From Aspin To Beach Bumming Dogs

A hard day's work at the office or on your own business requires a fair amount of stress to get things done. Some of this stress gets expelled and some, well, they stay in our bodies. We then develop a physical and emotional reaction to this stress, which in turn causes disease. At least, that's how I view the whole shebang about getting sick. But that's another post that I will make sometime in the near future. I'm going to talk about something better: dogs.

A couple of month's ago, we (my wife and I) accidentally became dog owners. And it has changed our lives forever.

The story goes like this. My sister-in-law bought a house whose previous owner had more than enough dogs than he can take with him when he moved out. We decided to keep one of the dogs that he left behind, an aspin, short for asong pinoy, because she had nowhere to go. It turned out that she was pregnant at that time and gave birth to two puppies. We have been taking care of three dogs since then and it has been a wild ride to say the least.

There are times when our patience is tested – they are dogs with their own worldview, quirks, and nuances. Still, I'd say that the positive outweighs the disadvantages of owning pets.

We've found that one of the benefits of having a dog is the joy that it brings to its human companion. Stress-relief is the natural side effect of this, and totally worth it if you decide to get one for this reason alone.

On the other hand, it's a big responsibility to have a pet. You have to take care of it. Feeding, vaccinations, grooming, etcetera, will keep you busy during most of your free time. Having said that, do your homework before going in this direction.

There are many good sites that provide information about pets. Cesar Millan and Ian Dunbar are celebrated dog trainers. You can watch their videos online to get an idea of what it takes to become responsible pet owners.

Browny | Photo by: Romy Sollorano

We have grown to love dogs because of this experience, and they (not just our dogs, but other dogs as well) seem to know it too. In one out-of-town trip, my wife and I met two dogs on a beach. They were lovable askals (asong kalye) who would sit and ask politely for food. They would take a dip in the water when it became too hot and just slept on the sand and played all day long.

Life ain't bad for these beach bumming hounds who are living the best life a dog could have. I bet they're having the time of their lives on the beach. And, I guess they don't bother anyone so no one cared to report them to the city officials.

Kobi & Krimson | Photo by Romy Sollorano

<--- These are our dogs: Kobi & Krimson. They love to play, munch on pebbles, and use their nose to explore. At night, they stand guard to keep intruders away, which includes cats, rats, cockroaches, chickens, and humans.

It takes a lot of time, energy, and resources to keep a pet happy and healthy. In return, pet-owners will get a loyal and a loving companion who is always happy to see you even though you just went to the corner store to get some snacks, ten minutes ago. It's a blast and an awesome learning experience you might want to try.

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