Saturday, September 28, 2013

Eco Warrior Art Contest




Title and theme: We are part of the Circle of Life.

Are you an Eco-Warrior? Open to amateur photographer or artist. Take a photo or create a painting about your pets as part of the great circle of life. The art work or photo must be 8.5 by 11 inches. For Photography, 8R will be accepted. Photos are allowed to be edited as long as they convey the relevant theme. Artworks can be in any flat medium (ex: watercolor, acrylic, gouche, color pencils, etc). Mixed media is also accepted. Contestants must bring their artwork on Oct. 6, 2013, 10am. Together with a short 3-10 sentence description printed on ½ bond paper. Winners will be announced at the end of the day through an on-the-spot voting process.
Best artworks will be featured in various pet blogs.

Prizes: Trophies plus sponsored items
1st Prize: 3,000.00 worth of sponsored items
2nd Prize: 2,000.00 worth of sponsored items
3rd Prize: 1,000.00 worth of sponsored items

Friday, September 20, 2013

Meditation With Your Rowdy Dog



Your pet is getting older and rowdier. There are times you question why the puppy-ness hasn’t grown out of your pooch yet. Sometimes, it feels like a battle at home with war-torn furniture and land mines thrown across the floor.

The solution should not be war or imprisonment. Your pet may be just having too much pent-up energy. Is your pet cooped up at home too much? Perhaps he or she does not have enough quality time with you. First of all, if your pet keeps running around, knocking things and people, try releasing their energy in the park. Let them run and play and basically, do the things they need to do that are ruining your house. If you have a cat with this behavior, perhaps they need some release in the garage for a supervised stroll then t the garden. (Maybe keep a leash on them in case they go crazy outside)

Still twitchy? Try to teach your pet mediation. Sit comfortably and calmly. You must be comfortable otherwise, they will feel the tense situation and this will not help. Calm yourself and sit on the floor nearly leveling with your pet. When they come near, pet them. Breathe in and out of long breaths while stroking them. Try to sit them in front of you. Look them in the eye if they permit it. You must project calm and serene thoughts. Your pooch or kitty will sit there as long as you do. Soon, they will find a comfy position. When things are calmed, you may end the session but maintain the calmness in you as you go about your tasks at home. Do this exercise five to ten minutes a day. You will notice a change in your pet. Don’t forget to give your pooch or kitty enough love and play. They have to release their energy before they meditate.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

The Accidental 1st Time Mommy



Baby Moon Model and now correspondent Pearl also known as "Tatat Roses" is now a new pet mom. She writes her experiences with her new baby Sora. One day, she hopes Sora will debut the Catwalk. Sora is a baby Yorkie.


Name of Pet: Sora Manshiro
Age: 6 months
Birthdate: March 5, 2013
Breed: Yorkshire Terrier
Mommy: Tatat Roses



The Beggining
Sora came to me at the most unexpected time in my life. I remember one night after dinner, my mom just suddenly announced that she wanted to buy this puppy she saw at Cartimar. My initial reaction was that of skepticism. "What, a puppy? Don't we have enough pets already?"  I didn't think it was the greatest idea, honestly. (I had always prided myself with the thought that I was the most logical in the family, and having a puppy was just not logical even if I'm a super dog person.) My mom's enthusiasm was contagious though, and not long after, my little sister was also keen on buying a puppy too. I just sort of let them do what they want as I continued to do my own business, they wouldn't listen to me anyway. I just thought, whether they buy one or not, I was already set on my decision about not being too involve in taking care of the puppy.
But how wrong was I.
One night, I arrived home tired and sleepy from a photoshoot. Upon opening the door, my mom had greeted me with a  meaningful smile. Ah, "it" was home, I thought. I lazily went to the kitchen to check on "it." Mom had put "it" in a basket lined with pillows, and upon peering down on the mass of dark brown and tan fur, I felt my heart constrict.
"It" looked so small, so precious, so furry, so adorable, so soft, so.... lovable that my mind literally went blank on the sight of... him. Logic? What Logic? Mine already flew out of our 38th floor window and right into EDSA.

Sora VS Logic
My sister named him Kuro, but my mom kept calling him Sora, which sort of confused everyone at the house. In the end we gave in to mom's wishes and called him Sora. He was black and Sora means sky in Japanese but hey, logic was out of the window remember?
Sora is a Yorkshire Terrier, and when we got him, he was just entering his third month. He's got this really lovely black fur that has turns  dark blue when light shines on it, and his paws, it has got to be my favorite part of him. He's got these adorable tiny paws that I just want to kiss and nibble on every night when he's sleeping. It was love at first sight. I erased my former decision, I was going to take care of this puppy to the best of my abilities.
It was hard being Sora's mommy. I had never taken care of a dog before in my life. There were so many things I had to understand about him. There were so many things that I needed to teach him. There were so many things he needed to teach me. (And up to now I'm honestly still learning.)
Middle: Handling Sora
Most of the time I'd find myself searching in Google for tips and tricks in handling my baby. Sometimes I'd search just for the heck of it, from serious stuff like "yorkie seizures and dehydration" to the silliest things as "Can yorkies eat carrots?" It really does help, especially those yorkie forums. 
Sometimes I'd find myself awake at 3 am and staring at Sora while he's sleeping, just to make sure he was breathing and okay. For the first few days of him living with us, I would put him to sleep in my lap first and then transfer him to his basket once he's knocked out, but as the days progressed he would wake up in the middle of the night and cry. That's when I tried to let him sleep beside me on my bed whenever I sleep in my sister's room. That way, he can cuddle against me when he feels lonely. Maybe that formed the bond between us, because I was the one who was always with him when he needed a mother figure. Up to this day he will always go and sleep beside me when I sleep in my sister's room. It's one of the things that comes automatically for both of us.
Training him to poop and pee in proper places was really difficult because we didn't exactly know how to deal with it. We live in a condominium therefore no outside space where he can run and do his business. We tried the newspaper thing but Sora didn't like peeing on newspapers. He prefers two spots in our home, the carpets and the entrance to my room. We just try to be careful walking in those places especially at night. I'm just glad he doesn't really pee on the couches or beds... right?
Feeding him was easy at the start because the breeder gave us dog food to feed him for the first few weeks. He was okay eating it and I made sure to schedule his feeding time to condition him. However, he got tired of the dog food and wouldn't even go near it anymore, which was a major dilemma for me. After countless Google searches for dog food alternatives, I came up with a list of vegetables and meat that would be good for Sora. He actually didn't mind the new food, and he really loved fruits. He developed a fondness for bananas but I only let him have one now and then since I like to feed him sweet things in moderation. As for the milk, I give it to him sometimes after I learned that he's not lactose intolerant. I also make sure that he drinks his water everytime I arrive home from school. (Sora can be very hyper and often forget to drink.)
The only issue I have with Sora is his excessive chewing on almost everything. Ever since he entered his teething stage, he has become very fond of gnawing on everything he can get his tiny teeth on: hands, feet, wallpaper, expensive shoes, flower decorations, books, plastics, papers, cockroaches and chairs. He has already destroyed my laptop charger three times. Disciplining him proved difficult because he always thinks I'm playing. I've become very strict with him now since his teething problems persist even when I have sought advice from my fellow dog owners. 

The not ending part
Ever since Sora entered my life, I have come to realize that being a dog mommy or daddy is no child's play at all. It's not as easy at it looks. You'll really have to invest time, energy and money. People who think that having a dog will be easy because "you only have to feed it and take it for a walk" should think twice about what they're actually getting into. Dogs, as I've learned, aren't play things. They have feelings, they are very temperamental and they require a lot of understanding and patience and love.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Mall Time!



Malling with a furry baby is no walk in the park. Imagine you having rowdy children with teeth. Now, give caffeine to said babies with teeth and you have a disaster waiting to happen.
But that mustn’t discourage you from bringing your dogs to the mall. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Preparation is the key to a successful outing. Here are helpful pet preparedness tips and preparation for a wonderful mall outing. Remember, your pets trust you to give them a meaningful experience. Going to the mall should be a milestone instead of a millstone.

Preparation Kit

  • Mommies always have diaper bags. Pooches need a bag of their own too. If you are going out to public places, you’ll never know what you need. These are the basics:
  •   Treats to bribe or reward pooch.
  •  Extra diapers (for the pooch who are trained to wear diapers)
  • Towel to wipe saliva, etc.
  • Mini blanket in case it gets too cold in the mall. This blanket can also act as a picnic mat if you don’t want your dog to lie down on the floor.
  •  Portable Water dispenser and clean water
  • Food bowl in case they get hungry (warning, do not feed too much. Your dog may regurgitate or poop due to stress or travel sickness.)
  • Wet Tissue or Baby Wipes
  • Poopie Kit in case of accidents
  • Plastic bag in case there is no place to throw poopie.
  • Brush or comb (Always look good!)
  • A fan in case it gets too hot


Murphy and Pooch
Let’s face it, when it comes to dogs, Murphy’s law follows. Things can go wrong because a lot of things can stress a dog especially in public places. So, as pet parent, you must prepare for the worse. There may be stress factors for you and for your pet lurking around the corner.

  • First and foremost, do your research. Are pets allowed in this mall?
  • If they are allowed, know that there are rules. Some malls require your pooches to be in a carrier or in a stroller.
  • Make sure your pooch is properly protected with updated shots and anti-parasites. Dust a layer of anti-flea before you leave the house just in case. Bring what’s necessary: Your pooch bag, leash, collar, med records if required.
  • If your pet is getting stresses, go to a quiet place
  • If it gets too cold, bring your pet outside
  • There might be other pets around. Make sure your pet is properly leashed in case they lunge after other pets.
  • Pooch might make an “accident” on the floor. Make sure your practice pettiquette and pick up after them.
  • Stranger danger! Some people may or may not have malicious intent. Watch your pet at all times.
  • People might get stressed over dogs. Keep your dog close and do not let him or her wander around and sniff at people. Said people may not like it or they may have allergies.


Time’s a Ticking
Just like children, dogs get stresses and tired easily. You might want to go malling for four or six hours but your pooch will raise a white flag after two or three. Let’s face it, no matter how friendly your pooch is, malls will eventually stress them. Too much people, too much noise and too much distraction can only be taken in small doses. They will whine and make things difficult for you because they want you to know that they want to go home now. Make every mall experience fun so that your pet would want to come again and again. A stressful experience may build trauma and malling will be trial instead of a fun-filled experience. 

Have a great Mall Time!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Introducing Children to Pets

When should you start introducing your children to pets?
Children and animals can mix but a lot of supervision should take place. Introducing your children to pets starts early. The moment they comprehend pets and their role, start showing them animals from birds, fish, cats and dogs. Make sure child and pet do not cry. The moment, they do, calmly bring the child to the side and calm the child.

Why should you introduce your children to pets?
Believe it or not, you should socialize your child. If you don't, he or she will "freak-out" at the site of dogs/cats when they grow up.

How should you introduce your children to pets?
Make sure you orchestrate the first time they socialize. You have to make sure children and animals don't go wild on each other. Both parties must not get stressed. The pet you introduce the children to must be tame and well socialized. Tell you child what a pet's role is in your family. Let them meet and slowly let the child go nearer and nearer until they can touch. Congratulate both parties when they have fun.

Blog Description

This is a blog on pet fashion, lifestyle and the changing pet trends in the Philippines.