The Rumbly in His Tummy

We're finally done with antibiotics!

The days after Odie's graduation were pretty rough. It's only now that I'm slowly catching up on lost sleep, and the panic had already flown away.

My sick boy asking for belly rubs.

It all started on a Sunday night when he had really bad runs coming out on the other end. I thought it was a simple tummy bug so I gave him Yakult and let him rest for the night. On Monday morning he threw up his bile. Twice. So I contacted our veterinarian (pediatrician, according to my mom) to ask what it might be and what I could do about it, and was given advice right away.

By Tuesday morning, I woke up to the sound of Odie's Yaya April telling me that she saw blood in his poop. I rushed to Odie and saw the horrible (not to mention insanely stinky) mess, although it was still the same bouncy baby boy going all over me and humping my arm. This time I contacted the vet and we agreed to have her visit Odie at home in hopes of getting to the root of the problem. Doc Marose reached our place a little over an hour later. She was welcomed by a crazy dog who kept sniffing and jumping, who showed nothing wrong during the physical exam, making me look crazy paranoid for having called for help. We were prescribed some medicine and a bland diet and were told that the upset stomach was caused by something wrong that he ate, or a dewormer that failed to get rid of all the worms.

Since he was vomiting, doc put Odie on a super slow feeding program. I was tasked to give five teaspoons of food every three hours. IT. WAS. TORTURE. Odie looked very excited when I would appear with the food container in hand, and then shift to a forlorn face after the fifth teaspoon. For a while I also couldn't bear to look at him without shedding a tear.

That same night, Odie had another bloody run. Moments after getting in his travel crate (and while I was patiently cleaning bloody dog poop in his wire crate), my sister told me that Odie vomited his dinner! So that's two soiled crates and it's not like we have a third so we let him roam his play area while I cleaned. I also tried my luck in contacting doc at midnight. I couldn't be more thankful to have a vet respond that late, who agreed to do a follow-up house call first thing in the morning.

I put tequila in my coffee on Wednesday morning as alcohol is my coping mechanism for highly stressful events. Odie was given another check-up and doc found nothing wrong. She gave me a couple of antibiotics just in case the dog's excrements would take a turn for the worse, and while we were discussing, Odie showed doc that he did need the antibiotics so doc showed me how to make a dog swallow medicine. It wasn't so easy at first (perhaps because half a pill was too big) so I was shown a technique to activate his swallow reflex. I ended up not using that as Odie fell for the pill bombs that I made. I just divided the pill into quarters so that he would swallow it with the ball of food. Problem solved!

Doc's gloves, his meds, and
a prescription for MORE meds.

Everything went slow and steady since that Wednesday morning house call. Zero changes in energy, zero changes in appetite, but Odie kept blasting the wrath of his broken stomach. I kept him on the bland diet for the duration of his antibiotics sessions so that our house help wouldn't be confused with feeding kibble and cooked food. I had to work long hours during the weekend so even if I was unsure, I entrusted Odie's care in the hands of the house help and my siblings. But of course I did it in such a way that nobody would get it wrong. I left a couple of rules on paper which included my phone number as well as the vet's, measured and labeled Odie's food, and taped the medicine to his meals. Odie's yaya still got it wrong. OH WELL. He was able to shift to a different medicine schedule upon consultation with doc so that was easily fixed.

OC Attack! Labeled food and a sheet of instructions.

Fast forward to today, he's done with medicine and he's back to the crazy boy with a happy tummy! In a few days we will begin practicing for a sporting event so I hope he's ready for tons of action. Now I know how it feels to take care of a sick dog. Definitely not easy! I'm just grateful that I'm not alone in looking out for my weirdog. Doc Marose was quick to respond, has been very patient in answering all my questions, handled my panic well, and monitored Odie's situation throughout this tummy bug episode. Veterinarians must have such strong tummies to endure looking at poop! Thank you, Doc Marose!

Perhaps Odie never felt weak because we called for help at the first sign of discomfort. Some pet owners take their pets' concerns to Google or social media thinking they would save money by getting answers online. Times are hard, yes, but the Internet did not graduate from vet school! Besides, if you wait for worse symptoms to show, you'd end up spending way more.

I'm so glad it's over. I learned a lot from this tummy bug alone, and am more or less ready for the next one. I hope the next one happens in 10 years or so. It's also a good thing that this all happened after Odie graduated from Advanced Class, and before the event on the 29th. Thank you for the good timing, universe!

A Day in University

Oops, looks like this entry is way overdue!

Photo courtesy of Pedigree Philippines

On November 24, 2013, my siblings and I brought Odie to his second Pedigree event: Pedigree University. The event was originally scheduled on November 10, but was postponed due to the wrath of Typhoon Haiyan. I woke up early on the 24th to make sure we're ready for a long (but fun) day out. I gave him a bath, packed his going out things (collapsible bowl, water bottle, waste bags, toilet paper, two meals' worth of kibble, and DentaStix) then made some freshly baked liver treats to last us the whole day. Registration was at 10am but he might get too tired so we decided to go after lunch.

We are NOT the Only Victims

It's been a little over a week since Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda hit the central region of the Philippines. The death toll is rising, some people are still missing, and while help is slowly getting to all the areas in need, it's going to take years to recover, rehabilitate, and rise again. It's crazy how long the cleanup would be as it only took a few hours for the mega-typhoon to make such a huge mess. I watched the news day in and day out (sometimes mindlessly) on the day of the disaster and in the days that followed. At least, I got the chance to do so when electricity was stable. I shed tears countless times, and still continue to do so when I watch or read the many stories of distress as well as the rare stories of hope.

Seeing a photo of several dogs that perished in the storm was more than enough for me to get moving. I realized, albeit a bit late, that the humans are not the only victims of the calamity! And perhaps a lot of people realized this even later than I did! I then asked a few pet-parent friends if any donation drives accepted dog food. Sad thing was, none of them knew of any leads and I had to constantly search that night and was forced to turn in disappointed.

Odie's teacher and veterinarian put up a blog post the following day and gave many options to help the animal survivors. Why I didn't think of asking her during my unproductive search, I'll never know. Seeing her post was the only time I learned about international animal welfare organizations that dedicate their time and energy to helping animals in disaster-stricken areas. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has teamed up with the Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and headed to Tacloban, the worst hit location, to help the animals in need of food, water, and medical care. World Vets has also sent their teams to do the same. There are also other veterinarians abroad who are setting up donation drives for the typhoon-affected animals. Right now I'm keeping a close watch on these rescue missions. I'm grateful that they have already reached out to the animal survivors, and I hope that they could cover more locations in the coming days.

Image taken from the PAWS Facebook Page

I can't emphasize enough that just like humans, the displaced animals need help. It's also a bit disconcerting to see comments online (the Internet has a really big share of idiots, after all) questioning the need to rescue and rehabilitate animals when the humans haven't all been accounted for. I presume these remarks come from those who don't have animals as part of their family and I can't help but feel sorry for them. I'm sorry that for them, animals whose love and loyalty even surpasses those of humans' are just an afterthought. I'm sorry that they don't know how sweet it is to have cuddle time with a dog, or how sweetly dysfunctional it must feel to be owned by a cat. I guess I just really find it unacceptable to focus only on saving the humans when they're not the only ones in distress.

I even think that saving the animals at the same time as the humans would be beneficial for both parties! Hungry, stressed, and/or sick animals can be aggressive and may hurt humans and other animals in the process of trying to survive. I don't know how many or how few of the animals in Tacloban or in other affected areas are rabid so that exponentially increases the danger for everyone. Some lost animals may be looking desperately for their humans, and some humans may be clinging on to the hope that their pets are still alive. They're part of the family, too, and it's unimaginable to lose even just one family member, be it human or animal. Animal victims are also not limited to dogs and cats. Some humans may have had pigs, cows, water buffaloes, goats, ducks, and other animals that they may have depended on for livelihood. If your main source of income is goat's milk, for example, and you've lost everything in the storm surge, you would want to at least have the animal/s survive so that it may be at least a bit easier to start again. I saw a photo of a little girl carrying her dog and holding her mother's hand, her mother holding just a small backpack. A friend saw a video of a man in Tacloban happily playing with his dog after the storm. Having a dog by your side during the worst of times may be more emotionally uplifting than we all think.

All the animal welfare groups have already deployed their teams by now, but we can't stop helping just yet. Here's where you can donate:
World Vets
Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
Compassion And Responsibility for Animals (CARA) Welfare Philippines
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)

You may note in your donations that the amount you gave is for the benefit of Yolanda animal victims. You may also donate any amount, anytime, for them to save for another rainy day. You may also check their respective Facebook Pages for updates on their Typhoon Yolanda rescue missions. I sincerely hope that (universe forbid) disasters come our way in the future, the local animal welfare groups would be able to immediately respond to the animal victims.

The One-Hour Vaccine

Odie: THIS IS A PROTEST!!!

It was the first time yesterday for Odie to be vaccinated by our current vet. When we made the switch, his shots were already complete so the only time we paid the new clinic a visit was in January of this year to ask for assistance regarding a skin problem. Odie's booster shots were actually due on Wednesday last week but since I didn't want him to miss class, I was given the option to either schedule it during the weekend or today. I settled for Sunday afternoon because my sister used the car Saturday afternoon, and I have work today. It was the most convenient option... or so I thought.

There was another dog in the training venue when we got there. I brought my sister along (well, more like forced her to come!) because Doc Marose did suggest that I bring someone when I informed her about our needle fears. We did a bit of training exercises to get Odie used to being pinched at the vaccination spot. That went pretty well! Doc also explained to me that there are some shots she won't be giving for fear of over-vaccination. See, our previous vet also gave a couple of shots that were supposedly due for boosters in two weeks. Doc went on to specifics of the two vaccines she would give, and when that was all clear, it was game time.

I seriously don't know HOW doc immediately felt that I was tensing up! I tried my best to shake it off but I don't think that was a success. Sucks how dogs know how their humans feel so all the fake courage just won't work. How many acting classes did I take again?

Our first attempt involved putting Odie on the table and giving him treats while the shot was being administered. He was okay until the actual syringe made the slightest contact with his body. BAM! He yelped and tried to make a run for it, and doc was forced to change the needle. She even pricked herself because of Odie's crazy contortions! It's good to be protected against parvo or distemper, except we're not dogs. Seriously though, I hope it's not dangerous.

Next attempt, doc instructed me to hug Odie a certain way so she could discreetly put the needle in. I did exactly what I was told to do, but Odie had other plans. When he felt the needle again, he climbed on my shoulder like a parrot (A 22-POUND PARROT!) and continued climbing until for some reason, we ended up with me in flat back position as the beagle just stood there! I didn't know Odie was pep squad material! Doc then tried to handle Odie on her own. Odie just stopped, sat, and received the first shot without us having to do anything at all. Totally weird, but hey, mission accomplished! It also confirmed doc's theory that Odie wasn't feeling any pain from the needle, he's just overreacting.

The second shot was even crazier! By then, I've already lost count of how many needle replacements we needed. Odie was getting very stressed, I was getting really worried, and I'm guessing Doc Marose also needed a breather which she couldn't get until we were done. Odie resisted and was almost impossible to control so we had to tether him. After some tries, my sister and I were told to stay far from Odie, until we were asked to step out so that he and doc could battle it out. True enough, it took just a short while (and help from an unknown surprise assistant) to get the second shot done.

It took a total of one hour, X needles, and two shots to finally call it a day. I don't know why, but Doc Marose apologized for taking longer than expected. HELLO. We should be the ones apologizing because our dog is crazy and very dramatic! She's been in the venue for three hours, working on a Sunday. If I went home really exhausted when all I had to do was try to help out, I could only imagine the physical and mental stress involved in restraining a hyper beagle. Doc suggested that Odie be taken in for shots in the clinic next time instead of the training venue. I'm gonna take that as a non-negotiable!

At the end of it all, I'm just very, very, VERY thankful that Doc Marose, even after realizing that giving Odie shots is a pain in the ass, mentioned "next time," which I assume means that she's willing to go through it with Odie again. Other vets might just give up and tell us to get shots elsewhere. I'm also thankful to have been given great advice on booster shots. Last year, I was just told what shots Odie was gonna get, zero explanations involved. I know I've said it over and over, but I really think that Odie is now getting the bestest best medical care. "Care" being the operative word. From training during puppyhood, to late night emergency concerns, and now to intense booster shot antics, I'm just so happy that there's someone who understands the crazies that Odie and I seem to have been born with.

Oh, and I was pinching him last night to "simulate" the vaccination process. He wasn't even reacting to it at all! Ugh.

Food Heaven!

As part of Dental Care Month in May, Odie and I (well, mostly I) joined the Pedigree Philippines' Doggy DentaDash game on their Facebook Page. It's an app wherein we had to answer two questions each week, and were given corresponding points for each correct answer. The promo ran for eight weeks with new questions every Wednesday.

Odie was able to get a perfect score of 32000 points because I'm a tiger parent. I wasn't sure how the winners were selected (and I'm guessing lots of dogs got perfect scores as well), but a few days later, I got a call from a Pedigree Philippines representative saying that Odie and I were among the 20 winners of the game! We were notified mid-July and were told that we would receive the prize in 6-8 weeks.

While waiting for the real prize, those who got 12000 points and above were given 15 pieces of DentaStix to munch on. Yum! Well, yum for Odie, I guess! The last time we were given a free sample of DentaStix, it was literally just a free sample. As in, ONE piece which came with a cover letter, which their delivery guys struggled to achieve. We received it on August 19, and Odie's trying to finish what's left of it. I don't know any dog who doesn't like DentaStix. From what I know, its X-shaped structure guarantees to prevent plaque, and that it tastes really good. I'm usually on the receiving end of jumps (leading to bruises) when I open a pack. Some say this is crack for dogs. I'm gonna have to agree.

Yesterday morning, a truck arrived at our house. The house help called me and said that there was a package for me. Unfortunately for me, it was for my dog. But hey, I gotta admit I waited for it, too! The delivery man unloaded a huge bin from the truck, which had my name on it!

Storage bin with all the goodies!

I thought we were just gonna unload the bin so I was happy to know that we get to keep it, too! Odie's belongings used to be in two containers that were already deteriorating so now they're all here, neatly arranged. I was told to sign some paperwork and had my photo taken as proof that the package was delivered to my home. Sadly, the delivery guy also asked me for Php100 because our village has a toll fee when trucks enter. Ugh.


There was an envelope taped to the bin containing a cover letter from Pedigree Philippines. It was a thank you letter of sorts for joining their contest, and an instruction to take a photo of Odie and the prizes, upload it, and tag Pedigree Philippines on Facebook. Craziest minutes of the day.

Little sniffer performing an inspection. Wannabe police dog!

April and I arranged the products neatly for the photo. It was Php5000 worth of Pedigree products! The package contains seven 3kg bags of Pedigree Adult Complete Nutrition, six 400ml cans of Pedigree Home Style in chicken flavor, two 80g packs of Pedigree Meat Jerky, two 175g packs of Pedigree Tasty Bone, and one box containing 36 individually wrapped Pedigree DentaStix. 

Upon letting Odie out of his crate, I had a treat with me in hopes of having him keep his attention on me. I failed miserably as he took his time sniffing through the goodies that he received, and even knocked the cans down, grabbed a Tasty Bone pack and took it to the far end of the yard, and he just kept stuffing his face in between the bags of food! The photo below was the best we could do.

We didn't have time to rearrange the cans because I know he would start inspecting his new treats if I didn't stop taking photos. But yay! We finally got him to "look at the camera" and strike his signature poster-boy pose!

I haven't really tried feeding Odie Pedigree dry food (I usually buy pouches of wet food) so I sought the opinion of our veterinarian about switching to Pedigree. I learned that the most obvious manifestation of the dog's reaction to the food is through his skin and coat. Obviously, good food results in good skin. I opened one bag and am trying to transition him to it, hoping the results would be favorable. We filled 1/4 of his dish with Pedigree and 3/4 Holistic Recipe. He sniffed the foreign-infused food for a few seconds before devouring it like he does with all the food we give (and all the objects he manages to eat). We're also going to donate some of the food to a local shelter because it's pretty overwhelming to have so much, we might as well share.

All in all, the 8-week wait was worth it. We have food and treats to last us quite a while and the best part is that it was given to us for free! Thank you, Pedigree! I'm a happy parent with a really happy dog!

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.

The Birthday Cake!

I mentioned in earlier posts that I'm determined to bake a cake for Odie. At the back of my mind though, I was already allotting budget for the cake I would be ordering because I was so sure my cake wouldn't turn out well. I was sooooo thankful things worked out!

I chose a banana-carob-oat doggie cake recipe and was looking for carob which isn't available in grocery stores! I sent a message to Healthy Options to ask if they sold it and they do carry both carob chips and carob powder. I just wasn't told how much it was, but was also informed that it wasn't available in their SM North and Trinoma stores at the time.

Fortunately for me, our family went to Singapore for the weekend and I read somewhere that there was carob powder being sold at Jason's Market Place in Raffles City. Lo and behold, Raffles City was right across our hotel! The entire basement was food heaven. It also houses the best macaron place. Ugh, I miss it already. The actual market wasn't very big, probably the same size as Rustan's in Katipunan, but they had lots of organic stuff.

Bob's Red Mill Toasted Carob Powder
(S$7.70, Jason's Market Place)

I found carob powder and looked for other things I could get for Odie. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of products for pets, and the few that were there were pricey and are being sold here. I ditched the idea of getting him treats and settled for the bag of carob powder. I got back in Manila by afternoon on the 9th, spent the rest of that day resting, and went to the supermarket the following day.

Ingredients haul (sweet potatoes not in photo)

I went to Shopwise the following day to look for whatever else I was missing. I got a dozen eggs at P65, a small packet of baking powder at P11, cream cheese at P109, rolled oats at P70, a banana at P15, and sweet potatoes at P60. My mom was lucky enough to have spotted a baking supplies store in the Don Antonio area so she got a kilogram of whole wheat flour for P68. I spent roughly P650 on cake ingredients, the same price as a cake from a barkery. BUT I still have loads of raw ingredients left so the actual cost of the cake is... much less (don't trust me with Math, really).

Cake batter ready to be baked

I just measured and mixed all the ingredients as instructed in the recipe. Still no KitchenAid mixer, but our stand mixer did the job pretty well. I don't know where we got the aluminum pan but I'm just happy it exists at home (in three different sizes!). I planned to make more cupcakes for neighbors and friends but the cake pan already used much of the batter so I managed to make just 6 cupcakes. The silicon muffin cups are the only ones we have at home, my sister bought them at Ikea in Hong Kong for roughly HK$40 for 6 pieces. I only filled the pan and cups halfway because I thought the batter would rise. It did, but not as much as I expected it to. Oh and I lined the pan and cups with virgin coconut oil instead of butter. For serious, Odie is a much healthier eater than humans!

BAKED (HEAVY) CAKE!

Frosting

The peanut butter I give Odie isn't like the American peanut butter that holds up well. Plus, those things have so many complex ingredients that scare me, so I opted to mix sweet potatoes and cream cheese to make a faux fondant (fauxndant?) and may have gone overboard with the ratio, but I'm not so sure. It was very easy to mould though so I didn't have problems frosting the cake and cupcakes.

Newly-frosted cake and cupcakes. Ready for icing!

I originally wanted at least two colors for the icing but I didn't know what else to color the potato with. Later on I found out we have moringa in the empty lot across the street where our driver plants veggies. Oh well. So I got the leftover frosting and mixed some carob powder to give it color and a faux chocolate (fauxcolate?) flavor. The carob powder I used was roughly 2 tablespoons and believe me, a little carob goes a long way. I don't have a piping bag so I went on YouTube and learned that a resealable bag can be a good piping bag substitute. I used around 3 bags because they kept breaking (the icing was too dense, apparently) and wrote the dedication.

There are brown smears because I could no longer erase my failed letters without leaving a brown mark. I thought of them as the dirt and soil that Odie loves to eat from the front yard. Lame excuse, I know.

The pupcakes were easier to ice because I watered it down a bit for easier icing flow and to keep the bags from breaking. This was supposed to be a pack of 6 but the container couldn't handle so I settled for five. It kind of looks like a bone so it makes sense somehow. I gave one cupcake to Toby and Max who live next door.

All in all, the cake turned out pretty okay in terms of taste. Took me around 6 hours to get it done because it was my first time ever to bake a cake, my first time ever to frost a cake, and my first time ever to draw on a cake using icing. The icing looks so bad though! Gotta work on that. For now, we have to live with ugly icing. Let's call it "rustic" so it doesn't sound as bad. The cake itself turned out really heavy. I took a bite and it was DENSE! It tasted like a really dense but really bland banana bread.

But we all know that Odie is forever hungry. Maybe that's why I love cooking and baking for him - he just excitedly eats everything he's given and doesn't tell me what tastes right or wrong!

Eight Days to Go!

By this time next week, I would be frosting Odie's birthday cake. The recipe I got is pretty big so I'll most likely distribute to neighbors and friends. I'm not sure if I can get carob chips. Maybe I can substitute sweet potato instead. I also intend to use recipe 5 for the frosting. As for the letters, maybe mashed carrots? I think bright orange is gonna be a pretty good contrast. Hmmm... whatever I end up using, I hope the cake turns out great.

I've reposted the needs and wants entry to act as a wish list of sorts. I don't think we'd be opening lots of presents on his birthday, and some of those things are impossible to get on time (most of them are available only in the US haha). Some are impossible, period. But of course, even if I'm working towards getting a good number of those material things, his health and happiness would still be top priority.

Can't believe it's going to be his first birthday real soon! His other classmates celebrated their birthdays on the 1st of this month and did their own festivities. It's crazy! The first time I met Odie, he was a few days shy of being two months old. He was only about to turn 3 months when he first met teacher and his classmates. The goldens were so small back then, and Odie was small enough to pick up with one hand. Sigh. Time flies and I sound like a mother.

Odie's first day at home

We got Odie on a rainy September day. He was a tiny puppy that fit in a small shopping bag. I bought him a large-sized crate in anticipation of his full size, and he looked like an infant in a mansion. On the first two nights, he kept crying at the oddest hours, maybe missing his mommy and his litter mates. After all, he was still on unfamiliar ground. He also kept eating the plants (he kind of shaved an entire patch of soil), would run away from me, and would eat his meals while lying on his belly.

I started training him on his third day at home. I went on YouTube and taught him how to do "sit" and "down" just so I could feel like I knew how to train. On day four, he finally got a leash and harness (the leash and collar we bought for him turned out to be too big haha). He would lie on his belly and completely refused to move whenever his harness was on, but the moment we removed it, he ran around like normal. Weirdo!

I looked for training facilities in Manila just for fun, but then I saw that one of them was really near our house! I initially thought it would be ridiculous for me to become one of those pet parents who would send the dog to school. WELL, we all know how that turned out! I kept going back to the page and saw that there was a Puppy Class the following month. It was a time when Odie was learning to misbehave - he chewed on the plants, bit me to the point of having lots of scratches on my arms, and was causing a riot no one knew how to control. My sister and I went halfsies and went to Puppy Class for the first time ever. When Basic Obedience Class came, she became pretty busy so I took it upon myself to keep Odie in school.

3-month old Odie at the Puppy Class graduation day.
Note how small he was, and how small his treat container was!
Photo from the Pet Centrics Facebook Page

He's still a crazy boy, but I could only imagine how things would have turned out if we didn't give him and ourselves proper education. Odie has finished three courses so far and could use another couple courses, really. He went on to become a "demo dog" for other Basic Obedience students, and for a TV spot! He's not perfect, he's far from perfect, but he's definitely a better boy than most dogs, thanks to Doc Marose and Pet Centrics. Going to training has been a big part of Odie's growth, having done so since he was a little over two months old. I didn't know that even for a dog, education is the best thing that we could give. Next to food, of course.

Odie has schooled me a couple of times as well! So much has happened in the span of 10 months that Odie has lived here at home. He's eaten strange things like a cigarette butt which caused him to throw up (he was three months old then and I couldn't be more thankful that he survived), a big twig which made my sister and I panic, a dishwashing sponge which worried his yaya April, among other things. He taught me that he's a lot stronger than I think. He's also teaching me how to let go and how to get dirty. When he picks up a dead frog during a walk, I would pick his mouth with my bare hands and throw the damn frog away. This has happened thrice already and it doesn't get any less disgusting. Also, prior to knowing Odie, I never imagined myself cleaning up after a pee/poop machine. I never thought that I would be picking up puppy poop in Eastwood or High Street. Posh places? Haha, dogs do NOT care where you are. If he has to go, he has to go. If it means wiping the floor clean at a high-end mall, there's no choice but to do it.

It's also going to be Godzilla's first death anniversary on July 16. During our walks, Odie and I still visit his resting place from time to time. I also still cry over his passing. I miss him, and to some extent, I take care of Odie this way because I regret not being as educated when we had Godzilla. But then, as it says in one of the comic strips in Marshall's Law, "you always end up with the dog you're meant to be with." I hope that as he looks down from dog heaven, he's happy that I'm doing this partly for him. And the fact that the day of his death is four days after Odie's birthday, I'd like to think (oh, here goes the lump in my throat) that he has picked Odie for us, he just wasn't so sure about it yet on the day that Odie was born.

Odie Bubble Boy

A puppy's overall health could easily be seen through his coat. I know that I'm doing my job well and feeding Odie good food because when I get the chance to stroke his fur, it feels soft and smooth even without professional grooming. I used to supplement this by using Bearing shampoo which smelled like typical shampoo, but then my sister brought home a different bottle last month and told me to try it out. When I saw that it's by Human Nature, I was sold, and I'm never going back.

Human Nature has been our go-to source for natural products. It's a relatively new company by the same family behind Gawad Kalinga, a nation-building movement that has given homes and jobs to the less fortunate (which was brought up in almost every Christmas Homily by Fr. Ben when I was in college, haha). Their products are all-natural which is pretty evident in the mild scents of their products such as soaps, shampoos, deodorants, dishwashing liquid, bug sprays, etc.

Furry Kind Natural Cocomutt Shampoo is their first ever product dedicated to pet care. It was launched just this March as a collaborative effort between Human Nature and their global ambassador, Rachel Grant (yes, the Bond girl). The shampoo comes in a 500ml pump bottle, is 96.4% natural, and 100% safe.

Pre-bath happiness.
Furry Kind Natural Cocomutt Shampoo (P349.75, Human Nature)

We opened the bottle that night to take a whiff of the tangerine scent and the moment we did so, a sleepy Odie suddenly stood up, looking so excited and alert. He must have loved the smell as much as we did! I thought he was going to actually want to take a bath!

I gave the shampoo a test run at a time when Odie's nanny was on vacation. It was a hot summer day and I didn't get to buy a kiddie pool. I wanted him to try taking a swim though so I brought out the biggest basin I could find at home. I filled it up, took Odie out, then tried applying the shaping exercise we learned from our classes at Pet Centrics. He managed to get all four paws in the basin, but would exit right after receiving his treat. Darn! Gotta work on durations in water. Remind me to buy a kiddie pool!

Mid-bath. This puppy doesn't look too pleased.

When I started pumping the shampoo onto my palm, he kept jumping to reach for my hand. Maybe the orangey smell made him think it was a treat? Although he does eat everything so I couldn't be too sure. It was a bit hard for me to see the shampoo lathering up. This is usually the case with natural/organic products - lather means chemicals, I guess. It did work its way through Odie's coat after some scrubbing. While he likes to run around and away when it's rinsing time, he absolutely LOVES being scrubbed and would stay still for a good massage.

It was rinsing time so I encouraged him to get back to the basin for another swimming attempt. He went in and soaked himself in the water for a few seconds. Upon getting out, he started drinking the water which already contained a good amount of shampoo! I ditched the swimming idea and just started rinsing so we could finish the bath.

I left a message on Furry Kind's Facebook Page and got a reply later on, from none other than Rachel Grant herself! I asked if there are any signs of discomfort I should watch out for because Odie liked licking his coat and the shampoo-filled bath water. Fortunately, since it's 100% safe, I had nothing to worry about. Although of course, that doesn't give Odie the license to keep drinking the shampoo!

Post-bath exhaustion. He went in his crate and
slept like a baby right after this photo.

More than a month later, there's still quite a good amount of shampoo left. His skin now hardly has any pink spots (he had contact dermatitis when we were still using his old shampoo), his coat is very soft and even has a bit of a shine to it. Hugging Odie after a bath is something he hates but something I love. He smells so good and orangey! I want to bite him!

I hope that Furry Kind would release more products within the year. I'm a freak for natural pet products. I bake most of Odie's treats and I could go as far as making dog shampoo from scratch, but Furry Kind already does the job. Plus points for being a lot cheaper than most dog shampoos as well. Maybe they can make a soap version for those who'd prefer it. Maybe they can make treats! Or maybe other herbal treatments like in dog spas. Or other shampoo scents like lavender to calm down a very active puppy like Odie. Well, whatever they come up with, I'm sure we're going to try it out!

This post is not sponsored by Human Nature! I just really support their products and their cause. Check out their site for a list of stores and dealers that carry their brand. I know their products are also available in Rustan's, Shopwise, Robinsons, and Landmark supermarkets. We're just so lucky their flagship store is quite near our village :D

Catch Up!

I haven't blogged in more than a week! I've been doing quite a lot of work for sustenance, and I've been a lot more hands-on (yes, it's possible) with Odie because our house help is on vacation for the election period and we're left with house help that I don't trust. I'm lucky to have made time tonight because Odie has already gone potty for the night so he went to bed early and I have time to write. Finally!

For more than a week now, I've managed to wake up before 7AM everyday to give Odie his breakfast, make him go potty, clean his area and sneak in some play time. It's pretty tiring! So far I've also given him some baths, cleaned his ears, and did the cooking/baking days. It's fun to bathe Odie because in spite of his VERY crazy disposition during baths, there's a sense of accomplishment in finally finishing after what seems like a lifetime of soaping and scrubbing and having him try to swim.

I still bring him to Pet Centrics on weekends in spite of having graduated more than a month ago. Doc allowed us to sit in, do a couple of demos, and help the current students in her Basic Obedience (Beginners) class. We're not required to attend every Saturday, but we've done so for the most part because I really want to tire him out like that at least once a week. It also gives Odie and I something to look forward to every weekend. It's just a bit sad that the current class isn't as competitive as our class was in terms of video submissions. I guess they have the funds to spend on Kong toys. HAHAHA! Their homework is also really easy! If I didn't put the tripod back in the attic, we'd be doing their homework on top of going to their classes! But seriously, I hope they take the time to train everyday even without the videos. I also hope that the Puppy Class this June happens!

The other night, Odie swallowed another foreign object and gave my sister and I the best time to panic! We saw him approach one of the plants in the front yard and he suddenly started coughing and had a hard time swallowing! It must have been a big twig. He was gagging and there was a weird sound whenever he swallowed, so we tried giving him cotton balls cut into little pieces for him to ingest. I read online that cotton helps envelope a swallowed foreign object so that it would easily pass through the digestive system. We were shocked when he regurgitated the cotton and a piece of peanut butter treat, so we decided it was time to call for help. I thought he was choking! It was midnight then so I was a bit hesitant to call Doc Marose. I would usually just SMS her when something comes up but it looked like Odie needed immediate help so I called her and didn't get an answer. Turns out, it was one of the rare occasions when people drift from routine and turn in early. Next, I called Pendragon Veterinary Clinic as I know they're open 24/7. Doc Thea was the one who answered which gave me a bit of relief as she's the one who microchipped Odie. She gave me the option to observe Odie myself or to rush to their clinic for an x-ray. I discussed the matter with my sister and while we were doing so, Odie ate the cotton, drank lots of water, and even stole and swallowed a treat! We then called it a night as he seemed fine. 30 hours later, a big twig wrapped in cotton made a graceful exit when Odie went potty. Huge sigh of relief.

Gotta admit, I'm pretty exhausted doing all the puppy duties, but Odie seems to be very appreciative of everything I do so it's worth it. It's just unsettling that the house help isn't reliable so it's really hard for me to leave the house while April is on vacation. Last week, I had work from noon til midnight and the whole family also had their own thing. I was so worried that Odie would be fed strange things so I asked Doc if there's any boarding service where I can leave Odie and pick him up at midnight. Most boarding services tell you to pick up the puppy the following day so it was a bit of an absurd need, but I don't think Odie is ready for a sleepover at some dog hotel. I hope someone provides that service soon enough for moms who have work til late.

Oh, and as promised (I think), the TV feature on positive dog training aired on TV5 some weeks ago. I'm embedding the video from Doc Marose because it looks better. Just look at Odie, Buzz, and Doc doing their thing, being awesome and all.

MisadventureS.

It's 2:30 in the morning and I'm still up and about, vigilant until the household wakes up in the morning so someone else could watch over Odie.

A few hours ago, I let Odie out of his crate and he zoomed past me, past the front yard/garage gate, and basically went around the perimeter of the house. While doing so, he stole a sponge that was about to be thrown. It used to be the dishwashing sponge, a small, round one, about 3 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Our house help was the one running after him as I dug through Odie's things to search for a squeaky toy to lure him back. Recall didn't do us good. Upon finding his Kong Wubba, I squeaked it multiple times and told him to get it. He ran very excitedly past the tile steps and made the huge leap to launch the game of tug! I saw his neck touch the floor on the way and was surprised to see that while tugging, his collar was around a foot away from us. Darn it! His only collar finally gave up.

I made Odie wear his harness while waiting for the temporary collar to arrive.
I was telling him that he's a very naughty boy and that I'm worried about how the
sponge incident would end. He responded by giving me this face. ARRRRRGH!

Of course, I was more concerned about the sponge than the collar so I didn't think twice about contacting Doc Marose right away. I asked if there's anything I should watch out for because I've read lots of things about intestinal blockage. Doc willingly gave me advice and told me to monitor Odie's trips to the bathroom, and to watch out for signs of pain.

So here I am doing exactly that. It's been nine hours since the incident and Odie is happy as a clam, showing zero signs of discomfort which is hopefully a good thing. I'm really just waiting for a sponge to come out of the other end. Yuck! Odie has eaten two cigarette butts and two Christmas bulbs and survived all four separate hullabaloos without having me bring him to an emergency vet. It's the first time he's eaten something pretty big though so I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the sponge gets out of his system within the day. Funny how having a dog makes you do things you never imagined, like watching for objects in dog poop.

It's pretty interesting, though. I was telling Doc that I wasn't so sure how clean/dirty the sponge was (it's definitely gonna be dirty now!) and she told me that the soap and dirt doesn't matter as much, what's important is that Odie passes it. Weird how a dog's stomach is strong enough to handle dirt, but it can't tolerate food like grapes and chocolate. Sad how we can't share a jar of Nutella. Doc also told me that the contents of a dog's stomach go out on the other end every 10-12 hours. Gotta admit, it's quite fun to learn about how a dog's system works and how they behave and how we play a part in their health and behavior. Who knew I'd actually be interested in Science, right?! Good job, Doc and Odie!

About the collar, my sister was on the way home and stopped to do a bit of groceries. She also thought of getting a temporary collar because it's hard to put the harness on and take it off when Odie goes in and out of the crate. In the supermarket, she saw just two kinds of dog collars and zero leashes so she thought of just getting a collar to last until I go out and get a legit collar, or a Lupine (whichever comes first). The collar she got had no price tag so she proceeded to checkout without asking. To her surprise, the collar cost her Php400 and she didn't want to go through the fuss of returning so she paid for it and took it home. When she got home, she put the collar on Odie and told me the story. I got upset when I found out how much it was because oh my god, just a bit more and we could have gotten a Lupine! So yeah, I checked it out and ended up laughing so hard because NO SHIT, THE COLLAR HAS BLING BLING! I couldn't photograph the buckle but it's the most studded part of the entire thing! Can't wait til Odie gets to school on Saturday. The boys might tease him, but I've resolved to think of it as his way of promoting gender equality. NO H8, right?

Odie's new collar, in detail. So gay, just like mommy!

I'm hoping to find a Wet Paint Lupine leash when I go out because that's the only leash that would match this collar :D

Because yes, he broke his leash in class on Saturday. He was tethered to one of the posts in the court while Doc was telling me and May what to do as humans sitting in at the Basic Obedience (Beginners) class. A Belgian Malinois went in and Odie wanted to greet him, he made a huge leap forward, causing the leash to break! That was the only day I didn't bring any of his backup leashes. Good thing Doc had an extra leash or I would have been forced to just crate him for the rest of the class or just go home. It got us through the class, and his backup leashes at home are getting worn out so yes, it's time to get a legit leash.

That Saturday was also the class where Odie did a demo of tugging with teacher, and he got really excited (they were using his Kong Squiggles which is STILL his favorite toy) and he ended up biting teacher's hand. When Doc returned Odie to me, she told me that he bit her hand and I only processed the information after 30 seconds or so. I apologized and offered baby wipes to at least cleanse the wound but Doc declined and told me it's okay because she's had much worse. Still, I felt bad because Odie would usually cut and bruise no one else but me. This one happened to his teacher, in front of the class, while doing a demo. I made a mental note to always bring alcohol and a pack of band aids from now on. I hope Doc's hand is okay.

We've had a couple of misadventures in the span of less than a week! I don't know what's happening, if this is adolescence, or if I'm raising Odie the wrong way (I hope not). It's pretty stressful for me as a human, because while I am very good at handling nerves and showing a calm disposition amidst emotionally charged situations, I do have a tipping point, too. Besides, expenses like a new leash, new collar, and (again, I hope not) a trip to the vet are something I am prepared for, but I try my best to avoid them so that we could just happily go shopping for new toys and treats. But if all these things are necessary, ah well, we have no choice but to put one foot (and paw) in front of the other.

After all, Odie might be YOLO-ing, but I still love him too much.

Churning Homework

There's a 10PM deadline every Sunday for all the homework videos of the previous session. I finished all that I could, and edited two videos ahead of time. Today, as of this writing, I'm waiting for video 4 of 7 to finish exporting. I've yet to finish the other three videos and I have seven hours left to finish editing, uploading, and writing this blog to accompany the entire submission. I actually woke up at 6:30AM today so that Odie and I could work in all possible locations. Considering his recent injury, I made it a point to lay low on the tugging and do zero recalls at least until Wednesday. I'm thankful his leg didn't act up while we did homework!

Shall we begin?

Sit-Tug-Sit: At Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Down-Tug-Down: At Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Playing tug thrice each session can get really tiring! I missed out on the instruction to keep the tugging at five seconds max, so I took my time on the first few tries. I had to suffer huge consequences because I had to speed up some parts of the raw videos. That really took a LOT of my editing time. See, I wouldn't really take the time and effort to edit with all the music and the captions and the works, but my sister started with that format during puppy class and I can't not follow it because all the videos in this blog should look the same way. I do not have OCD. Anyway, what really slowed us down the most was getting Odie to give the toy back in spite of all the tension I put on my body to keep the toy from moving. The only time I was able to speed up was when I kept a treat in my hand. Is that cheating? I hope not.

Sit-Tug-Sit and Down-Tug-Down: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

I was forced to keep our outdoor tugging to just three locations because Odie lost all interest in his tug toy this morning. I just got lucky that we got to tug by the clubhouse! I don't know, he usually loves to tug, but he seemed to not be in the mood and instead of forcing it on him, I just accepted that we won't be getting the maximum number of points for that exercise anymore. It was a bit of a benefit though in that last location because he gave the toy back to me VERY quickly. That saved a lot of time for us both. I hope his tug drive doesn't have anything to do with his hurt leg. Do dogs suddenly change their disposition when they experience trauma like that?

Heel with Pivot and U-Turn: At Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Heel with Pivot and U-Turn: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

During the heeling exercise yesterday, teacher pointed out something really interesting about Odie's walk. Well, he has a normal gait during normal walks, but I also noticed that there's a spring in his step sometimes when we do heeling exercises. Teacher said it's called "prancing," and it's just too cute, I had to slow it down on certain parts of the video for a better look. I didn't know I had a Mr. Prissypants! I thought only poodles walked like that!

Teaching Place: At Home from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Teaching Place: Outdoors from Pauline Gaerlan on Vimeo.

Odie has been such a joy to work with during the place exercise. He showed early signs of taking interest in the bed when he ran to approach teacher's bed during class orientation and now he's just on fire! When I tried getting him acquainted to his own bed, it took around five minutes for him to get all four paws on the bed. He even does sits and downs there on his own! It looks like he enjoys the softness and the bounce of the surface, it's actually hard for him to get off. It's also really adorable to look at him excitedly approach his bed and hypnotize me with that cutesy puppy face. Augh. I fall for that all the time. ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I wish Doc Marose didn't tell us to work on eye contact. Odie's wants suddenly become a thousand times harder to resist!

This set of homework was a lot easier said than done. I have to admit, I really had a difficulty managing my time this week. Work deadlines, Odie's strained leg, erratic weather, the whole nine yards. We're definitely going to rest for a few days before going back to being a homework factory. I can't wait to hit the sheets!

Injury!

After getting frustrated with erratic weather patterns (really hot early mornings and lots of afternoon rain), I declared stress and began searching for alcohol. It's been very difficult to manage time when I feel the need to keep shooting and keep ticking each box in our homework tracker. I think it's really just my kaartehan that makes me want to finish everything and have a complete submission tomorrow night. I'm not after the toy we could get from teacher on graduation day. I just want to fill the x's, really. It's like coloring a page on a coloring book where you don't leave any area uncolored. Oh my god, am I mentally ill?!

Our other classmates have also expressed frustration over not completing the homework, some admitting defeat after exhausting all possible outdoor locations. Doc Marose eventually had to step in and reminded us that the homework videos are not what the course is all about. What matters is making time to train our dogs and that we all have fun while we're at it. I just had to tear up upon reading that. I've been forgetting to have fun, and the exercises (especially tugging) were becoming more of a chore for me. I thought of giving Odie and I a few days off so I could refocus and be a funner, more productive human.

I didn't know that the universe would conspire and force us to have a break.

Last night, April, our household helper, was playing with Odie while feeding him dinner. She put his dish on the window sill so they could do more games. Perhaps out of so much excitement and hunger, Odie jumped pretty high to try reaching for his food bowl, and hit his right hind leg against the brick wall. One of his nails got chipped, he yelped and fell pretty bad, and started limping. I was inside the house having dinner with my brother when it happened and I didn't hear Odie cry because the TV was on. I had one bite of my spaghetti when April rushed in and said, "Pauline, napilay yata si Odie." I froze in my seat for a while. It's the first time I'm gonna have to attend to a lame puppy. There's a first time for everything, I guess, but it felt really weird to even just imagine Odie not in tip top shape at such an early age.

Odie was happily running when my brother and I went out to check on him. Happily running, but doing so with only three legs. He kept his right hind leg raised and I wanted to just hug him and carry him and put him in a bubble to be protected from all kinds of danger. April narrated to me what happened and kept telling me that he might have just overstretched a muscle, that it's gonna go back to normal eventually, etc. I refused any more talk because neither of us is a vet. We both do not have the right to declare anything. I'm really not a fan of believing what other people say unless they hold a certain degree of credibility. Just the other day, I saw an ad for a basic obedience class and wanted to find out the rate and the credentials of the instructor just to feel even better that Odie is in Pet Centrics. I got a response saying the course rate is more than twice the rate of Odie's class, and the instructor rambled on about how he doesn't have a Behavioral Science diploma but has years of experience in training dogs. That rate and a trainer with no diploma? You cannot be serious. Wait, I digressed in a major way.

I immediately sent a text message to Doc Marose to ask what I could and should do about Odie's leg. Waiting for her reply was one of the longest, most agonizing waits I had to endure. I've been reading Veterinarians Behaving Badly and tried my best to be a good human so I only allowed myself two text messages and zero calls. Although it was a long shot, I hoped that she could do a house call because there were no cars at home. I could swear I heard angels when I finally received a response. I was told that it may just be a sore muscle, and was instructed to apply a cold compress on the area (unsuccessful, he kept eating the ice) and to go to class early the next day so she could check. She also said that we might have to sit out some of the exercises at school. That last part saddened me because what about homework? I was planning to shoot homework before/after the class in an attempt to complete our outdoor locations! What's even sadder was how I was thinking of giving us a break, but I never wanted it at the expense of Odie's well-being. Doc seemed one step ahead of me by reminding me to get some sleep and to stop worrying about what happened to my baby boy. I cried it out, turned to alcohol to calm me down, and fell asleep by midnight.

Odie was still limping this morning and avoided the use of the affected hind leg. We reached the training venue at 8:30 (we were told to come at 8:45 but it's been a practice of mine to always arrive way earlier than the scheduled time). Doc checked on Odie who improved exponentially, walking on all fours and even jumping and running. She told me that it's just a bruise and it would completely heal in a couple of days. He's still being careful with his leg when he does sits and downs. Other than that, he seemed pretty okay. Doc even said she wouldn't have noticed that something was wrong had I not asked for her help. I was so shocked that he was up and running and doing all the exercises! I was told to just walk him through the recall exercise, but he seemed willing to run so we walked only during the first round and did the succeeding rounds just like the rest of his classmates. Odie did all the other exercises successfully, and even did very good demos of the place exercise! Not once did he lift his right hind leg while we were training. Oh, Odie. All in the name of being the demo dog.

I felt embarrassed to have appeared so paranoid based on my correspondence with Doc the night before. More than that, however, I felt really thankful that Odie is showing amazing signs of improvement! I'm also thankful for friends who comforted me last night, for telling me that Odie is a strong boy, a lot stronger than I think. I guess a bruise is nothing to a boy who just wants to play and train. I'm most thankful, of course, to Doc Marose for taking really good care of Odie, for understanding my immense panic, and for giving me peace of mind. Odie and I are so lucky to have the greatest friends (his titos and titas) and the most amazing vet.

I was loading the car with our stuff so I had to leave Odie inside the court for a bit. Whenever I came back inside, he just kept looking at me with a smile on his goofy face. Teacher was impressed that Odie didn't cry whenever I left him, a bonus point of happiness for me because I didn't even notice that he handles separation pretty well.

It was the best car ride home after class, especially because I was so relieved that Odie's injury didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought. I seriously considered getting him x-rayed and thought that we'd have to medicate him or put a cast on his leg. Upon reaching the house, I let Odie out of his crate and led him to his wire crate to rest.

On the way there, however, I felt a pull on the leash and when I looked at him, he had approached the stray cat that's been frequenting our house! He's been wanting to play with that cat and he finally had the chance to touch her, which the cat didn't take so well. I totally saw the cat give a harsh meow and a death stare! I pulled Odie away and took a while to recover from the shock.

I mean, ODIE, I CAN ONLY AFFORD ONE MISADVENTURE AT A TIME!