International K9 & Horse Club: "A Sunday outing"...

Due to popular demand... my blog will be prepared in English and Turkish from now on...However, my mom's Turkish (when it comes to writing) is not that great so sorry in advance for the gramatical errors!

Yoğun talep üzerine, bundan böyle bloğum İngilizce ve Türkçe olarak hazırlanacaktır...Yalnız annem Türkçe'yi o kadar güzel yazamıyor ve şimdiden yaptığı hatalar için özür diliyor!

Hi everyone!

It has been a while since my last post, sorry about that! But, I cannot begin to tell you how BORED I have been for the last month! If you read some of my other posts, you know I live in Istanbul and the weather here has been pretty bad. Sure it's the winter I realize that as my mom is always putting on a different coat before she takes me out as it has been very rainy and lately (for the last week or so), it has also been snowing! Now, this doesn't hold much meaning to me - I'm not concerned about the weather - but I do realize that it has been affecting my social life!

Uzun zamandır sizler için bir yazı hazırlayamadım - özür dilerim! Ama, son bir aydır ne kadar SIKILDIĞIMI anlatamam! Daha önceki yazılarımı okuduysanız, ben Istanbul'da yaşıyorum... eh... şimdi de kış ve havalar çok kötü... soğuk olmak dışında, bir de sürekli yağmur yağıyor ve son zamanlarda buna kar da eklendi! Benim için bu fazla birşey ifade etmiyor açıkçası, ama annem her dışarıya çıktığımızda değişik bir kiyafet giydirerek çıkartıyor. Hava durumları benim derdim değil ama sosyal yaşamımı kesinlikle etkilediğini fark ettim!

You see... my mom has really spoiled me! Before the winter season, besides our normal morning and evening walks, she would take me to restaurants and other places she went and we would be outside for hours! Now, I'm basically stuck at home most of the time! I can't wait for the "old days"!

Annem beni çok şımartı ve eski günlerimi mumla arıyorum! Kış sezonu başlamadan önce, sabah ve akşam gezmelerimiz dışında, annem beni değişik restoranlara, vb götürürdü ve böylece saatlerce dışarıda vakit geçirirdim. Şimdi ise, tam tersine sürekli evdeyim ve ahh... o eski günleri çok anıyorum!

However, this situation changed this past Sunday (January 22)! For a change, it was a lovely and sunny day although it was still cold. My aunt Meltem called my mom in the morning and said they were taking Arman (my mom's 10 1/2 year old nephew) to International K-9 & Horse Club (www.k9horseclub.com) to go horseback riding and asked whether we would like to join them. I listened intently as mom spoke to her on the phone... mom has been sick on and off for the last week and she told her she wasn't up to it, but asked them if they would take me along! Thank god my aunt Meltem said sure!

Çok şükür bu "sıkıntılı" günlerim Pazar günü (22 Ocak) değişti. Şansıma, Pazar günü, soğuk olmasına rağmen güneşli bir gündü. Annemin kardeşi, Meltem teyzem aradı ve dediki hava güzel olduğu için Arman'ı (annemin 10,5 yaşındaki yeğeni) International K-9 & Horse Club'a (www.k9horseclub.com)  at binmek istediği için gideceklerini ve bizim de gelmemizi istedi. Aralarındaki konuşmalar geçerken, ben de büyük ilgiyle dinledim! Annem son bir haftadır hasta olduğu için, katılamayacağını ama isterlerse beni götürebileceğini söyledi... ve çok şükür Meltem teyzem tabii ki dedi!

My aunt Meltem, her husband Ibrahim and Arman came and picked me up at around 1:00pm and we were on our way! I'm used to them and like them alot, so I had no problem going with my mom. In fact, I had stayed at my aunt's house a few times when my mom went away on vacation last year...

Meltem teyzem, eşi İbrahim ve Arman saat 13.00 gibi beni gelip aldılar ve yola koyulduk! Ben onları çok seviyorum ve annem olmadan onlarla gitmek benim için hiç zor olmadı. Hatta, geçen sene birkaç kez annem seyahatte gidince onların evinde kalmıştım.

International K-9 & Horse Club is located in a place called Hadımköy. The car ride was long, so I know it's not very close to our house. My mom had gone there before (before I started living with her in May), but this was my first time and I wasn't sure what to expect.

International K-9 & Horse Club Hadımköy'de... araba yolculuğu biraz uzun sürdü dolayısıyla bizim oturduğumuz mahalleye yakın olmadığını anladım. Annem daha önce gitmişti (ben onunla yaşamaya başlamadan önce - Mayıs 2010'dan beri annemin yanındayım) ama benim ilk gidişimdi ve neyle karşılaşacağımı bilmiyordum.

The minute we got out of the car... I knew I would like this place because it's very big and lots of places for me to roam and sniff!

Arabadan iner inmez burayı seveceğimi anladım çünkü çok büyük bir yer ve gezecek ve koklayacak çok yer vardı!

Me and Arman

 

"Posing" for my Aunt Meltem @ International K-9

I found out that Arman had come here many many times to go horseback riding in the last two years and has gotten quite good at it. However, they mainly come during the spring and fall when he can ride outside...when they can also sit outside and soak in the sun...

Son birkaç yıldır Arman'ın buraya gelerek at bindiğini ve bu sürede iyi bir binici olmaya başladığını öğrendim. Genellikle daha iyi havalarda K-9'a gidiyorlar ve Arman dışarıda biniyor... ve bizimkiler dışarıda güneşli havanın keyfini çıkartıyordu.. 

Outdoor horseback riding area at International K-9

Outdoor eating & drinking area @ International K-9

However, now that it's cold, Arman rode indoors and we watched as he did .... also met some of the horses at the stalls... and made a friend... a labrador...My mom says I'm a mild-mannered dog and make friends easily as I don't bark at my furry friends and just want to make friends!

Fakat, şimdi havalar soğuk olduğundan, Arman içerideki manejde ata bindi ve biz seyrettik... aynı zamanda atları ziyaret ettik ve bir arkadaş edindim... bir labrador. Annem benim çok iyi huylu bir köpek olduğumu ve kolay dost edindiğimi her zaman söyler ve yandaşlarıma hiç bir zaman havlamam ve hırçın davranmam.

Arman horseback riding

After Arman's riding session, we headed indoors to Hara Restaurant... which is located in a two story building...

Arman ata bindikten sonra soğuktan kaçmak için 2 katlı bir binada olan Hara Restaurant'a gittik...

Hara Restaurant

We decided to sit upstairs because there was a fireplace, but I did notice that there was an open brick oven on the first floor (yum.... food for me too!)...

Üst katta oturmaya tercih ettik çünkü şömine vardı... ama yukarıya çıkarken, birinci katta açık fırın olduğunu gördüm ve sevindim... demek benim de yiyebilecek yemekler vardı!

Aunt Meltem and her husband Ibrahim

Aunt Meltem and me

Brick oven at Hara Restaurant

Everyone had gotten hungry (including me and I usually don't eat when I'm out!), so we ordered food. My Aunt Meltem says that the food here is quite good and the prices very reasonable. They have a selection of appetizers (changes daily) and salads along with grills (köfte - Turkish style meatballs, chicken, etc.) and pide (pastry stuffed with cheese.. meat, etc.). I see that they opted to order apps and salads and grills for Arman and me. Also, Ibrahim likes to drink wine (just like my mom) and he says the wine he had was not only very good, but very reasonably priced!

Bu kadar temiz havadan sonra herkes açıkmıştı (ben dahil - ama genellikle ben dışarıda yemek yemeyi sevmiyorum). Teyzem dediki buradaki yemekler gayet güzel ve bir sürü meze (her gün seçenekler değişebiliyor), salatalar, pideler ve ızgaralar var. Kendileri meze ve salata ısmarladı ve Arman ve bana izgaralardan... Ayrıca, aynı annem gibi, İbrahim şarap seviyor ve çok güzel bir şarap söyledi ve fiyatı da - yemekler gibi, çok uygun olduğunu söyledi...

Goodies at Hara Restaurant

Then we hung out for a while longer... I met "another" friend... his name was Pumpkin and he's 3 years old and a really cool dog! ,We had pictures taken together, but they came out blurry so mom didn't post them. Then we walked around a little more and it was time to go home...

Yemekten sonra biraz daha takıldık.. keyif yaptık ve bir arkadaş daha edindim... onun adı Pumpkin ve 3 yaşında erkek ve gayet "cool" bir köpekti. Beraber resim çektik fakat flü çıktığı için annem buraya koymadı. Sonra dişarıda biraz daha gezdik ve eve dönme saati geldi...

This is Pumpkin

Walking with Arman

I got back home at around 7:00pm and believe me when I tell you, I totally crashed about 10 minutes later and headed straight to my bed! It was a long day, but it was a GREAT day with my family! International K-9 & Horse Club is a great place to go for kids, adults and your 4 legged family members! You can go horseback riding - walk around  - have something to eat. You can also visit the dogs (strays too) that also live at K-9...But, the next time we go, I want my mom to come too!

Saat 19.00 gibi eve döndük ve eve girdikten 10 dakika sonra çöktüm! Uzun bir gün geçirdim ailemle ama SÜPER bir gündü! International K-9 & Horse Club hem çocuklar, hem yetişkenler ve benim gibi diğer aile fertleriniz için hoş bir mekan! Ata binebilirsiniz, etrafı gezebilirsiniz, yemek yiyebilirsiniz ve orada kalan köpekleri de ziyaret edebilirsiniz. Ama, bir sonraki sefere annemin de bizimle gelmesini istiyorum!

Till the next time...

Bir sonraki sefere kadar hoşçakalın...

Luka

International K-9 & Horse Club
Karaağaç Köyü
Hazerfen Havaalanı yolu üzeri
Hadımköy - B. Çekmece
Tel: (0212) 857 80 16

"Play Date" at Lucca with my gal pal Mia and our moms Dani and Ceyda!!

Hi everyone!

First, happy happy New Year to all my friends out there! I hope all of you have a wonderful 2012 with your owners and families and enjoy the good life - just like me!

It has been a while since my last post, but soooo much as happened. If you read my last post, you know that I got sick and had to wear a stupid bubble on my head - which I had to wear from December 13 to December 25! Let me tell you - that wasn't fun at all! But, mom was happy because I was a good trooper and didn't really complain - the only problem was I had a tough time eating my bones with "no paws" - but guess what? Just a day before I had it taken off, I got the hang of it and mom took a video... so before I get into my real article subject - I wanted to share that video with you!

After I got the bubble off, mom thought I looked a bit scruffy, so she took me for a haircut and bath at Animallia on December 30, so that I would look good for the New Year! Of course, at the same time she got me another new outfit!!! She's really on a roll, but justified the purchase because it was on sale at the Pet Shop at Animallia and cost her 30 TL (since I have no concept on money, I believe whatever she says!)

My "new" outfit - pre New Year's Eve

Also, my grandma knitted me an outfit as a New Year's gift - but unfortunately, it's a little big and will be altered, but I really like the colors  - don't you?

Grandma's New Year's gift...

If you are a first time visitor to my blog, let me tell you who my mom is... she also has a blog and it's http://danislogbookdestinationistanbulbeyond.blogspot.com and if you visit her site, you will notice that most of the times when she posts articles, she has a tendency of going off tangent instead of getting straight to the point! Well, she has a habit of doing the same thing on my blog! What can I say, it's her way!

Now...let's start on the topic for this blog!

I have been living with mom since May 10 (if you want the whole story, read my first blog) and she has been taking me out to lots of different places every since!

One of the first places we went to was a restaurant/cafe called Masa at IstinyePark... When we got there and sat down, a woman - her name is Ceyda... came over to our table to introduce herself and to meet me. She also as a Maltese and was at Masa with her: her little girl's name is Mia.

Mia and me at Masa (left, right) May 2010

So, that's the first time I met Mia... I was 7 months old then and Mia was 3 months old! Since we were both Maltese Terriers, our moms exchanged numbers and we said that we definitely needed to get together again!

Unfortunately because of everyone's crazy schedules we didn't get a chance to get together until yesterday - January 5th!!!

My mom texted Ceyda the night before and told her we were going to Lucca (yuppeeeee!) as it was going to be a lovely sunny day and because she felt bad that she hadn't taken me out in a long time. Ceyda and Mia were free too, so we set up our "play date" for 2:00pm.

Lucca (www.luccastyle.com) is one of my mom's favorite places and has also become mine! Well, our names are pronounced the same way too - and the meanings are pretty much the same.. that is "light, illumination" or to brighten someone's life! And... we both do!!!

Lucca (Bebek)

I know it appears that mom's constantly plugging this place, but she has been a regular ever since it opened about 7 years ago - loves their food, service, the crowd.. and they are dog friendly! And.. although it is cold, you can sit outside under the new heaters they installed this winter and let me tell you, it's like an oven!

Mom and I first took a long walk in Levent and in Bebek before we got to Lucca at 2:00pm and Ceyda and Mia were running a little late and arrived at 2:30pm! So, I just hung out and waited for them to arrive...By the way, it's always a good idea to make a reservation at Lucca - whether you go during the day or night because it is very difficult to find a table and that's exactly what mom did!

Soaking up some sun @ Lucca

This is Mia and her mom Ceyda...

Ceyda (left), Mia (right)

Isn't she adorable???? Mia is 11 months old now and she too had on the cutest outfit... here she's in her tshirt... but she had on a pink coat with a hood too which she took off at Lucca!

At first, she was a bit shy when she saw me and because she's been "fixed" (I don't know what that means), she was a little anxious with my overtures towards her! But, after a while, she allowed me to snuggle up to her and mom shot a short video...

Mom and Ceyda caught up and Mia and I got re-acquainted, and just hung out until it was time to leave. Mom had one of her favorite dishes.. Grilled Salmon served with broccoli and mashed celery root (absolutely delicious and better than mashed potatoes she says!) and Ceyda wasn't really hungry so she just ordered their herbed French Fries.

Of course the subject of pet supplies, clothes etc came up during their conversation! Ceyda mentioned this website where you can get all sorts of accessories for dogs and cats. It's called Petza "For Cool Pets" (www.petza.com.tr). Although the heading is in English, the website is in Turkish only. Mom visited the site today and it's the best one she has seen until now. The selections are so vast and most of the items are reasonably priced - so I know for a fact that she will definitely be ordering me all sorts of items from there - god help me!!!

We left Lucca at about 4:30pm and took a walk up along the Bosphorus because Ceyda had a meeting she had to go to at 5:30pm and after sitting for hours, Mia and I got bored and we also had to take care of our "business"!

Then..mom being the photography buff and freak, handed her camera to someone and had them take a picture of the four of us to capture the moment by the Bosphorus in Bebek!

Ceyda & Mia (left); Mom and me (right)

We had a wonderful afternoon! It was great seeing Mia again and when we said our farewells, we decided that we would definitely get together more often in 2012!

Now... it's time for me to go to bed... it's late...

Till the next time!

Luka

My Winter Wardrobe...

Hi everyone!

It has been a long time since my last post! I'm really sorry for this - it's not for lack of things to write about because I have tons of ideas, however, my mom has been extra busy lately with her work (she does have to earn a living!), her own blog (http://danislogbookdestinationistanbulbeyond.blogspot.com) and other stuff. Also, I have been sick for the last week and she's been taking me to the vet for the last 6 days for antibiotic shots and I have been wearing a bubble hat so that I don't lick myself! It's nothing major, just a nuance as I have to wear this stupid bubble on my head which is inhibiting my activities! Most importantly, I can't eat my bones properly because I can't hold them with my paws! Anyway, the stitches come out tomorrow and hopefully so does the bubble!

Anway... let's get to the point at hand...

As I mentioned in my first blog, I came into my mom's life on May 10, 2011... I was about 7 months old then because I was born on October 21, 2011.

We had a fantastic summer together and she took me out to lots of places because since we sat outdoors, many restaurants and cafes were "pet friendly". We also went to Çeşme for a couple of weeks and that was a lot of fun! I was outdoors all day as there was a huge garden to play in...

Then, startİNG in September my extracurricular activities started to lessen - which to be quite frank, wasn't something I was thrilled about!

As the weather started cooling down and the rains began, my mom started taking me out less... but we still went to my favorite place - Lucca - in Bebek many times. In fact, we were there just about 3 weeks ago on a nice sunny day!

Then... something came over mom! I think it was in October and it started to rain almost every day in Istanbul! Everytime we went out for our morning and evening walks, mom would go crazy because when we came back inside, I was soaking wet and muddy! Being a white dog, you can imagine what I looked like!

So... all of a sudden... one morning as we were preparing to go out ... what do I see... mom is approaching me with this wierd "thing" which is not my leash. You can imagine my reaction! She was trying to put this thing on me and I wanted no part of it!!!

Long and short of it, she did get it on me after a very long struggle and I wasn't pleased... but I'm a good dog... I adapt very quickly!

My first raincoat

You humans call this thing I have on a raincoat!!! Supposedly, it protects me from getting wet on rainy days!  Well, not exactly! Sure, I don't get as wet, but I do still get soaked by the time I get back indoors if it's raining alot!

My mom got this outfit for me from the petshop at Kanyon (www.kanyon.com.tr). I've never been there because they don't allow dogs, but from what I hear it's a very nice place to go to eat and do some shopping (whatever that means!).

Kanyon Shopping Mall

Kanyon is in Levent and not too far from where I live with mom, so it's a place she frequents often. The pet shop is located on the B4 level of the shopping mall and is called the Pet Box. It's a big store, but she did have a hard time finding me an outfit even though they did have a lot of selections... but, get this - most of the models for this year include a hood!!! Can you see me walking down the street with a hood on my head! Well, I can't and thank god mom couldn't either!!! But, apparently, hooded dog outfits are the "thing" in Europe & the USA this year!!! Also, prices are not exactly cheap, but she was lucky... this outfit I'm wearing was 40 TL and she says that's not an outrageous price although not exactly cheap!

Well... this outfit turned out the be the first of many to come!!! Literally, she has been on a role and buying me outfits any time she sees a pet shop!

She purchased my second outfit at Animallia Pet Shop (www.animallia.com).

Animallia is where my veterinarian is and also where I go to get groomed. So, she had taken me there for a grooming in November and got me this outfit.

With mom Vildan (aka Dani) at Animallia

She prefers this outfit more than my raincoat because it is easier to put on... all she has to do is slip it over my hand and paws - there are no snaps to worry about and I give her less of a hard time.... I also wore this outfit on our visit to Lucca in November...and it cost 64 TL, but since my mom paid cash, she got a discount.

@ Lucca

There was no stopping her now! Like I said, she'son a role and likes dressing me up in different outfits... and tends to get bored easily I guess, because she continues to buy me stuff!

She got my next outfit from the Pet Box at Kanyon too!

This is an easy outfit to wear too... again there are no snaps and just a velcro belt that she can snap right on! This outfit cost 45 TL.

Just when I personally thought 3 outfits were enough... mom gets a phone call from her ex-boss and friend Lale Apa... Lale has two dogs... Samba and Barney. Well, she had ordered an outfit from LL Bean for Barney, but it was too small for him, so she sent to to my mom so that I could wear it!

Outfit from LL Bean

This is a cool outfit too... I like it and it is also a snap on... and the material is really nice... thanks once again Lale for the lovely outfit! I don't know how much this cost and it's rude to ask the price of a gift I'm told!

My last and final outfit (for now!) is below...

purchased at New Pet Shop

This is a wool/acrylic blend and the colors really suit me too! She got this outfit from New Pet Shop (www.newpetmarket.com) located on Nispetiye Street in Levent... and, the price was sooooo right! It cost only 20 TL!!! Compared to my other outfits, it's a bargain!!!

You must have noticed that mom did all my shopping in and around Levent - well, makes sense because that's where we live! But, be rest assured - knowing mom - she will find other pet shops where she can buy me outfits before the winter season is over... what can I say, she's a shopaholic when it comes to me!!

She also checked out some local websites where doggie outfits are sold. But, because she wasn't impressed with the selections, she thought it best not to mention them here. However, the minute she finds a good website, I'm sure she'll write about it!

Right now my grandmother is knitting me an outfit! She spoke to mom today and told her she is nearly done, so I will post photos with my new outfit another time.

On that note, I waited to the end to mention my final outfit...

Technically, this is my "first" outfit, but since mom didn't purchase it specifically for me... I didn't write about it first... you see it used to belong to Çapkın... my aunt's dog. Unfortunately I never met him because I wasn't even born when he passed away on December 29, 2009. He was a terrier and 15 1/2 years old when he died. This outfit was his - I wear it proudly and in his memory....

On a funny note... before I finish my post. I had mentioned that I have some "friends" in the neighborhood... my favorite girl is "Zillie" and I had written a post about our friendship. Besides my gal, there is another girl...much younger  - about my age - she's also a terrier and her name is Phoebe. She's a little more aggressive, don't know if she likes me that much because she's constantly growling and snapping at me, but I think that's her nature...

me (left), Zilli (right) & Phoebe (center)

Anyway... the reason I'm writing about them now is that after their moms saw me parading around in my winter outfits, they started getting dressed up too!!!! Unfortunately, mom didn't have her camera with her to take photos, but will post them at a later date when she takes them!

Till the next time... stay well!
Luka

AN (A) TYPICAL DAY...

Hi Everyone!

It has been a while since my last post, but not my fault!!! My mom just didn't have time to get it together to write a post although I kept on telling her to do so! I do feel bad - she is very busy and in fact, hasn't had time to write on her on blog (http://danislogbookdestinationistanbulbeyond.blogspot.com) either, so I'm not that upset because I understand her predicament!

But, today she got an extra burst of energy - even though she went out two nights in a row this week, which didn't make me very happy! The first night Arman, my cousin stayed with me... so that wasn't so bad, but last night I was home alone! Don't get me wrong... I don't mind as mom doesn't lock me up in one room and I have a run of the entire house... and she makes sure I have water if I get thirsty and she leaves the lights on for me. It's just  that I like having her around! You have to see the greeting I give her when she comes home - you would think she had left me for a week and not just a couple of hours!

Me and Arman

Having said this... I will now get to the subject of this post! I will talk about a "typical" day in my life and also about today an "atypical" - mom took me for a haircut and shampoo!!

***************************

One of the things that drives my mom absolutely crazy is the fact that I am an early riser!! Well, I do sleep most of the day so I think its very normal to get up at around 6:30am - 7:00am... now, I don't know how to tell time, so basically, I get up when it starts getting light outside.

Lately I have been letting my mom "sleep in" until about 8:00am, so while she's snoozing, I play with my chewy toys and I love eating a cucumber first thing in the morning, so mom gets up and gives me one before going back to bed... below is a small video of me chewing on my morning snack... she also took a picture! Yes, it's true... I do have some interesting habits!



The "typical" day continues after mom wakes up and she first prepares my breakfast (I DON'T eat dog food - I think she mentioned that before) and then we go for our walk around 8:30am... and if I'm lucky, I run into my girlfriend Zilli!

Zilli and me

Zilli usually comes out for her walk at around 9:00am, so we tag along with Zilli and her walker for awhile...

Once back home, I'm not allowed back into the house before mom wipes my feet and "other" parts ... lately it has been more difficult for her to keep me clean because of the heavy rains in Istanbul.

Then the rest of the day is pretty average... I eat my breakfast and I am a "wierd" eater... at least that's what my mom says! I usually do not prefer to eat from my dish, so she has to put the food next to the bowl! Don't ask me why, but this is the way I like it - my mom thinks it has something to do with my "previous" home life... but can't know for sure because she never had a chance to talk to my "ex" family for details... they never returned her call and she didn't push her luck!

Afterwards, I play with my chewy toys and bones... go out on the balcony for air... sleep and bug my mom while she is working to say "play with me", which is does...When it comes to sleep... I either sleep in my own bed...

or my mom's...

The rest of my "typical" day includes a walk around the neighborhood at around 4:30pm... I like to go out early and mom doesn't mind because now that it gets darker earlier she prefers it too... she says there are a lot of stray "big" dogs in our neighborhood and she wouldn't want to run into the "herd" in the dark... I guess I can understand that... I love interacting with people, dogs and cats, but mom thinks I have a tendency of pushing my luck at times!

Afterwards I have dinner and sleep on and off until mom goes to bed (and it's never before midnight for her). Generally my mom says I am a "good" dog... but I do have my moments... as I'm getting older (13 months old now), she says I'm getting these new "habits" which don't thrill her too much... for example, if any of her clothing is hanging on a doorknob, I pull it down... and she keeps some comforters in a drawer by her bed and there is no cover, so I think it's fun to pull them out and scatter them all over the bedroom floor too... I personally don't know what's so wrong with this, but it does get a "raise" from mom! I guess I should stop doing this... one day!

So, this is my "typical day"... but I prefer my "atypical" days more!!! They are more fun and include outings to different places with mom instead of just my ritual walks in the morning and night!

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Today was such a day!!! Just to preface, the weather in Istanbul has been pretty bad for the last few weeks. It's natural that it is cold, but it has been rainy almost daily! So, I haven't been going out with mom because of this... also, she's been looking at me and saying "your hair is getting too long... you look straggly and need a haircut". She does give me baths at home as I am a white dog and keeping me clean is not that easy... but when it comes to a haircut and getting my nails cut, we go to a groomer.

Since mom got me, I have been getting groomed at Animallia (www.animallia.com) which is in Etiler. Except for one time, she took me somewhere else. That person was good too, but he cancelled our appointments at the last second twice, so as my mom thought he was unreliable and preferred going back to Animallia. It wasn't that she wasn't happy with the first place, but it is good to try other places from time to time. Anyway, Animallia is also where my vet is... his name is Dr. Murat Ilgü and he's a cool guy... he also took care of Çapkın, (my aunt's dog) until he passed away on December 29, 2009. Since all my shots for this year are complete, I don't have to visit him again until February 2012.

Animallia

So... today was the day for a grooming! Our appointment was for 1:00pm. As my mom doesn't have a car, we took a taxi even though it's always not easy getting one. For some reason, some taxi drivers don't like to have dogs in their car... go figure!! I only weigh about 4,5 kgs... how much harm can I do? And, I'm good, I prefer to seat in my mom's lap all the way to our destination.

We got to Animallia before my appointment time, so to pass the time, my mom looked at the pet shop to see if she could find a winter outfit for me... don't think it was easy! Most of the imported winter outfits had hoodies!!! Can you believe it! You will never see me walking down the street with a hoodie that's for sure  - thank god mom agrees! I don't care that this is the latest trend abroad - I live in Istanbul and we hang cool here!

Pet Shop at Animallia

Afterwards, we sat in the garden until it was my turn to be groomed.

Mom took a video of me as we were waiting and I do look apprehensive, but not because of the haircut... I was just listening to all the noises around me...there were several dogs inside Animallia waiting to see a Vet and one went nuts for me, so we stayed outside as she started barking like crazy every time she saw me!

When my turn came, mom took me upstairs and deposited me into the trusty hands of groomer Ramazan...

My groomer Ramazan at Animallia

Mom doesn't stay in the room when I am being groomed like other moms... she feels that she would only distract the groomer and me and she is right... but apparently she snuck in some pictures while I was being groomed!

While mom was waiting for me, she found an outfit for me at the pet shop and she met this lovely little dog who had been abandoned at an animal shelter and then temporarily "adopted" by a caring animal lover...

Rehabilitated doggie looking for a new home

This doggie... about a year old - was rescued from an animal shelter. She was only about 10 kgs and in horrible shape, but now is up to 23 kgs after 40 days with this caring animal lover and is becoming healthier every day! But, she does need a permanent home! She has gone through alot but is very docile, so if you are interested in adopting her, you can contact Animallia and show them this picture and they will assist you!

Getting all "dolled" up took about an hour and here's the "new" me!

The "new" me

My aunt Meltem came to pick us up and I was really happy to see her - it has been a few days! But, before we left, I tried on the outfit my mom selected and it looked good on me, so she bought it!

with my mom Vildan in my new outfit

We hopped into the car and aunt Meltem took us home. She couldn't stay and play with me a bit because my cousin Arman would be home from school shortly, so she had to head home, but not before we had a picture taken with my new outfit and haircut!

with my Aunt Meltem

Today was a nice day... it didn't rain and it was sunny for a change, but still cold. I had a nice outing and got "cleaned" up  in the process!

Before I end my post, I would like to say a few words about Gökgöl Animallia. This clinic has been around for about 17 years now and moved to their premises in Etiler about 3-4 years ago from Levent. They are fully equipped with an operating room, pharmacy, lab, quarantine area, petshop and groomer. There are about 6 vets and helpers... They are open 24/7 and normal business hours are between 10:00am and 7:00pm and the clinic is open from 7:00pm to 10:00am to handle emergencies with a vet on call. They are bi-lingual and I recommend them if you are looking for a vet or groomer. (Arnavutköy Yolu Caddesi, Hareket Sitesi I.E.T.T. Evleri No. 36, Etiler; Tel: (0212) 287 70 35; 444 26 46).

Till the next time.. xoxo

Luka