The Dogs

Max and Oso have made the trip to Hong Kong with us.  It was a bit of an ordeal getting them here, but they made it!  We were given the name of a pet transport service to aid in getting the dogs here.  This was a huge help because they were able to tell me exactly what needed to be done to receive the proper documentation.

All went well with the dogs' check-ups 10 days in advance of their departure right up until the point the vet called the USDA to confirm there had not been any cases of rabies within 10km of our house in the past 6 months.  Wouldn't you know it, there had been.  Thankfully, after a couple of stressful days, the pet transport company was able to remedy this situation and the dogs were off (with a little help from the Lorges).

The dogs were driven to New York City where they spent the night before boarding a plane to Amsterdam.  In Amsterdam they were able to get off the plane, stretch and go to the bathroom.  Then they boarded a plane to Hong Kong.  They cleared customs and were delivered to our house.  When they came out of the van and were released from their crates they looked so dazed!  We all felt so bad.  They were a little out-of-it for the first day, but adjusted quickly.

I have a new appreciation for dog owners who live in big cities.  No more sending the dogs out the door into the yard!  The good news is that the dogs and I are getting a lot of exercise!  They have gotten used to the walks and Oso has learned that he is not supposed to start peeing until we cross the street coming out of our complex.  They are getting used to all of the other dogs.  Oso is not the best mannered dog, although he is a total lover boy.  He gets very excited when he sees another dog and his reaction is to bark and start jumping, usually on Max's head.  This irritates Max and all of a sudden it looks like I have two ferocious dogs!  Once Oso is allowed to meet the other dog he calms down completely.  We are working on Oso's manners as all of the other dogs we see are very used to the routine and don't react at all.

I have noticed that for every 10 dogs I see walking, 9 of them are being walked by "helpers" (I will write about that in another post).  I do miss my dog walking group!  Thankfully they have placed quite a few trash cans along the sidewalks.  No more leaving my bag on the street for the walk back and no having to carry it home.  You do have to watch where you step when walking on the sidewalks as not everyone is diligent about their doggie doo pick-up:)

I am very thankful we are in a townhome and not a high rise apartment building.  I can't imagine having to take the dogs down the elevator everytime I take them out.  I am also thankful for the terraces.  Max loves to sunbathe and these are perfect for him.  Of course he usually doesn't last more than 10 minutes before he's too hot.

Here are a couple of pictures from when we were getting settled.