Mommy is visiting Grandpa and Grandma in Taiwan. Preston and Daddy are staying home.
In Taiwan, motorcycle is a very popular transportation. Many doggies here are expert canine bikers!

Mommy and Daddy might have to call Cesar Millan “the Dog Whisperer” or Victoria Stilwell of “Its Me or the Dog”. Preston used to be a sweet and easy-going puppy that never showed his teeth unless it was to defend himself.
As Preston got older, he is turning into a grumpy dog. He still plays well with other dogs in the park but has become very protective of his toys and started showing food aggression when another dog is around. This has been giving Mommy and Daddy a big headache.
Not too long after Preston moved to Houston, he met up with his cyber friend, Puggles. (Interesting name, huh? His full name is Puggles TX Ranger) The two boys had a great time at the dog park. They played chase and shared treats together. Puggles is the sweetest boy and has great temperament.

A couple of weeks ago, Puggles invited Preston over to check out his house because when Mommy and Daddy are going on vacation, Puggles and his parents will be looking after Preston. Puggles’ parents would like Preston to get familiar with their house before the sleep-over. How thoughtful! Mommy and Daddy are so grateful for their help.
When Preston arrived at Puggles’ home, the two of them were very happy to see each other. They started running around in the house and were having a lot of fun…well…that was until Preston got his paws on Puggles’ “Waggle“, a treat dispensing toy that Preston also has one at home. Preston brought Waggle to Mommy and wanted her to fill it with treats. Just as Mommy was about to take the toy away from Preston, Puggles happened to walk by and without any warning, Preston snapped at Puggles! It caught everyone off guard. Poor Puggles ran away in shock. He was so terrified of Preston and wouldn’t even be in the same room with him anymore. Mommy and Daddy felt terrible. The poor thing must have thought “Who is this bully coming to my house, stealing my toy and attacking me?”
Mommy really thought Preston had just lost a friend but before Mommy and Daddy took Preston home (with huge embarrassment!), Puggles walked to Preston cautiously, sniffed a little and wagged his tail again. The two of them made up and were friends again. Puggles is truely the sweetest puggle.
What should Mommy and Daddy do about Preston’s agressive behavior? He doesn’t do that to people (thank goodness!). When Bunbun the Havanese slept over, Mommy kept close eyes on them during dinner time. Preston wasn’t aggressive towards Bunbun even when she tried to stick her head in Preston’s bowl when he was eating. Preston is very unpredictable. This has made correcting his behavior harder.
Mommy and Daddy are going on vacation this weekend. Puggles and his parents are so kind and still welcome Preston to their home even after they found Preston is such a bully. Puggles’ mommy and daddy will make sure to keep both boys safe. Preston is so lucky to have a friend like Puggles.
Puggles is very well-loved at his home. He even has his very own room, decorated just for him.

Mommy and Daddy are praying that Preston will behave himself this weekend so they can enjoy their time on the sunny beach…

This is a popular human recipe but since kale is a highly nutritious vegetable that is rich in anti-oxidants, Mommy is happy to share this tasty and healthy snack with Preston. If you are not a big fan of kale (like Mommy), you will be surprised how yummy the crispy kale is.
There are many recipes of crispy kale online. Mommy’s recipe is based on one of her favorite food blogs: SteamyKitchen-Baked Crispy Kale.
Ingredients (scale up if needed):
5 cups of leafy kale, torn into bite-sized pieces, thick stems removed.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt/seasoning salt (for humans)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Wash and dry kale thoroughly (very important!)
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale and toss with your hands until all surfaces are coated.
4. Spread the kale evenly on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Toss slightly at the 10 minutes and check every 2 minutes from this point on until the leaves turn crispy. Remove the kale from the oven immediately. (This step is tricky. Mommy burnt two batches before finally figuring out the right timing)
5. Save some unseasoned crispy kale for your pooch! Sprinkle the remaining crispy kale with salt/seasoning salt.

Crispy kale vs. raw kale. Preston sure knows the difference…

Mommy and Daddy’s obsession with the PUGGLE license plates started when they first got Preston in California. They snatched Massachusetts’ “PUGGLE” plate as soon as they moved to Boston.

One of the first things Mommy looked up after Daddy decided to accept a job offer in Houston was the availability of Texas’ “PUGGLE” plate. They were heart broken when they found out Texas “PUGGLE” plate was taken!! Just as they were trying to find an alternative plate, Pugle or Pu99le? Texas gave drivers a second chance to use words that have been taken by releasing the “T for Texas” Plates. Mommy and Daddy were thrilled they could have a PUGGLE plate on their car again!

Who is the lucky puggle that owns Texas’ first PUGGLE plate? Texas is such a big state. Will Mommy and Daddy ever get to see the other PUGGLE plate on the road? They always wondered…

Long before Preston moved to Houston, he already had some cyber friends in Houston. Once Preston settled in his new city, he couldn’t wait to meet up with these wonderful cyber friends. One of them was Zoe the Puggle. When Zoe’s mom, Ginger read Preston also lived very close to Danny Jackson Bark Park, she and Mommy immediately set up a playdate. Here is what Ginger wrote Mommy after she found out where Preston’s apartment was, “All these years we’ve been following Preston’s blog, and you guys move literally…..right around the corner!” Yes! Preston’s apartment complex and Zoe’s were literally back to back neighbors!! What a small world!
At the end of the email, Ginger told Mommy and Daddy if they ever see a car “driving down the street with the license plate “PUGGLE” on it, you will know it is us!”
AH-HA!!

Happy New Year!
Mommy and Daddy would like to thank Preston for another year full of joy, love and laughter.
Some happy memories and fun pictures of the year 2010:
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Preston is a lucky pup. He received lots of wonderful Christmas cards and presents from his friends. Thank you all so much for thinking about Preston.


…and Preston’s buddies,Oliver and Jack, must hope one day Preston can challenge Chaser the border collie who knows the names of 1022 toys. They sent Preston a box full of toys!

Preston’s puggle friends Blue and Copper sent him the sweetest and most adorable ecard: video
Mommy baked Preston biscuits with the biscuit mix Bruschi and Ebby sent. They turned out great!

12/28/2010 updates:
More presents arrived today from Poochy Puggle! Poochy always got Preston the yummiest treats, the kind Mommy won’t touch without wearing gloves! 🙂

Hope everyone has a very merry Christmas!

Daddy used to have a bad habit that drove Mommy crazy. When dinner was ready, it always took Daddy forever to move from his computer to the dinner table. Preston must have felt the same frustration with Mommy because dinner couldn’t start without Daddy!
To solve the problem, Mommy and Preston teamed up to make sure dinner always start promptly!

Two of the activities Preston misses the most since moving from New England to Texas are playing in the snow and going hiking. Preston got to do both in his trip to Seattle!
Seattle’s winter is mild and the city doesn’t usually get a lot of snow but a snowstorm hit the Northwest the day after Preston arrived. Preston was out playing in the snow and so were all the kids on the block!

Preston revisited Marymoor Park, the locals call it “Doggy Disneyland”.


When the snow melted three days later, Preston went hiking in Cougar Mountains.


How did Preston warm up after getting out of the icy water?

Preston also visited the famous Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle.

When Preston wasn’t going out, he was obsessed with his new found friend at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

Preston’s Seattle trip 2007: Sleepless in seattle.

Happy Thanksgiving from Seattle!
Preston flew to Seattle with Mommy and Daddy last Saturday to spend the holidays at Grandpa and Grandma’s house. Yes… Preston was flying again!!
Just like previous flying trips, Mommy and Daddy were very nervous about putting Preston on a plane since he is too big to stay right next to them in the cabin and has to travel in the cargo hold. In the past, Preston has flown with United Airlines and American Airlines. Both of the airlines accept pets as checked baggage, meaning Preston was checked in at the same ticket counter as Mommy and Daddy and picked up at the baggage claim. This time Mommy and Daddy had booked Continental Airlines. They handle their pet customers a little differently. Pets that are too big to fly in-cabin are shipped through their Petsafe® program. Under this program, pets are accepted as cargo, meaning Preston has to check in at the airlines’ “Cargo Center” and be picked up at the Cargo Center at the destination too. Mommy and Daddy did research and prepared this trip as if Preston had never flown eventhough it would be his FOURTH trip flying wtih Mommy and Daddy.
Phew! Preston had a pleasant flight and arrived in Seattle safely! Mommy and Daddy would like to share their latest experience.
Preparation:
-Book ahead: Daddy reserved Preston’s spot on the plane 2 months ahead!
-Check restrictions: Airlines have restrictions on breeds. During the hot weather months, some short-nosed breeds are not accepted for flying in cargo.
-Health certificate: Continental and the USDA require that traveling pets have a Health Certificate issued by a veterinarian dated within 10 days of travel for both the outbound and return trips. Preston is spending a week in Seattle so Mommy got his Health Certificate the day before his travel date.
Flying day:
-Arrive early: Preston arrived at the Cargo Center 2 hours before the scheduled flight.

-Flying in comfort: No toys are allowed in the kennel. It is a 4-hour flight from Houston to Seattle. Mommy had prepared Preston’s Kennel in case there is an unexpected long delay.

With the Petsafe® program, Mommy and Daddy can track Preston’s status online throughout the journey but they didn’t need to get online for this trip.
Look, who is arriving at the terminal and ready to board.

Mommy and Daddy’s seats happened to be on the right side of the airplane so when they landed in Seattle, they were able to catch a glimpse of Preston being unloaded.

Mommy and Daddy didn’t waste a minute picking Preston up at the Cargo Center after they got off the plane. It was a relief to see that Preston made it to Seattle safe and sound.

Preston’s past flying expereince: Flying with a Puggle.

FYI: Prior to this trip, we were uncertain about checking Preston as cargo as opposed to a baggage. We were worried about the additonal time Preston would be separted from us since an earlier check-in time is required for cargo and we wouldn’t be able to pick up Preston as quickly as we did when he traveled with us as a checked baggage. Based on this experience, we are giving Continental’s Petsafe® program thumbs up. We were able to avoid the chaos at the ticket counter espeically during the holiday season and picking Preston up at the Cargo Center is definitely more secure than finding him at the Baggage Claim where anyone could have picked him up. We didn’t have to wait for TSA screening either. That was also a plus. However, we recommend researching beforehand the directions to the Cargo Center as most airport’s Cargo Center is located in a remote area unknown to the general public and maybe hard to find.