We May Be Far, But Our Hearts are with All of You

We know we haven't been around--through your joys and pains; through your new discoveries and new friends.

We pray that all of you had a wonderful Christmas.

Thank you for an amazing 2015.

2016 will be different, we swear. Haopee is just too PREOCCUPIED.

God bless everyone.

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The Days Have Gone...

There are a lot of times I've attempted to come back to blogging. After all, it's because of my typing craziness that I've met wonderful people like all of you. And some of you already address me by my first name... 

This isn't me, but I still have a thing for anonymity.

The truth is... priorities have changed so drastically that I'm not sure if I could keep up with you guys. And it's just not fair that you visit our blog and leave nice comments while we haven't done the same.

Even Baby Girl feels neglected at times...

On the bright side, the dogs do get more attention than they used to... I don't take as many pictures, but I do see them on a daily basis. 

Walkies in the morning are so exhausting...

So my friends, thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I will try to get back to blogging starting today.

Huggies and Cheese,

Haopee

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Rommel & Badgi: A Tale of True Friendship Between a Filipino Boy and his Dog.

Dear Friends,

I know I have not been actively participating on keeping with your blogs. For this, I am truly sorry.

To be honest, I only check my email to see what Anne usually sends us for POTPs and friends that have pass through Rainbow Bridge.

However, sometimes, there are just stories that are worth telling, and this is one of them.

Rommel & Badgi's story is a bittersweet one. Rommel's father eloped with a housemaid while his mother left them for her drunkard boyfriend. His company is his pet dog named "Badgi". 

According to him, Badgi protects him from Rugby boys (boys who take his money just to pay for an addictive inhalant like Rugby).

Sometimes, we tend to disregard the good things we have in life... Food, shelter--enough money to pay the vet... This kind of story reminds us how blessed we are.

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3 Ways Your Dog's Social Life is Better Than Yours (Guest Post)

Yes... the busy minutes and hours just keep piling up. Even Chooey is demanding more time from me. I'm really sorry, my friends. I want to be a lot of things right now, and it's forcing me to put blogging at a low priority scale. This guest post itself should've been up last week because it's funny--and let's face it, it's the truth!

This amazing post was brought to us by Amber Kingsley. She's a writer, travel junkie, coffee addict and an animal lover as well. 

By William Wallace Denslow [Public domain]
 via Wikimedia Commons

We have a little, black dog, a Cairn Terrier named Kady, who looks exactly like Toto from The Wizard of Oz. I can say without a shadow of doubt, that she has a much better social life than I do, mainly because of her demeanor. Like Toto, this dog believes she is famous, that everyone and everything put on this planet is here for her enjoyment.

This dog has no fear and barks at nothing and no one. When walking with her in the evenings, upon seeing other humans with their dogs, she quickly and happily approaches them. She often gets so excited, she simply runs around in circles out of pure joy. When the doorbell rings, it is not a package delivery for us, in her mind, it is a messenger sent specifically to her for love and attention. She’s quite the little package herself.

If Kady had opposable thumbs, was a little bit taller, I’d swear she’d be on social media. As pack animals in the wild, dogs are actually very social creatures. That being said, here’s three reasons why your dog’s social life is probably better than yours:

#1 - The Meet and Greet

As humans, we usually shake hands when meeting, or there’s always the “high-five” or “fist-bump” used as our interactive way of greeting each other. As we all know, dogs get right down to business and go in for the intimate sniff of the private parts. According to the Huffington Post, sniffing each other’s rear end is more complicated than one might imagine.

Nice too me you, human.

We’re all well aware that a dog’s sense of smell is highly magnified compared to ours, and this unusual greeting can actually tell one canine the emotional state, gender, diet and other information about the dog they are greeting. If you think about it, that’s a lot of information from a quick sniff. It’s one of the many examples of chemical communication that can be found in the animal kingdom that we don’t possess as mere humans.

#2 - Perception and Companionship

Ever had a really bad day, perhaps you’re upset or depressed about something and you don’t really want to talk about it or share your feelings? But you decide to put on a happy face and go hang out with your friends anyway. Most of the time you’ll get away with this charade around your friends and family, but not with your dog.

If you're depressed, I can pretend to be depressed,too. Just to make you feel better...

A study from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, found that dogs can sense feelings of happiness and sadness in their human companions. Many dog owners believe their canines can understand them on a deeper level and this research only confirms what pet parents have suspected for many years. Dogs instinctively know when we are happy and get excited right along with us. Then can sense when we are sad and cuddle up next to us for love and support.

#3 - More Facebook Friends?

Earlier I suggested that if my dog could type, she’d be on social media. It turns out that pet parents that post profiles for their animals online have a surprising number of followers. An infographic called “Savvy Social Critters,” shows us that 14% of dog owners maintain a Facebook page for their pet.

Yeah, this pretty much proves that this fact. They get more cards than we humans do.

Of those animals with an internet presence, 42% of them have between one and twenty-five friends and 20% gain an audience of fifty to one hundred followers. These socials stats also report 27% of dogs have their own YouTube page and 6% are active on Twitter. Although the average number of followers on Facebook is around two-hundred, I know many people who only have a few dozen internet connections.

Even though they have a better sense of smell, know what we’re feeling and might have more online connections than we do, they are still our beloved pets and we’d do almost anything to keep them healthy, happy and safe.

Oh, and one more thing: If you guy's haven't visited Sue and Steve yet, please do. Your kind words and comments on Taiko's passing will mean a lot to the WDA.

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Doggy-gram: Dog Telegrams

Telegram from Haopee

To my dearest and ever-understanding bloggy friends.
Stop.

Life's picking up.
Stop. 

Chooey and the pack have my hands full.
Stop. 

Chooey and Baby Girl resumed rigorous tricks and treat training.
Stop.

NOT HOUSEBREAKING!

Puppy Brown and Asti have a new best friend--who isn't me.
Stop.

Asti's A Smiling

Need another living, breathing Haopee to split the jobs.
Stop.

Telegram from Chooey

Dear Bloggy Friends,
Stop.

We need to report a case of neglect.
Stop.

Haopee is busy with offline work.
Stop. 

Dogs are the best travel companions!

She's missing out on keeping up correspondences with you.
Stop. 

She's learning Japanese when she should be learning Doginese.
Stop. 

Japanese Kakana Characters with her Daily Corgi Fix

We need tender love and affection.
Stop.

We demand treat support and lots of cuddles.
Stop. 

Please help us tell Haopee she's being irresponsible.
Stop. 

She will be put in puppy prison if she fails to meet our demands.
Stop.  

Her undivided attention belongs to us.
Stop. 

ONLY US.
Stop.

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Summer and Dog Powered-Scooters

So, summer is coming...

Pigeons are EVIL!

Anyway, I don't have much to say. Summer is here. The dogs are sporting their summer look, an almost-bald haircut with ears that look like pony-tailed hair.

Our little Peke is all smiles. 

Also, I wanted to share this picture of dog-powered scooters. It gave me a good morning laugh.

Courtesy of Mark Schuette. He's the owner of the Dog Powered Scooter website.

Check out the video above. The genius dog-centric invention was featured in CNN.

Disclaimer: This isn't a paid/sponsored post. I simply believe in its awesomeness. Oh, and I had a blast scanning through their pictures, so I'm sharing them with you. 

Besides, who doesn't dream of making their own little dog sled team. And I quote, Mark further adds, "even the little ones can do it!"

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Puppy Brown's Castration: Our Experience, Our Understanding, and Our Decision

The Funny...

I finally took the time to contact Dr. M for our neutering schedule. Officially, the medical term used for the surgical procedure of removing the dog's testicles is castration.

Puppy Brown resting at the vetties...Ready to go home.

Poor Puppy Brown must have felt the heavy loss of his balls because he came home like this.

"You stole my balls," says Puppy Brown with a vengeful glare.

This is probably the after-effect of the anesthesia given to him while his little boy part was incised to remove the you-know-what. The poor little guy hung his head like an injured soldier.

In this procedure, Dr. M did three tiny stitches to close the exit point.

Our next visit is due on the 21st to have the stitches removed. Hopefully, within that said period, the antibiotics and Betadine will do its charm on keeping him infection-free.

The Serious...

First of all, it's not as bad as it sounds. I know there are still dog lovers out there who don't understand why my purebred dogs don't get bred.

My answer is simple: I don't believe it's necessary. I used to think it was a great money-making scheme. Then, I got myself educated and realized that I'd be a hypocrite if I said I would be a good breeder and dog-lover if my purpose was to mainly earn from it.

Even though we've been bringing him to the vet constantly, changing his diet to our best capacity, and providing him with all his physical needs, we still lost him to a condition we still don't understand.

Also, given Buchi's history, I'd be damned if I allowed his hereditary issues to transfer from one generation to another.

A lot of people are saying, "Sayang" which means "It's such a waste."

I beg to differ. Puppy Brown lives with Asti. All our female dogs are intact and I want to keep them that way for now. Perhaps my main reason for choosing to have him castrated was convenience, but I would rather be safe than sorry.  Raising puppies to dogs--ensuring they're well taken care of--is  a big responsibility. I don't want to end up with puppies whose futures aren't secure. 

To Neuter or not to Neuter...

Victoria Stilwell discusses facts about spaying and neutering...

In contradiction to neutering and spaying, I also want to share this video from Dr. Karen Becker to keep people informed of both sides...

Bottom line, whatever you choose, don't just choose for yourself--for your convenience, but also for the betterment of your dog. Research on neutering, spaying, and castration.

As for this pack, those balls have to go.

"But I love every part of me," says my cute little Shih Tzu boy.

You'll be better off without them, sweety.

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Happy New Year to All Our Bloggy Friends

We know we haven't had that much time to blog.

2014 was a whirlwind of chores, new responsibilities, and out-of-this world experiences

We, the pack and I, would like to thank our online and offline friends.

Somepuppy fears the loud boom-boom of fireworks.

Because of this blog, we've found wonderful cat & dog people...

Because of this blog, we've helped a few people having dog-related problems...

Because of this blog, we've added funny Asti to our family.

Twinpuppy (Puppy-looking girl dog) is his complete opposite. She's not afraid of the fireworks.

We are definitely very, very, very thankful.

Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Palawan Horses and Haopee's True Identity

This is Mitras Ranch in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

Most tourists  pay their handlers 100 php to ride the horse and have their pictures taken with them.

Instead of watching them from afar, Haopee decided to approach the friendly horses....

And for what, you may ask?

To observe? Nope!

To touch them? Nope!

To be friends with them? Nope!

To have her selfie taken with the mother horse?

.

.

.

.

What? You mean, after all these years of keeping her identity a secret, she's finally posting a picture of her?!?

Nope... just kidding!

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Almost Wordless Wednesday: Chillin' Cats

Haopee is off to Palawan again. She has an important appointment with some big shot called Kat-san. That's the tabby's photo taken at the bottom.

Not this cat! This cat lives in Subic, Olongapo.

Yeah, we were talking about this cat. He's the yellow tabby lounging on the purple plushie! According to the hotel staff, this dude (or dudette) is their mascot (and unpaid staff member, if you ask me!).

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Run Free, Buchi!

Dear Friends,

These past days (and weeks), I have been busy tending to Buchi's health needs.  It has taken so much of my time that I didn't have time to blog. To put it more simply, wound creams turn into lotions because Buchi's skin breaks out into lesions with the lightest touch.

Believe it or not, this is one of his "normal" days. This picture was taken last September 29, 2014. 

Since last year,  Buchi has been battling an ailment we still don't understand. There were days he was completely healthy, and there were days that he was in terrible shape. At first, it was mange, Then, there was bacterial infection. Then, his eyes were too dry because of the bi-monthly Ivermectin shots the vet gave him.

Taken last October 8, 2014. He became excessively oily and smelly, but it was a normal episode in our household. We were waiting for a next vet visit since it was just a couple of days later.  It was a typical cycle for him to become worse, then real better, then worse, then better.

Last month, I was so happy to tell the vet that we hadn't dealt with any oily or smelly conditions for an entire month. The vet was relieved that she told us that we could go a month without having the shot. 

Our relief was however short-lived.

This month, Buchi was getting thinner, even when he was eating so well. Then, these past three days, he lost his appetite, and I was hoping that it was simply an upset stomach for all the licking--which is also normal. 

Today, we were planning to give our vet a visit, but he decided to take an earlier flight to the rainbow bridge.

This picture was taken last August 23, 2014. Run Free, Buchi! No more itchies and oily skin for you.

I'm really sorry I haven't visited anyone's blog recently. Buchi has been an integral part of my life that somehow, it felt right that I spent most of my time with him.

Thank you so much for your caring and understanding. 

Sincerely,

Haopee and the My Dogs Love Me Pack

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Feeling Blessed: Dog Food and Schnauzer Parcel

We Got a Schnauzer Package!

We got a package from our dear friend, Magic. It was real sweet of Magic and her mom to include Asti in their letter. The squeaking duck is driving them crazy, by the way.

Thanks Magic and Mom L from Life in the Doghouse for the wonderful presents.

We got ourselves a nice schnauzer schnauzer pin and keychain. We even have a schnauzer pad to match the pretty pins. Now, I feel like a bonafide schnauzer fan! HAHAHA

Switching Shih Tzu Diets

I did mention about changing Buchi's diet. 

Two weeks ago, we started him on Eagle Pro. So far, he's responded positively to it. He's more active. As for the skin condition, it didn't seem to get worse--neither did it get better.

However, we also had him groomed, so it may be a major factor as to why he looks better these days.

Eagle Pro Original Herring for Buchi, Micodine Anti-Fungal Shampoo for Asti,  Le Salon Groomer's Scissors for Chooey 

After talking to Dr. MSB about Eagle Pro, she suggested we give Lamb and Rice a try because Eagle Pro's main ingredient is fish. It could worsen his skin condition.

Eagle Pro's Original Herring's ingredients include:

Herring, White Fish Meal, Pork Meal, Pure Pearled Barley, Brown Rice, Natural Fish Oil (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Flaxseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, Avocado Oil, Green Peas, Cranberries, Blueberries, Tomatoes, Carrots, Kelp, Alfalfa, Glucosamine, Parsley Leaf, Chondroitin, Rosemary Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Lecithin, Choline Chloride

So, for the next two weeks, we will be trying Holistic Recipe, whose main ingredient include Lamb Meal, Brown Rice, Barley, and Ground Corn (shoot, I didn't notice the corn before!).

Here's an excerpt from a letter sent by the company that makes Holistic in response to the green tea in dog food concern.

Holistic Recipe is one of the best Lamb & Rice formulas for dogs. It contains lamb as the only animal protein source and excludes the possible allergens for dogs, such as beef, egg, fish, wheat, corn, etc. Besides, it's naturally preserved with vitamin E & C, not to mention the anit-free-radicals function from green tea. 

What do you think, guys? Which is better between the two?

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Busy, Busy, Busy. Busy Little Shih Tzu

Dear Bloggy Friends,

So sorry for not having visited your blogs recently. I was so tired last night that I fell asleep before posting our supposed comeback update.

Ironically speaking, I was just about to post another picture of some cute shih tzu sleeping.

For the last six or so seven hours, the computer has been stuck with a blank template, hoping I'd wake up in the middle of the night to finally put something in this blog.

P.S. I have learned only recently of Whisky's passing. For those who do not know their pack, the Furries of Whisppy are just amazing friends. Whisky has always brought smiles to me and my nieces. Please find some time to visit their blog if you haven't yet.

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Blogging Break

So we've finally decided to take a blogging break because of the stuff going on here.

We have a new family member who we will talk about once everything is set for her adoption.

We've made a boo-boo that Google decided to punish us for it. We do hope that Mr. Google. will forgive us someday and return our hard-earned blogging reputation. I will recheck all the links posted in this blog. Hopefully, I can successfully sweep all the evil ones and finally put them in a dust bin where they belong.

In the mean time, I've added the Word Verification in our comments because it's quite a challenge to delete all 1000+++ comments a day.

We will be back by May. We will miss you, dear Bloggy Friends. Please do not abandon us. I can still be contacted through email. For those who have sent us comforting words during Whitey's passing, thank you so much.

P.S. I will be working on a new look for MyDogsLove.Me, so don't be surprised if you'll find changes in the way it looks.

Huggies and Cheese (like in the old days),

Haopee and the Pack

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Happy New Year, Everyone!

We would like to greet everyone a Happy New Year!

May we all have a great year ahead of us.

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Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas, Maligayang Pasko

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Dog, Cat, Bird, Turtle, Rodent and Pet-Lovers everywhere in the world.

I'd like to thank everyone who has been a part of our lives this 2013. We have smiled, laughed and cried with you- through thick and thin. We may have been busy with other things, but you are always in our mind.

Hopefully, 2014 will be different for MyDogsLove.Me. We hope to visit as many blogs as possible to get to know others in the bloggy community.

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Blogging for Dogs

Inform... Support... Donate... Volunteer... Adopt

I am blessed. I have met fellow dog enthusiasts after putting up this blog. I truly appreciate the people who have visited us and shared with us their experiences with their dogs. Once again, thank you.

Meet the Mastermind!

A Purpose... 

The purpose of this dog blog is to disperse information. My aim was to inform both International and Filipino dog lovers that there's more to loving our dogs.

The Pack...

Having a pack of 9 dogs is no walk in the park. We have taken strays before and we've experienced hard times juggling finances and providing them with adequate physical care, proper structure and mental stimulation.

The Messages I've Received....

There are days that I am quite taken aback by some of the emails I receive. Some of them are from people who share their problems with their dogs, others tend to ask me where my pet store is and there are also others who ask me if I sell puppies.

Pro-Adoption....

I have always made it clear that I am pro-adoption and I hope that people will someday take the initiative to visit their respected shelters (and pounds) to find an adoptable dog candidate.

Expectations...

If you ask me medical advice, I will do my best to share my knowledge about it. However, nothing will ever beat bringing your dog to the vet for a check-up.

If you ask me about adoption, I will try to locate a shelter. However, please do not expect me to give you a purebred dog or any dog for that matter.

If you ask me about pet items, please be informed that I do not own a pet supplies store. However, I've dreamed of putting up one in the future. It'll hopefully give me a chance to interact and share my knowledge and experiences to fellow pet owners.

If you ask me about dog behavioral issues, I will try to provide you with possible solutions. However, please don't expect me to be Cesar Millan or Victoria Stilwell.

Hopes and Dreams...

Whether it is an excuse or not, I admit that my resources are limited. I might not be able to do large scale rescues, take action on an email asking me to rescue a puppy or volunteer my time in a shelter, but I want to help in ways I am capable of.

For now, it'll certainly involve blogging and information assistance..

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Chooey Congratulates the 2013 Graduates

Happy Friday, everyone. 

We just got home from my nieces' back to back graduation celebration- one was in elementary while the other was in high school.

In behalf of the MyDogsLove.Me pack, Chooey would like to congratulate all the 2013 graduates. May you have a life filled with educational fun and adventures ahead of you.

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Power of Paw for PJ

Dear Friends,

We haven't blogged for the entire week due to my 5-day seminar. And that's not all that happened. I came home to hear that they brought PJ to the vet hospital. He tested positive for the Parvo virus.

Please pray for PJ's recovery. Today is his 4th day in the vet clinic. And so far, we haven't got "THE CALL". We visited yesterday and the vet said it was good that he was sitting already. He's survived the first 24 hours which is good too. He's still not eating but he's dextrosed.

I have pictures of him but it just breaks my heart to see him so weak.

Haopee

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What Puppies Do...

That's simple... puppies play, feed, look cute and walk clumsily. I forgot to mention they poop and still look cute.

Update: I haven't done much blogging due to the busy schedule. I would like to thank everyone who have left me messages. I am hoping to have everyone vaccinated this month. Having 10 dogs to tend to is no easy business. Both adult and youngins are due for their vaccination except for Chooey.

Good news!I have found a cheap neutering and spaying program in our locality. I also asked permission from the real dog owners (my sister and BIL) if it were okay to have Whitey and the pups neutered (and Chooey and Rin spayed) and they said yes ^___^. But I  can't risk doing it along with the vaccination. I also read that spaying/ neutering should take place just before the 5th-6th month. I plan to finish the vaccination first... then we go Coney Island ^___^.

Puppies... wow, they're cute. They're clumsy and cute. I just had to share our puppy adventures.

WHAT DO PUPPIES DO....

1. Puppies eat.

Puppies eat... in some of the laziest positions.

More often than not, they exhibit "dog pack"sharing behaviors while eating... or maybe the other one has fallen asleep.

2. Puppies play.

Puppies play with toys you let them play with. Sometimes, you catch a glimpse of serenity amidst the puppy chaos. As you could see, Timothy the Turtle is still alive!

Other times, puppies play with something they're not suppose to play with. *Cough... whose slippers are those?!?

3. Puppies are innately curious.

Cherish the days a dog looks at your camera innocently because someday, you'll never get opportunities like these.

4. Puppies are smart!

Beneath that puppy facade is a cunning, sleuthing, super genius canine. So beware the days following their first "sit" trick!

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