An Introduction

Ricky came into the family on 5 May 1996, a few months after our cat leaped out of our 11th storey flat. We decided to keep a dog instead, as the likelihood of another jump was quite unlikely.

At the pet shop, we decided on this boy because he was the only dog sitting quietly in his cage whilst the rest of the puppies were barking the place down. Like an angel. When we brought him home and he continued his silence, we worried that he was a mute. It was only when he was watching TV did he start barking (at the screen).

Ricky barks at everything. The newspaper man. Thunder. A whistling kettle. The Air. The Sky. Me. Ma. Kor. Pa. Everyone. For dinner. For breakfast. For lunch. For the Apple. Everything. Except little animals and insects. :) He simply drowns the insects with his drool.

He used to be a sweetheart and loved having guests at our home, until one day, my cheeky piano teacher hid behind a chair and BOO-ed him, scaring the hell out of him. Since then, he has acquired this deep hatred for strangers in our house and will bark at the intruder with every step he or she takes. He is only at peace if he sees you sitting down with no big movements.

Like the family, he enjoys food a lot and cannot do without his nightly apple snack. We used to be careful with what he eats because of his skin allergy. But now that he has a huge tumor/cancer and we know he won't be around much longer, really, we let him have all the yummies he desires.

He's 13 years old now. Old, balding, down with a huge tumour, unable to control his bladder and bowels sometimes... but still possesses the cheeky (nice word for naughty) and curious (read: kaypoh) spirit since puppy hood.

I know he won't be around much longer and one day, in a sudden moment of great panic, I decided I shall blog and capture his life before he fades away too quickly.