As mentioned above in the TLDR, this article is more as a demonstration on any tweaks I need to make on this website, when displaying articles. So i’m just writing about one of the best things in my life; my Dog; Nukhas.

My Boi, my Nukhas, or Nuky for short. He’s a dog, and he’s my BFF. Most of the time. Sometimes we butt-heads together, such as when he can’t jump up onto my bed, calls for me to pick him up; but then, 30 seconds later, he’ll jump down. And how he’s always ALWAYS on the wrong side of any door, I don’t think he understands doors or rooms to be honest.

What’s the story behind getting Nukhas?

Well, i’ve always been obsessed with Dogs my whole life. I just see them, doing their thing, and it makes me smile. It’s a great way of sparking up conversations with people, generally I know that if there is someone with a dog – regardless of their aligance to a political group, football team, video game franchies etc – their is something to talk about that we’d both generally enjoy. I’d talk about getting a dog seemingly my whole life.

Back in 2016, and the run up to it, I knew I was in for a heavy operation – the complete removal of my Large Bowl – that’s right, I have zero bumhole. I still have a bum, it’s just more Action Man than Flatulence Man. I won’t go into the details here, at this point, but i’ll share them someday – i’ll ad it to the list. So I thought, as a sort of “Let’s get through this”, i’d turn my general googling about dogs, onto an active scheme. I’d look up breeds, talk to the right people, see the costs involved, what i actually have to do – the whole shebang.

And then, on October the 30st, 2016, I went to a farm and choose my little Boi floofball.

Nukhas, pronounced Nuck-[back of throat sound]-ass, it’s actually spelt Nuchas, but I prefer it my way. I shorten it ot Nuks, Nuky, Nux & whatever floats my boat at the time. To define the word, this is it’s meaning

“Nachas is a Yiddish word meaning that you are happy and proud, especially of someone’s accomplishments. An example of nachas is what you feel when you watch your children graduate from college.”

I also call him Bubs, short for Bubbalah – which is a sort of deep fried round pancake, that can be sweet or savoury. It’s something that Jewish grandmothers tend to call their grandkids.

The first few years…

After taking Nuky home, I had a few days with him before I could see a Vet to get him checked out, as it was a weekend. I was a ball of anxiety, did I choose the right pup? What if mine has one of the defects known to it’s breed? What if I had bought a puppy-farm’d dog? Turns out I was fine, but I also had to name him. It was 50/50 between Nukhas & Scroobius Pup (a pun based of my favorite musician, a rap singer who’s work I know more or less word-for-word, most of the time). At the very last moment, I went with Nukhas.

As Nuky if my first dog, I had to learn by mistake – which is IMHO the best way of learning, at least, on some things. I had guidance from Christine at the Enfield Chase Dog Training Club & a little bit from her amazing work at Jubilee Park Enfield Dog Training.

During my training at ECDTC, I entered Nuky into a few competitions, where we won a few rossettes. There was one time where his recall was so good, he’d literally knock me over, despite at the time being about 5kg. It was like a wet slobbery tongued bowling ball. We all had a great laugh at that.

So why a Cavachon?

Well, at first I wanted a relatively low energy dog, I didn’t want a dog that I have to walk every day 365 days a a year, in case I was sick. Don’t get me wrong, I walk him almost every day, but if I miss it every now and then, it’s no big deal.

I’ve always liked the King Charles Cavaliers, I love their soft ears, they’re Lap Dogs & that’s what I wanted, a dog to snuggle up to during Lost, Heroes, House, Game of Thrones, or whatever the next big TV series is.

With the Bichon side, I wasn’t to fussed if it was a Bichon, Poodle, Malteese, etc – I went for what was available on that half. My first choice was the Poodle part, but it could have been any small-medium sized dog. I like that they don’t shed their fur that much – I think it’s classed as Hair rather than Fur, which makes it good for people with Allogies, but I could be wrong.

I also wanted a relatively clever dogs. I’m not talking about Eignstine style intelligent, but something that I could train to do tricks – because that’s loads of fun.

The slight downside to Cavachons, is their tears stain the fur on the side of their nose, so you kind of need to keep that clean. Also, their ears can get effected. Nuky had a few creepy-crawlies in his ear when I first got him, but they were relatively small in quantity and went away in a week.

Tricks, plots & Schemes

• Paw
• Left / Right / Other paw
• Jump-up-on-me
• Speak
• Spin (clockwise)
• Twist (counter-clockwise)
• Leap (up on hind legs)
• Up (jump up on furnature)
• Cups (put a treat under cup, find the right one)
• Off (walk backwards / go away, from whatever i’m holding, such as a treat).
• Down (lay down on the floor) & All The Way (get down even lower).
• Budge Up… if he’s on the couch where ooomanz want to sit, he’ll move along. But then sit up nice and close for a good old stroking whilst watching telly.
• … more to be continued, I like adding to our repwahtay all the time.

He doesn’t always do these first time, and in different environments, it’s like he has to re-learn some of the tricks. But he does most of them most of the time.

I’d absolutely adore to go into places such as Mental Health facilities, Hospitals, Care Homes & even Prisons etc, and just give the staff & cliental a bit of joy by seeing a pet. I’ve looked into this many times, and always come up with roadblocks, but I always see how it helps people, from the pages from dog charties that I follow.

I really want to work with dogs in the future too, my main thought is as a Behaviourist or Therapist of some hind, and once The Plague (Covid) fully goes away, i’m going to really look into it. Maybe I could become a dog-handler at an airport? I really don’t mind, just as long as i’m with a dog. I think Nuky is to old to be trained into a sniffer dog or anything similar, and i’m not well enough to anything strenuous such as long running, but there must be something. I’m not after big money out of it, i’m well prepared to take a massive drop in my career- based income for this, i’m all after the job satisfaction rather than the Big Bux (not that I personally made the big time).

If you think you can help me with this goal, please leave a comment or get in contact. If you work in any of the above facilities and live around EN4 of the UK, i’ll be happy for us to come in and say ‘Hi’ & ‘Woof’ to everyone !.

A few annoying points

Nuxtah isn’t quite big enough to jump up on my bed, where he sleeps, keeping my feet nice’n’warm. So I have to lift him up. But then within a few minutes, he’ll jump off for something, then HRH will want to be lifted back up on the bed 20 seconds later. This can go on maybe 10 times a night.

Sometimes he can somehow, with his full 12kg self, takes up a King Sized bed built for 2 people. I don’t know how he does it. It’s crazy how such a small being, can take up so much room. In fact, I think he breaks the laws of phsyics at times, such as how much space he can take up despite being small… or how if he plonks himself down, and doesn’t want to go somewhere – it’ll take a jumbo jet to move him. When that happens, I switch directions and then back again, and that tricks him.

He can be a bit Barky at night at times, not always, but sometimes. And you have to be a doggie mind reader to know what he wants. Eventually when you solve this Sphinx’s Riddle, it’s iike “Ahh, why didn’t you just say so?”.

Some final notes

Nuky has been a real life saver for me, when i’m sick, he’s by my side. Unfortunately, i’m sick quite a lot. I’ve had 4 week-long stays in hospital around him. But when he’s at the party, he’s the life of the party, even if he’s just doing doggie things. I’ll always be grateful. When the bad thoughts hit me, I think, how can I leave behind this little fluffball? How can I do that to mum too? He’s helped me create lots of friends, every time I walk him, I get to speak to me neighbours – it’s like a secrete social club. People from all walks of lives. IF a dog is right for you, if your life can handle the responsibility & costs of a dog, I can’t recommend one highly enough.

Keep safe, lots of love.

I’ll leave you with a few pics