dropped out of Puppy Class 'cause she hasn't turned up for the past 4 classes.

In addition to all her new chums, Bessy has also sniffed the noses and behinds of numerous other dogs in Pet Safari.

But she would dearly love to sniff the noses and behinds of Mow, Pea and Mandy. So, when ah?

He's the extreme version of Mickey Mouse. And his name is even singable to the tune of M-i-c-k-e-y M-o-u-s-e.

Jihadi Mouse made his debut on Palestinian TV last month, and he calls on children to help Muslims become the “masters of the world” and "violently resist Israel".

And Jihadi has a young, female assistant named Saraa.

In one programme, transcribed by the Middle East Media Research Institute, Saraa asks a young viewer by telephone how she would “sacrifice her soul for the sake of al-Aqsa” mosque in Jerusalem. “I will shoot,” says the young viewer, “we will annihilate the Jews... I will commit martyrdom.”

In another clip, which has appeared on YouTube, a viewer speaking to Jihadi Mouse by telephone recites a poem referencing an AK47 assault rifle. As the poem is read out, Jihadi Mouse pretends to shoot a rifle.

And Jihadi's idea of 'happily ever after'? To become “masters of the world”, which requires all children to be happy with Arabic, which “once upon a time ruled this world”.

I wonder if there will be a Jihadi Mouse Club with their version of young Britney, Justin and Christina dancing to poems of AK47 and suicide bombings. Worse, I can imagine their version of Jihadiland.

What is this world coming to?

A Life Among Whales has to be one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. It chronicles the quest of whale biologist, Dr Roger Payne, who spent a lifetime in his efforts to conserve whales.

Dr Payne, by the way, is the man who introduced the "songs of the whales" to the world.

In 1971, he upped his whole family (wife and 3 kids) to the coast of Argentina. And at night, sleeping in army tents pitched a few yards from the cliff, the Payne family would hear the snore of southern right whales who had migrated there to mate.

Some key highlights of "A Life Among Whales":

• Watching the biggest joke in the Whale Conservation movement, where giant whaling tankers are slaughtering whales "in the name of science"
• Hearing Dr Payne speak about the majesty and grace of whales

Watch this documentary! Or download it.

Jack Russell against 2 pitbulls. Guess who died?


George

A plucky foot-high Jack Russell terrier named George saved five New Zealand children from two marauding pitbulls. But little George was so severely mauled in the fight he had to be destroyed, according to his devastated owner.

George was playing with the group of children as they returned home from buying sweets at a neighborhood shop in the small North Island town of Manaia when the two pitbulls appeared and lunged toward them.

One of the children was quoted as saying George fought with the pitbulls to keep them off his four-year-old brother.

The two pitbulls ripped the skin from his throat and chest and down his back. The vet had to put George to sleep.


A dog died for you! You better grow up useful, young lady!

The pitbulls' owner surrendered the pair to dog control officers, and demanded they be destroyed, claiming they had launched unprovoked attacks previously. Gee, thanks Mr Responsible Owner.

Moral of the story? Dogs are better and more useful than kids. Heh.

R.I.P. George!