Named after extremely delicious food, Oreo is an absolute health nut, when it comes to his eating habits. (Even though his name implies otherwise). He loves veggies and fruits, and has the fluffiest fur coat which even shields his eyes as it grows. He also is quite the snoop dog; when there are bags and boxes around he doesn't like anything to fly by him unattended. He also has his moments at midnight which does puzzle and seem intriguing to his owner, but that's probably the best thing about him!

Pet's details 

Name:  Mr. Oreo Cheesecake
Breed:  Shih Tzu  
Age: 7 months
Owner: Dinasha Alles

What's the story behind the name/names you've given?

I named him Mr. Oreo Cheesecake firstly because his face kind of looked like an Oreo when he was a puppy, with dark chocolate coloured ears on either side of his milky white face, and secondly because well, I love cheesecake.

What is a typical day like for Oreo?

He wakes up and then heads out to the balcony where he likes to sit and catch some early rays of sunshine; he then has his breakfast which is usually some type of fruit like an apple or a banana, and the rest of his day consists of him playing with one of his many chew toys, having lunch and then visiting my parent’s house across the road to play with their dog - Holly and the cat - Tiger.

What are mealtimes and bathtimes like?

Oreo loves fruit and veggies!! He’s a very healthy living kind of dog; he loves carrots, beans, apples, bananas and bell peppers. His meals consist of regular rice and chicken with lots of veggies mixed in and his snacks are usually fruits and veggies. He’s quite good at bath times, he sits in the tub quite calmly and waits to be shampooed and conditioned. I use special kinds of doggy bath products on him that keep his fur looking fluffy at its best.

Does he do anything out of the ordinary which fascinates you?

He seems to get extremely hyperactive late at night; I call it his midnight madness. He’ll be at his usual energetic self in the evenings and then calms down after dinner and then goes a little crazy at night, when he runs from one side of the room to the other at break neck speed for no apparent reason. It’s hilarious and also puzzling. I just sit back and watch the show.

What is his most favourite fun time activity?

He loves going for walks down the street where he usually tries to follow random people into their houses, he also loves to play with his soft toys, tug of war type of games. And he also loves to people watch. He’ll sit and watch the gardeners and maids going about their daily routines with a very curious look on his face.

What is the naughtiest thing he has done?

I’ve had dogs all my life since I was a kid and Oreo is by far the naughtiest dog I’ve ever come across. From waking me up in the middle of the night to play to his angry bark when I’m not paying attention to him to wanting to go out on his walks at odd times of the day and generally wreaking havoc around the house, his crazy behaviour keeps everyone on their toes.

How did you find him?

There was an advertisement in the newspapers and I just felt like playing with some cute puppies one morning so I thought I would go check them out, and the second I saw that fluffy face coming towards me I was a goner! I had to have him. I adopted a street pooch for my folks a few years ago and after I lost my 2 dogs last year I really wanted to adopt a street dog. I think opening up your home to a street dog and giving these abandoned and often abused animals a loving home is such a fulfilling experience. But once I saw Oreo I couldn’t walk away.

How does he react when you return home?

He’s always full of energy so he usually greets me by jumping around the room and bringing his toys to me so we can play.  He’s also extremely curious about everything so he always wants to check inside bags or boxes I bring back with me whether its groceries or shopping, he always pokes his little nose inside to check things out.

What's the best thing about him?

His personality is the best thing about him. He’s always on the go, full of energy and always awaiting his next adventure. He’s also got this tuft of fur around his nose that grows straight up and covers his eyes like a shield, so I refer to him as my agent of shield; I have to keep trimming it every couple of weeks. It’s the cutest part of his face.

What was the most unforgettable moment that you shared with him?

Well he once tried to swallow a 10 rupee coin, so I rushed him to the vet and they said we would need to have surgery done asap to get it out so we had to get an x-ray done before and the coin didn’t show up on the x-ray, the vets tried multiple angles to try and locate the coin but we couldn’t find it, so we didn’t do the surgery and he was fine after. So I guess he never did swallow it. But I’m still confused about that one.

By Eshani Seneviratne