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!!

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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

A Day out in Bebek: Lucca & Kitchenette...

Hi everyone!

It has been a while since my last post as I really didn't have anything new to share - until now!

Actually, my social life has really gone down the tubes in the last few weeks! Sure, mom takes me out every morning and very night to "do my business" and we walk around the neighborhood for about 30 minutes each time, but what I really enjoy is our long excursions to some of the places she likes to hang out!

First the bad weather in Istanbul affected our outings... it rained for days!!! In fact, when we went out for our morning and evening walks, my mom made me wear this raincoat! Yes, it is nice, but boy did I give her a tough time while she was trying to put it on me! (see my profile photo on right hand column).

Then the weather got cold and THIS TIME, she put this other outfit on me to protect me from the cold! As you can see from the expression on my face, I wasn't thrilled!

Other times, she went out on her own and explained to me - even though I wasn't thrilled at the thought, but was still understanding - that there are certain places that she just can't take me, so I just hung out at home on my own. Actually, I don't mind being home alone as my mom doesn't lock me up in one area and I still have a run of the entire house. And...I'm good! I don't mess up anything - it's not my style!

As usual, we went for our daily morning walk yesterday and for a change, it was a mild and sunny day! When we got back home, after breakfast mom kept on looking at me and said I needed a haircut.. and a bath wouldn't be such a bad idea either she said! So, she called the guy who does my cut and wash and he said we could come by at 3:00pm.

To be quite honest with you, when my mom started getting ready to go out, I felt it was going to be another day of being home alone. You cannot imagine my excitement when I realized I was going too!

We left the house at 2:30pm and walked up to the main street to get a cab. Unfortunately, the taxi stand and most of the cab drivers  in our neighborhood do not allow animals in the cab! For the life of me I don't understand this rule! I'm a small dog... I always sit obediently in my mom's lap... so, what's the big deal! In fact, mom says I'm even cleaner and act better than some of the humans who ride taxis! Some throw there waste in the car - others eat and get their crumbs all over the seats and the kids have a tendency of kicking the back of the front seat and you can see their footprints!

Long story short, after 10 minutes, we got a cab and went to my groomer in Akaretler. But to my mom's surprise and chagrin, he wasn't there! He had cancelled our appointment without calling my mom! She got very angry and from now on, will be taking me to my original groomer at Animalia! This is the second time he cancelled an appointment at the last second!

So, the next thing I know we are in another cab heading somewhere... when we arrived, I realized where we were  - Lucca (www.luccastyle.com) in Bebek!

I hate to sound like a snob, but I have pretty much been a "regular" at Lucca after I started living with my mom! Well, this is her favorite place and she does call it her second home!

Even though I am allowed to sit inside, we sat outside as 1) my mom smokes! 2) great heaters that you don't feel the cold!

So, I immediately "took the position" after mom moved from her 1st table to a more comfortable spot and I started checking out the comings/goings in the neighborhood and threw her glances from time to time too!

@ Lucca

 

There are many dogs in Bebek - some walk with the owners, but there are a lot of street dogs too, but they are all cool and I never have a problem with them. The other thing is, I'm not a "barker" and am friendly, yet aloof, so my 4-legged friends do not get angry or offended with me!

Since this is "my" story about Lucca, you can read my mom's own blog about Lucca - when she prepares a new write up... there she will tell you about the new menu items, etc. Her blog address is http://danislogbookdestinationistanbulbeyond.blogspot.com

I guess the reason I too enjoy going to Lucca is I feel at home too! Everyone - the wait staff and other customers are sooooo friendly!!!  

Most of the customers at Lucca always like to pet me and I show them my appreciation by jumping on top of them and some I also lick and "hug" in my own way! I really liked this lady in the photo with my mom (sorry I don't remember her name) and to my mom's surprise, jumped on top of the seat so that she could pet me more!  Normally, I prefer the ground!

Mom (aka Dani), me and "nice" lady (from left to right)

The wait staff is great too... my two "main" buddies are Ahmet (male) and Sonat (female)... both make sure to come by and give me a very warm welcome by petting me and they also bring me water when I get thirsty!

We were at Lucca for hours, so I got a major dose of being pampered by not only the people sitting next to us, but from other surrounding tables too...but I was started to get a little antsy!

Even so, I was having a good time and was in no major rush to leave, but when it finally got dark, I kinda gave my mom a look to say - it's time to go for a walk!

By this point, Lucca had gotten really crowded too and the "daytime" crowd was slowly departing and making room for the "nighttime" crowd.

So, we left Lucca a little after 6:30pm... now, I don't know how to tell time or what this means exactly, but that's what my mom says - all I know is that it was dark, but mom says that I do have this odd "internal" clock and she will be writing about that another time.

She then took me for a nice long walk in Bebek and we walked all the way up to the water's edge (Bosphorus) so that once again I could do my "business"! I am very familiar with the neighborhood so I knew where to sniff and where to go!

We then walked the whole way back and after we passed Lucca,  we continued walking instead of getting into a cab as we normally do to go home...

It appears mom got hungry and wanted to eat something before going home. I don't like to eat when I am out - I'm too busy just enjoying myself, so I could wait to eat when I got home.

She then took me to this other place that I was going for the first time - Kitchenette.

Kitchenette Bebek

I liked this place too! It was a nice big garden with lots of tables and once again, I was a hit with the very friendly waitstaff - they made me feel right at home!

It appears that mom also likes Kitchenette and used to be a regular at their branch at Kanyon Shopping Mall in Levent when she worked in the building next door. She doesn't get a chance to go as often now, but does stop by whenever she can. I can't go to the branch in Kanyon, but dogs are not allowed inside the mall, unless my mom carries me the entire time - which would be very difficult as I am about 5,5 kilos!

We left Kitchenette after she had a bite to eat and were home at around 9:00pm... all in all - I had a GREAT DAY!!!

So, I will now sign off... till the next time,

Luka

Donating to Animal Shelters in Turkey...

Hi everyone!

It has only been about 10 days since I started preparing my blog and it has been a crazy and busy time for my mom, so she hasn't had time to prepare posts as frequently as she would like.

As you all probably heard, just one week ago today, a earthquake measuring 7.2 on the richter scale hit the city of Van and its surroundings in the eastern part of Turkey. Many many lives have been lost (over 601 + to date), many people have been injured (over 4,000 +), 188 people were rescued from under the wreckages and countless people are homeless, or because of the after shocks (over 1,000 to date) even if the residents homes are safe, they are too scared to enter their homes.

It will take a long time to recover from this disaster as many buildings not up to code have either collapsed or have been condemned.

Slowly the country is starting to recoup from this disaster and everyone is doing their part by either volunteering, making donations or sending supplies to the area - on the personal, governmental or private businesses basis. Also, many countries from abroad have also sent supplies or made donations.

My mom also prepared a post at her own blog (http://danislogbookdestinationistanbulbeyond.blogspot.com) where she gave people living in Turkey and abroad information on how they could help.

Since I am from the 4-legged world, my heart also went out to the animals living in Van. Naturally, the residents of these cities are busy trying to recover and it is understandable that they could forget about "us" during their trials and tribulations. However, I am proud to say that many dogs were at the site to help the rescue teams in their efforts to locate survivors under the collapsed buildings. Also, my mom heard that a few major dog food brands sent supplies to my less fortunate friends in Van - so thank you to them!

So, I decided to prepare a post on how you can help "my" friends in Van and in fact, all over Turkey. Unfortunately, there are many dogs and cats living on the streets of Turkey and this is a major major problem! There are many shelters (government run and private), but they either don't have enough funding to deal with the high population of strays.

I want to ONCE again remind all potential animal owners... ONLY purchase a dog or cat IF you know you have the patience, love and feel responsible enough to handle what it takes to be an animal owner. Remember... we never really grow up and move out of the house... we don't go to school or have the ability to earn a living. SO... we are TOTALLY dependent on YOU - our human parents to take care of us! Actually, it's really not that difficult, but it is harder for some than others! Many adults purchase dogs at pet shops (now don't get me started on them!) for their kids and then once they realize they really can't take care of them - leave them on the street IF they can't find foster parents (and in most cases they can't!). Can you imagine the trauma? One minute you were living in a nice warm and friendly home and then the next minute you are on the street... more than likely you will not be able to survive on the streets for long...

So, let me now get off my soapbox and give you some information on what you can do to help!!!

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HAYSEV - short for "Hayvan Severler" (or Animal Lovers) is a non-profit organization located in Ankara, our state capital. My mom stumbled upon them by accident when a "friend" of hers shared a link on Facebook. They don't have a website, but you can find them on facebook . What they do is try to re-home and also treat cats and dogs that have been abandoned. On their FB page, you will find their bank account if you would like to make a cash donation to this organization.



They don't have a website with the HAYSEV name, but they do have one called Kolay Mama (easy food) www.kolaymama.com. The website is currently only available in Turkish, but when my mom spoke to one of their representatives, she was informed that it will also be available in English shortly.

This is how the website works: you can purchase products (food, toys, etc.) for your own pets from the categories listed in the left hand column, or make contribution to an animal shelter under the called BARINAKLARA BAĞIŞ  ( which means "donations to animal shelters") located in the right hand column.

Once you click onto this icon, you will see a page with a bunch of foodstuffs or blankets that you can purchase and have sent to an animal shelter and no shipment cost will be added to your order. You can decide which shelter you want your order to be sent to or you can leave it up to HAYSEV. Payments can be made via a credit card (Mastercard and Visa) or via a bank transfer. Then Haysev will send you an invoice via email and also confirm your order! Also, you need not leave in Turkey to place an order - the representative at HAYSEV also informed my mom that they have customers from abroad too! 

My mom has already used Kolaymama several times to send food and she has left it up to Haysev as they know better which shelters have the most needs.

Good job HAYSEV!!!

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The following is another website you can use to send food and more to animal shelters throughout the country: Kangurum



Kangurum is the online website of Migros, a leading major supermarket chain in Turkey. Not only can you order all sorts of products for your own home, they also have link with a list of animal shelters throughout the country that you can select to send goods to - from cat and dog food, to cleaning products and more.

The website is also available in English but most parts are still only in Turkish. To find the link for donations to animal shelters, scroll down on the main page until you see the headings "announcements" and "donation campaigns". Then you will notice an image of a "dog and cat". Click onto this image and it will direct you to the page for donations and this section is in English. Again, Kangurum does not charge for shipping to animal shelters and will send you an invoice and confirmation of your order via email.

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My mom doesn't know of any other organizations where you can purchase food to send to animal shelters, but below is a list of some reputable non-profit organizations that accept cash donations and do their part to help homeless animals in Turkey.

• Barinak Gönüllüleri ve Hayvanlara Yaşam Hakkı Derneği (Association of Shelter Volunteers and Animal Rights to Live) www.bgd.org.tr (website only in Turkish)
• Evsiz Hayvanları ve Doğayı Koruma Derneği (Homeless Animals & the Environment Protection Foundation) www.evsizhayvanlari.org (website in Turkish & English)
• HAÇIKO - www.haciko.org

Dear everyone... this is just the first of many posts that I plan on writing on this subject! I want to make my blog fun and interesting and share my own personal experiences with you, but I also want to help those who are less fortunate than I am and don't live in a loving and caring home.

IF only ONE of you visit one the sites I mentioned above and make a donation... I know I am on the right path!!!!

Thank you for reading my post and if you do make a donation or send food, would you share this with me by sending a comment?? THANK YOU! I would really appreciate that and know that I have at least been successful in helping my 4-legged friends!

Till the next time,

Luka

 

 

 





Me and Zilli...

Hi everyone,

First, I would like to thank everyone who has visited my blog! My mom told me that she is happy with the attention I am getting and she said with time, more and more people will be visiting me - hopefully. It makes me feel good as I am a bit of a "ham" and do love getting lots of attention!

That's another thing with Maltese Terriers... we love attention! The more the better! I can't talk for all Maltese terriers, but I am very very friendly and rarely bark!

I know my mom is happy that I am not a barker, but I'm not so sure how she feels about my extra "friendly" side!

It is true to I warm up to everyone - people, cats, dogs, birds... very easily - whether they want the attention or not! Surprisingly, there are people out there who are frightened of me and flinch and ask silly questions like "does he bite?" when it is very obvious that I am a spirited little guy who loves to just jump on people to show them my affection!

In my first post, I had mentioned that I have other "doggie" friends in the neighborhood and my "best" girl is Zilli! Zilli is a slang word and roughly translated into english means "smart ass", but in an affectionate way! Zilli is 7 years old and I found out today that she was born on October 26th and she is a mixed breed terrier.

Zilli lives in my apartment building and we met about a couple of days after I moved in with mom and immediately fell in love! She, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with me and barked and growled when I approached her! But, things have changed quite a bit since then and now we are much more friendly and luckily - she is happy to see me!

But, she is a girl and from time to time, still acts coy and gives me the cold shoulder... then, I just sit in front of her and try to appease her!

This normally works and she changes her tune and we take our walks together, but from time to time... she does throw me a look!

However, another problem we have is that we don't get a chance to see each other as often as we'd like and it is my fault!

You see... I am an early riser - which drives my mom crazy! I get up at about 7:00am every morning and I expect her to get up too - even if she went to sleep very late the night before! And... I'm adamant about it and literally force her to get up!

I do this by jumping on her bed and do everything in my power to get her to wake up! She gets really annoyed with me and tells me to get off the bed and "assists" me gently by putting me on the floor! I bet she is going to be really happy when I grow up more and patiently wait for her to get up! But, then again, she doesn't like to sleep too much anyway!

But, for the last few days, I've given mom "permission" to sleep until about 8:00am, so we have been taking our morning walks closer to 9:00am - the time that Zilli goes for her walk! I think I get it now... if I want to see Zilli, I have to go outside according to her terms! I guess the "dog" world is no different than the people world... females are the real rulers!!!

You know... now that I think of it... Zilli and I are very fortunate... we live in loving homes with families that really and truly care about us.

As I mentioned in my first post... there are many stray dogs and cats living on the streets in Istanbul and all over Turkey, but I can only talk about Istanbul. I think its all of our responsibility to take care of our friends - but it is a tall order and major job. Most importantly, the least we can do is to give them so food, water and not treat them badly. All they want is attention and to live in peace - but they do have a rough life and I guess that is why some can be scary and violent - they are trying to survive!

Below are photos of some of my "cat" friends at my housing complex... there are many many more! These two cats might look like the same - but they are not... but, obviously they are siblings!

Mom feeds them from time to time by giving them my scraps and cat food she buys for them ... and during the summer, she made sure to put out bowls of water. She also feeds the stray dogs in our neighborhood with dry dog food... every little bit helps!

Till the next time....

Luka

My First Post!!!!

Hi everyone!

My name is Luka! I am a male Maltese Terrier and I live in Levent, Istanbul in Turkey and TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY!

So... to celebrate my 1st birthday, I asked my "mom" Dani (nickname)/Vildan (real name) to start writing a blog for me too - starting today! You see.. my mom is a blogger too! She started her own blog - called Dani's Log Book: Desination Istanbu and Beyond (http://danislogbookdestinationistanbulbeyond.blogspot.com) in July and I too wanted to jump on the band wagon. She is CONSTANTLY on the computer - writing and writing, so there must be something to this I thought! But of course, she is not just a blogger - you can visit her blog if you want more info on her life.

Like I mentioned above, I will be one year-old tommorow according to the papers the pet shop gave my "1st" family when they purchased me this past February.

Yup... my current "mom" is not my first: I have only been sharing my life with her since May 10.

So, how did our paths cross? On a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon on May 7th, my ex-mom and ex-sister were walking down the street in Bebek when I was "noticed" by my "cousin" Arman who pointed me out to my "aunt" Meltem and said, "look mom, what a cute dog!" An ever-loving animal lover, my aunt and "then" mom started chatting. She told my aunt that they were giving me away because I guess I was a handful and they couldn't take care of me!

I on the other hand do not agree with this  - I just think they weren't ready for the responsibility of taking care of me and now were looking for a way out.

To make along story short... my aunt gave her telephone number to her and said, "if the people who said they would take him, decide not too, let me know - as my sister is looking to own a dog!"

You see... before I came along... my "current" mom was an "aunt" and my current "aunt" a "mom". In December 1994, they became the proud parent/aunt of Çapkın, a fluffy male terrier who brought so much joy to their lives - until his passing in my "mom's" arms on December 29, 2009. The whole family was of course devastated and still remember him and mourn for him as they shared soooo much throughout his 15 1/2 year life! But, let's change the subject now before we all get sad, but I couldn't not mention Çapkın in my blog...BTW... Çapkın means "playboy" in Turkish... but from what I hear, he was far from it!

Çapkın in Lucerne/December 2008

Back to my story... the words uttered by my aunt to my previous owner completely changed my life! My owner (I don't want to mention her name) called my aunt on Monday night (May 9th) to say that I was still up for adoption!!

So... the next morning at around 10:30am, three people (mom, aunt and aunt's husband Ibrahim) showed up at our door and were greeted by the housekeeper! They entered the kitchen where I was and I jovially greeted them by jumping into the arms of my "current" mom! I immediately took a liking to her and her to me. so I put my best foot forward to impress her! I really put on the charm - I was playfully, yet shy!

The housekeeper then gave them my "papers",my bed, leash and collar and 10 minutes after their arrival, I was living my "home" to start a new life!  

Would you believe - I didn't even look back and didn't have any bad feelings or sadness about leaving! In fact, my owner didn't even come out to meet my new mom (housekeeper said she was sick and feeling under the weather to which I say - BS!) and I guess my sister was at school - so the two families never met! This does make me sad in a way, but I guess I was too happy that someone actually wanted me!

Anyway... on my 1st day of my new life... our first stop was my grandmother's house (more on her later) and from there to the vet! Mom took me to Animallia (www.animallia.com) in Etiler because that's where they used to take Çapkın and we have the same doctor! His name is Murat Ilgü and he has a soft touch!

First, he checked my health certificate and apparently my previous owner had not had any of my shots done! I only had the shots that the pet shop had done before they purchased me. It is SO important that all my shots are in order - not just for myself, but also for the health of my family! So, we immediately began a regiment of scheduling my shots - you can't have them all done at the same time, so for the next month, we visited the vet often! My vet was also very proud of me! I guess I am one of those 4-legged creatures that doesn't mind getting a needle and doesn't get weak in the knees as the car drives up to the vet! My mom is very proud of me and that makes me happy too! After all my shots were done, she had me inserted with a chip and they took blood tests which they sent off to some laboratory for analysis. Now, I am all set to travel abroad with my mom whenever because all my documents are now in order!

During our first visit to the vet, she bought me a new bed from the pet shop and threw out the one given by my old owner. Apparently, it didn't smell very nice  - you see, they never "toilet trained" me, so when I had to go... I went in the house... on my bed... She also got me a couple of toys, a new leash and collar and also made an appointment for a grooming! She wanted to have it done immediately, but unfortunately the groomer was totally booked!

Then my aunt Meltem came and picked us up and we went home! I was soo excited - ahhh - a new life! We live in a big housing complex in Levent and there are many places right on the grounds for me to explore and discover. The apartment is nice too and spacious - more than enough room for mom and me!

Just as mom was starting to discover and learn about me... I was starting to learn about her. I realized she loves to take pictures and that's one of the first things we did upon getting home!

With mom

With Aunt Meltem

After a week with my new mom... this is how I looked after my grooming!

First haircut

What a change right??? I did feel a lot better - the weather was starting to warm up and I did feel better without  all that hair! Actually, Maltese terriers always have long hair, but I did like the breezy new look!

Our first week of living together wasn't easy on either one of us! I think I drove my mom nuts with my "toilet" issues! I couldn't understand what the big deal was! In my other house, there were no rules like this... But, here .. everytime I decided to "relieve" myself at whim (thank god she doesn't have carpets!) she would run after me saying "hayır! hayır! (that means no in Turkish... and oh...mom doesn't speak to me in English - only Turkish - we do live in Istanbul, so makes more sense that I first learn the local language and then we can try our hand at English) and then fill a bucket with water and with a stick with some fuzzy thing on the end, clean up after me! I'll be honest with you... it took me about a month or so to realize that I was not supposed to be doing this in the house!!! She did allow me to do it on the balcony, but I was really supposed to "do the deed" during our walks outside in the morning and night!

I also had a lot of temper tantrums during the first weeks! What can I say... I'm a baby and want attention when I want it! But, my mom - who is a Leo by the way - has a very strong personality and is a very busy person and really likes her space! And.. guess what, I was intruding in a major way! Also, I am a super picky eater and DO NOT eat dog food at all and this drives my mom crazy! But, she hasn't been able to get me to eat it yet and instead I prefer a cucumber in the morning, then some meat, chicken or lamb and I LOVE cheese (this I took after her I think, because she is the one who turned me on to it!). But, I don't eat alot... have to watch my figure - I'm about 4,5 kg which is a normal weight for me.

But, we are working out our differences and learning to live with each  - it's a ongoing process! Do we still have problems? Sure! I realized I too have a strong personality - even though I am a Libra.. I am only one day away from being a Scorpio - so makes sense!

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As this is my first post, it will be a little lengthy but I promise to make it interesting and fun so that you don't get too bored, but I am trying to fill 5 months of my life with mom in one post, so that when I continue to post from now on, it will be up to date!

One of the great things about living with mom is that, first, she works from home, so we get to spend lots of time together - I don't know if you know this, but Maltese terriers do not like to be left alone too much!

Also, she takes me with her to lots of cool places around Istanbul! From what I can gather so far, mom likes the "good life" and I have already been to some of the trendiest places in town!

For example, the first place we went together and as a family with my aunt and her family as well was to Masa (www.masarestaurant.com) a trendy cafe/restaurant at a place called IstinyePark (www.istinyepark.com) -  a shopping mall).

At Masa with cousin Arman (before my haircut!)

While there, I met my first friend! Her name is Mia - she is also a maltese terrier and a few months younger than me. Her mom's name is Ceyda... I hope to see her again, but our moms' haven't been able to schedule a get together yet!

Mia and me at Masa

Then, one day - we had another family outing to Chilai. This is a new place that opened right on the Bosphorus in Bebek and a pretty ok place.

@ Chilai

One of my favorite places (because of mom!) is Lucca (www.luccastyle.com) - also in Bebek! I have been to Lucca so many times, I'm now a regular and get along great with all the waiters and other customers! I'm a very friendly dog and so are the waiters and customers at Lucca (and of course our names even though not spelled the same, are pronounced the same!) so we get along very well! Everyone wants to pet me and I in turn reciprocate by jumping up and licking them! Everytime we go, Sonat, Ahmet or one of the other waiters always bring over a dish of water for me - thanks guys!

@ Lucca in October

Lucca

By the way, if you are wondering what Luka means, it is of Greek origin and means "light", so I guess I'm the light of my mom's life (even though she might beg to differ from time to time - especially when I'm naughty!)

Some other places I've visited so far are Backyard - www.backyardistanbul.com ( a cool place overlooking the Bosphorus in Bebeköy); Mangerie (www.mangeriebebek.com) - also a really nice cafe in Bebek, but boy did I get tired walking up those stairs to get there, but it was worth it and once again, I was a hit with the waitresses and customers; Bebek Kahvesi - another very nice casual cafe that has been around for years and years (my mom went there for the first time in 1995!).

@ Backyard with my mom's friend Zeyno

@ Mangerie

Mangerie Cafe

Also, I've been to many places in Nişantaşı too... like Nişantaşı Brasserie (www.grup-29.com), Hardal (www.margroup.tc) and The House Cafe (www.thehousecafe.com).

The House Cafe

Hardal

Beymen Brasserie

 Even though mom has taken me to so many wonderful places so far, I think I enjoyed our vacation to Çeşme the most! I wasn't exactly thrilled to be placed in a small carrying case (even though I didn't make any hassles about it!) and then getting on this thing called an airplane (my heart was beating like crazy) that made lots of noise and flew in the air like a bird, but the end result was great!

We stayed at my aunt Meltem's summer house so I was outside ALL day running around the garden and I actually swam too!!! Not knowing what I was doing, I threw myself into the swimming pool at home and then started flapping my legs - it didn't feel that great, but it just came natural! I also had a "friend" at the house too... my aunt was taking care of a street dog - her name is Cookie - and we got along great!

With Cookie at home in Çeşme

Relaxing at home in Çeşme

They also took me to some cool beach clubs in Çeşme! I went to 7800 Beach Club and Fun Beach many times and went to Şamdan Beach once and I swam in the Aegean each time! It was lots of fun!

@ 7800 Beach Club

After my "swim" at 7800 Beach Cluy

Swimming with my aunt at Şamdan Beach Club

Şamdan Beach Cllub

@ Fun Beach

Fun Beach

Now.. I will really want to speed things up! We returned from Çeşme (which is a resort town about 45 minutes from Izmir) at the end of the first week of August... my mom got very sick with a cold/flu and was laid up for about 2 weeks... and then in September she went to Bodrum (another lovely resort town on the Aegean) to attend a friend's wedding and I spent a few days at my aunt's house and that was fun too! I stayed there again in October when this time my mom went on a grape harvest.

So, as you can see... I have been getting around and I am really happy in my new home! I always say, if you live with someone, you have to share your lives with them and I believe I have a very balanced life with my mom! I have a few friends in the neighborhood too.. my "love" right now is Zilli... she is 7 years old (much older than me!) and a terrier and we live in the same apartment building... we run into each other sometimes during our daily walks. And, then there is Fibi... she is also a terrier - lives a couple of buildings down, but I haven't seen her in a while.. My other two friends or Sunny - a 7 year old cocker spaniel (male) and Chuck - a one year old labrador... they are bigger than me, but we have no problems! 

So...I think I have a good life... like I said mom doesn't leave me alone for too long... of course she goes out during the day and sometimes at night without me... but that's ok...I know she will be coming back home, so I never make a fuss and bark and drive our neighbors crazy!

So, welcome to my blog! I will be writing from time to time - not only to share my life experiences and growing up pains with you - but I will also bring attention to the animal rights issues in Turkey - unfortunately there are too many stray cats and dogs on the streets in our country! They too need our care, love and understanding. There are many animal shelters (public and private) but unfortunately most are not in the best of shape and need support and I will be writing about what you can do to help!

Till the next time....

Affectionately,
Luka