Odie Birthday Boy

My little boy is no longer a little boy. This puppy is now officially a dog.

Full-grown Odie at one year old

Odie turned one-year old on July 12 and it's just beyond belief! Time flies, really. He's been living in our home for ten months now and I've seen him grow from a wee little puppy to an adult dog. A few days prior to his big day, I can't help but look at photos and videos from months past. He sure looked like a rat and his howl sounded like a cat. Now his looks really tell he's a beagle, and his bay, bark, and howl all sound so rich and deep and beautiful (he's a baritone). Well, he's actually pretty small for his breed, but I have no problems with that. Honestly, I find it good because our front yard is just the right size for his play area. Plus his little trick that involves him jumping and me catching him? I don't think we can manage if he grows any bigger.

We had a simple celebration at home. I got back in Manila three days prior to his birthday so I sourced for ingredients the 10th, baked his cake on the 11th, and spent a happy, chill day on the 12th. I didn't make any adventurous going out plans because I figured that quality time with Odie would be most effective when nobody got stressed. We just did our usual walk around the village, had a candle-blowing ceremony, gave some cake to neighbor dogs, and fed Odie periodically which I think was enough for him to figure out that it was his special day.

Candle-blowing ceremony

ALL IN MY BELLY!

I asked my sister to take photos of him blowing the birthday candle. I was careful to not let him have full access to the whole cake for fear that he would finish it in one sitting because god knows his mouth and tummy know no limits. Just like the parent of any one-year old birthday celebrant (be it human or dog), I carried Odie to blow his birthday candle which of course, he was totally clueless about, so I blew it on his behalf. By the look on his face, he seemed weirded out by a gigantic treat with fire on top, so I brought the cake back to the kitchen to slice him a manageable piece. I also brought out some frozen yogurt treats to pair with the cake and arranged it on his dish. Right after giving him the signal to eat, the cake just VANISHED. And one by one, the yogurt treats also disappeared. He ended up having a goofy smile on his face, played for a bit, and happily took a long nap.

We also sent some cupcakes to Ollie and Tramp who live 10 minutes away. I know they're also always hungry, but I wasn't sure if they appreciated fruit-based treats (because Doc always brings chicken liver or liver bits to share with students). I received a photo response from them that same day.

Ollie and Tramp's birthday greeting! Photo by Doc Marose

The feedback I received from Odie, Ollie, Tramp, and our neighbors' dogs were more than enough to make my heart swell. As you can see, the cupcakes and the cake both look rustic (aka messy) because like I said in the previous entry, I'm a first-time baker and I had no idea what I was doing. Whatever. The dogs love it and that's what matters.

For dinner, Odie had chunks of beef alternating with a beef leg bone that I bought from the supermarket. I consulted our vet before prepping the bone after reading horror stories about dogs swallowing shattered bones and damaging their bodies. I didn't want to serve it raw either because I've never fed Odie raw food out of fear (e-coli, salmonella, whatever else he could get). Doc instructed me to dunk the bone in boiling water for 20 seconds to get rid of surface bacteria without making the bone brittle.

Give a dog a bone!

Odie zoomed in excitement when he saw his first ever bone! I took advantage by letting him do a run-down of his tricks and finally gave my go signal to dig in. Dig in, he did! He chewed on the bone for a little over an hour, although I did have him trade the bone for beef on certain occasions, because the bone is a very high value treat which he might guard if not taught to release early. He growled a couple of times when he saw me getting near the bone. He even growled then barked which bothered me a bit. Thankfully, he figured a slice of beef was a good thing and tolerated having me take the bone away from him. I let him work in peace after a while. I just watched him have the best day ever.

Celebrating Odie's birthday made me feel very grateful that I'm not raising him alone. Sure, I do provide for most of his needs (ie. food, medical expenses, toys, cleaning supplies), but I'm very thankful for the help that other people are giving me. It's very rewarding for Arkei, the breeder from whom I got Odie, to tell me that I'm raising Odie well. I'm also thankful that although she was away for around a month, April takes Odie on walks when I can't, and gives his meals when I'm still asleep, and bathes him when he stinks or is dirty. She even reads the handouts from classes and shares with me what she's gathered from said handouts. She also told our nearby neighbors to keep their dogs on a leash when letting them out so that everyone can walk in our street peacefully. It's such a big help, especially for me, and for those who have been bitten (I once saw a woman walking fast, covering a wound on her arm).

I'm very grateful for getting to know such good classmates and humans in Pet Centrics. The PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) of the PCAA (Pet Centrics Alumni Association) are the pioneers of tiger parenting and healthy competition for dogs. Funny how I saw the recent handouts for Basic Obedience class and the guidelines say there's no need for fancy editing of homework videos. That may have been my fault because my sister and I are maarte like that. We also still share recipes, videos, and behavior matters with one another and I'm thankful that I'm really learning a lot from them, seeing that I'm pretty new at being a hands-on human.

I'm also so happy to have found Pendragon Animal Health Group for microchipping Odie, and for giving me assistance when Odie needed medical attention past midnight. They're also a good source for Frontline (!!!), and they have all these promos and product auctions from time to time. I hear they're now a legit animal hospital, renovations and expansion and all.

Of course, Odie and I are thankful for the gem that is Doc Marose, for giving Odie the best care and training, for answering all my questions, for alleviating my fears, and for going the extra mile. From teaching us tricks not found in the handouts, to letting Odie meet Ollie and Tramp, to letting us sit in and enjoy her training classes, among other things. Although Odie is crazy enough to show off all his tricks and make all these noises when you're discussing, thank you for not banishing us to the park :D

Although my sister no longer makes Odie's videos and no longer goes to training with us, I really appreciate how she is also trying to raise Odie by trying her hand at the new things we're learning, and by going to the drama prince beagle when she gets home (and before he starts crying). I couldn't imagine life if I were the lone absorber of the dog's craziness because it's just too much!

And to you, who visit our little corner in the world wide web, thank you for taking the time to read our entries. I sure hope people are learning from our experiences and are giving their own dogs the best possible lives they can provide. I've learned so many things and have gone through so much since we had Odie. I'm totally looking forward to more play dates, more adventures, and more good times with this baby beagle who is no longer a baby.