Playful Puppy (Video)

Scruffy's enjoying his pink ball!  He moves a lot and fast.  I had a hard time following with the camera.  LOL!

Scruffy Playing Tug-of-War (Video)

Here's another of Scruffy's playful video!  Watch out for more!

Playing Puppy (Video)

Scruffy's crazily playing by himself!

Puppy Playing: Scruffy & His Fave Hat (Video)

Scruffy loves playing with my cousin and her friend, Julie!

Sleeping Puppy 2: Scruffy @ 12 Weeks (Video)

So irresistible!  Funny how he ignored me and how he jumped up when he heard the door. :-)

Sleeping Puppy: Scruffy @ 12 Weeks (Video)

I cannot resist Scruffy's cuteness!  I have to bother him in his sleep.  :-)

Scruffy at 8 Weeks (Video)

 

Scruffy loves running on the field!  He looked so tiny five months ago.  :-)

Scruffy Ate My Class Notes...

"My dog ate my homework!" 

We often hear this phrase as a lame excuse for students who did not finish their homework on time.  It is one of the most common and ineffective excuse for students to let teachers extend homework deadlines.  However, this saying seem surreal until Scruffy did it.

As Scruffy learns new things, we are careful not to leave our things unattended, especially on places that he can easily reach.  Although, Scruffy can sometimes be very resourceful.
 

 

My cousin did not think that Scruffy will pull her notes out from her binder and snack on it.  She woke me up with the few pieces of paper left on her hand.

 

I tried putting back the pieces together but Scruffy already swallowed a large chunk of her notes.  She ended up getting a new copy.  Naughty li'l pup!

Related Posts:   

 What's with the shoe? 

Scruffy's Treat Ball

Scruffy "NO!"

   

              

Dog Sitting: First Few Nights

Meet Cloud, a two month old Siberian Husky who will be staying with us for a few months.  Under an unfortunate circumstance, his owners needed to temporarily send Cloud away until they find a pet friendly apartment. 

I was very excited that Scruffy will finally have a play mate, or so I thought.

Last Saturday, Cloud arrived with his owner.  Scruffy and I met them at the front lawn.  As soon as his owner let him loose, Cloud excitedly ran towards me and started jumping and licking.  I was carrying Scruffy since I did not put his leash on.  To my surprise, Scruffy reacted violently towards Cloud.  He furiously growled, barked, and showed his fangs.  It might be a manifestation of Scruffy being territorial and he might have felt threatened when Cloud ran and jump towards us as well.   

We were worried that they will not get along well.  Cloud does not have an alternative place to stay.  So, his owner decided to stay for the night to help Cloud adopt to his new home.  We spent hours trying to calm Scruffy down.  Although Scruffy and Cloud were in separate pens, Scruffy gets really upset with Cloud's every move, even when Cloud was just sleeping.

The first night was fine since Cloud's owner slept next to his pen.  However, the night his owner left, chaos began.  Cloud whined and cried for hours.  We thought he will eventually get tired and fall asleep.  Unfortunately, we were wrong.  Cloud just cried louder and longer, and became more motivated to get out of his pen, which he eventually did.    

Getting out of his pen was not as horrifying as what he did next.  My uncle went down stairs to check on Scruffy and Cloud.  He did not expect to see Cloud running around the house, chewing on plants and curtains, and worse, made the kitchen his big potty area.  The next thing he knew, he was chasing Cloud around the house at midnight.

When morning came, it was a totally different story!  All I can say is that I have not woken up in a morning of total chaos. :-p

Stay tuned for more of Cloud and Scruffy's "misadventures!"

Don't forget to click the pictures!

Scruffy @ Lazy Dog Cafe

Sit, Stay, Play...

Three common commands we first teach our dogs.  But for The Lazy Dog Cafe, these three words are use to define its business and identify with its customers.

Since Scruffy became part of the family, we cannot help not to include him in our plans, especially when it requires traveling.  We started thinking of what places are dog friendly.  Somehow, we wanted to bring Scruffy everywhere we go.  Well, at least that is how I feel.  I am always excited to bring him to new places and observe how he reacts in different environments. 

There are very few places that allow dogs, especially restaurants.  Fortunately, we do not have to go far.

The Lazy Dog Cafe located at West Katella Ave. in Orange, CA has an open and dog friendly patio.  The place gives a cozy feeling.  You can choose to sit on tables or around the bonfire.  For customers who are uncomfortable dining with pets, they can choose to have their meal indoors.  Friendly staff and walls full of pictures of cute dogs will welcome you as you enter the restaurant.  

It was the first time we brought Scruffy in a restaurant.  Naturally, he was excited as soon as he got out of the car.  I guess the smell of good food and other dogs hyped him up.  While waiting for our orders, one of the staff gave Scruffy a bowl of ice water.  It was a hot summer day, Scruffy just gulped the ice cold water and happily chewed the chunks of ice.  We wanted him to eat with us, so we brought him his own food.  Of course, it only took him seconds to finish his favorite food.

While Scruffy fits perfectly under our table, walking and sniffing in between our legs, there was a four month old Labrador whining and pulling, desperately trying to go and play with Scruffy.  After spilling his bowl of water twice, the owner approached our table and ask if it is okay for his dog to get near Scruffy.  Definitely, we said yes.  Scruffy was excited too.  Scruffy and the labrador were the same age, but the labrador was ten times bigger and stronger than Scruffy.  We were apprehensive that the labrador can easily attack Scruffy.  But, the it was friendly and they both enjoyed sniffing each other.        

It was a great dinning experience with Scruffy!  Scruffy was not too bad except from the occasional whining and begging.  Other than that, he was busy surveying the surroundings.  I hope there will be more dog friendly restaurants.  It was a challenge having Scruffy tag along, but it was definitely fun!

Check out Scruffy's video on the way home!  

   
         

Head Count!

Scruffy is officially a registered Orange County resident!

Soon after Scruffy completed his rabies shots and was neutered, we applied for pet licensing.  This is one of the things that is new to me since it is not a common practice in the Philippines.   

I thought of the reasons why pets need to be licensed, and animal census comes off the top of my head.  But, I was curious as to what other reasons there might be.  So, I did a little research and came across these two websites:  OC Animal Care and  foundanimals.org.

The OC Animal Care website is Orange County's official website that provides necessary information on animal care such as pet licensing, pet adoption, lost and found pets, etc.  It stated that pet licensing provides data to support investigation that helps prevent animal cruelty, neglect, abandonment, and dog bites, and it also indicates dog ownership.  

You can choose to license your pets online or by mailing the application form to OC Animal Care Department.  Since we got Scruffy's application form from the Orange Pet Care Center, we just decided to mail the form and payment to the department.  When applying for your pet's license, you need to send a copy of certificate or proof that your pet has completed its rabies vaccination.  Your vet can provide this copy for you.  The licensing fee depends on your pet's age and whether your pet has been neutered or spayed.  For a complete licensing fee schedule, please visit the website.

Since Scruffy was only five months old and was already neutered when we applied, the licensing fee was only twenty four dollars.  We received a dog tag that has Scruffy's permanent identification number engraved on it.  The license needs to be renewed every year.

The foundanimals.org on the other hand, is a privately funded animal foundation in Los Angeles that aims to find alternatives to stop animal euthanasia.  The website provides a more detailed explanation and benefits of pet licensing, and answers questions such as what are the consequences of not licensing your pets, do pets with microchip still need to be licensed, etc.

Scruffy looks more handsome with his new dog collar and tag, and does not look like a stray dog anymore!         

Sayonara! Cone of Shame.

Scruffy wore the cone for two weeks, just to make sure he will not lick the area and delay the healing process.  It has been difficult for him to move around with the cone on his head.  I sometimes found him pulling the cone off his head out of frustration, especially if he is trying to hold the bone with his front legs.  

Finally, Scruffy's long wait is over!  Last weekend, I brought Scruffy to the vet for post operation check up and suture removal.

Random Pics

Please click the pictures for better viewing!

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What are you looking at!?

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Chew...Chew...Chew...

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Lovin' your hair...

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New Toys!

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First Meal

Funky Sleeping Positions

Please click the picks for better viewing! :-)

Scruffy's Treat Ball - Video

Scruffy likes chewing on basically everything that it became troublesome.  So, my aunt bought him a treat ball to keep him preoccupied for a while, or so we thought.

Since we put his favorite meat treat, Scruffy was so excited to get the treat out of the ball, he played with it for an hour or so.  However, the treat ball's charm only lasted for a night.  The next thing we know, he is back on chewing our flip flops and toes.  

Check out the video!    

Related Posts

• What's with the Shoe?
• Scruffy "No!"

Scruffy's Pre and Post-Operative (Neutering) Care

For first time dog owners, neutering is a great learning experience towards becoming a more responsible dog owner.  I did not know that dogs (or cats), need to have proper care after neutering.  Somehow, I had the idea that unlike humans, dogs/cats can easily heal or recover naturally because of their unique physiology.    

Here are some things we did before and after Scruffy's surgery.  These are only a reference based on my personal experiences with taking care of Scruffy.  Always consult your veterinarian. 

Post-Operation Surprise!

I mentioned on my previous post, "Scruffy's Big Step," we took Scruffy to the vet for neutering.  As soon as we arrived at the clinic on Thursday morning, the assistants immediately prepared him for surgery.  After a few hours, we received a phone call from the clinic informing us that the surgery was over.

Scruffy spent the night at the clinic to rest and recover from the surgery.  We cannot help not to wonder how Scruffy will be when we pick him up the next morning.  We thought that maybe he will be less energetic and playful, and probably sleeping a lot.  But to our surprise, coming out of the treatment room, he was pulling the leash, eagerly trying to sniff and lick our toes.  He was jumping up and down with excitement, and happily wagging his tail, as if nothing happened.

Scruffy's Big Step

Scruffy's "hotel room."

For Scruffy, today is just an ordinary day.  But for us, today marks the day that Scruffy becomes an "adult."  LOL!

We brought him at the Orange Pet Care for neutering.  Scruffy has always been excited to go out of the house, especially riding a car.  When we arrived at the vet clinic, Scruffy was very reluctant to go inside.  I was dragging him in.  Once we got inside, I can tell he was nervous.  He kept whining and jumping, wanting to be carried.  He was uneasy, he kept sniffing and peeing.  I think every time we bring him to the clinic, he only remembers getting painful injections.  

A Walk "Too" Far

At Santa Ana River Trail

A few weeks ago, my aunt and I went for a walk in the Santa Ana River Trail and decided to bring Scruffy along.  Aside from the morning walks inside the community park trail, Scruffy have not yet experienced walking on a longer and rougher trail.

The Santa Ana River Trail is a propose 110 mile trail that stretches from Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains, to Santa Ana River at the Pacific Ocean, and passes through the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange.  It caters to bikers, equestrians, runners, hikers and families' recreational needs. 

Scruffy "No!"

"No!"-- Have you ever wondered how often do you say the word "no"?  Well, I have not said that word so many times in a day until Scruffy came into our lives.   

First Vet Visit

Poor Scruffy...After getting the shots

We decided to bring Scruffy to the vet when he was two months old.  We went to Orange Pet Care, since it was close to the area we live in.  They provide excellent customer service, both the staffs and Dr. Felix Lapuz are very friendly.  They helped us understand the proper way of taking care of your pets.

Scruffy was just around 2 pounds when we went there to get his first set of shots.  My aunt decided to get an HMO plan which includes all the vaccines and other medicine Scruffy needs.

He was shaking a lot, especially when we put him on the table.  The doctor gave Scruffy anti-histamine before giving the first two shots.  I can still remember how loud Scruffy cried when the doctor stuck the needle in.  I saw his claws dug deep in the assistant's arms.  But the doctor thought me how to alleviate the pain, and good thing we brought his comfort hat.  He was tired and sleeping the entire day.

What's with the Shoe?

My poor shoe..

I am sure all dog owners can relate to this post very well.  How often do you stop your dog from chewing on basically everything inside your house?  Does your dog's chew toys do not seem to be enough to satisfy its curiosity and urge to chew?

When Scruffy met Seven...

I am not sure if I already mentioned what kind of dog Scruffy is.  Just in case it slipped my mind, Scruffy is a chihuahua mix.  When we got him, we were not sure what the other half is.  We forgot to ask the previous owner about it.

We guessed from breeds like cocker spaniel, terrier, and retriever.  Even the people I meet every time I take Scruffy for a walk also tried guessing.  As Scruffy grew, certain features became prominent.  Although, his chihuahua blood is apparent to his body size, other features like the fur on his face is I think from the other half of the breed.

Scruffy's face has spiky and scattered fur, just right above his nose towards the sides and it gets a little long in between his eyes.  It looks cute when it was growing but at the same time, when the fur gets longer, it makes him look like an "old" dog-- similar to a very old person.  The fur on his neck, down to his body-- spine area towards his tail, his legs, is thicker and longer than the sides of his body.

Finally, we got a chance to visit my aunt's friend who adopted one of Scruffy's brothers, and learned that Scruffy's half terrier.  The owners named him Seven.  I guess his number seven among the puppies.  It made us wonder whether Scruffy is younger or older than Seven.  Scruffy enjoyed running around, sniffing, and swimming with Seven.

Meet Peanut and Oodie

Sniff! Sniff!

What a busy weekend we had!  After having few friends over last Friday, my cousin's friend's parents invited us to have dinner at their house on Saturday.  We brought Scruffy with us.  Even Scruffy was stunned with how busy his weekends went.  The next day, he seemed to be looking for more people, loud voices and laughter, and especially, belly rubs.

It was really great to bring Scruffy along since there are very limited places that allow dogs.  The family who invited us also have two chihuahua mix dogs, Oodie and Peanut.  Scruffy was so excited to play with Oodie and Peanut, he cannot just stop sniffing and following them around.  It did not take long for Peanut to get comfortable with Scruffy, but Oodie, it may take sometime.  Since Peanut and Oodie are already nine years old, they do not have much energy as Scruffy.

Peanut played happily with Scruffy, but for some reason, Scruffy really wanted to play with Oodie.  He tried to call him, follow him around, and teasing him, which made Oodie irritated at times.  Scruffy likes sniffing Oodie's bottom but Oodie did not like it.  Whenever Oodie was not looking, Scruffy tried to sneak behind him and started sniffing.  Then, Oodie started growling and Scruffy run away.  Then again, Scruffy will try sniffing Oodie's bottom and the process of teasing repeats.  Poor Oodie, he tried to find a quiet time by himself but Scruffy did not allow him to.  Naughty little Scruffy!  

We all had a great night!  The lovely couple, Frank and Tracy prepared a very delicious dinner.  The combination of seafood pasta and wine was heaven!  I have not tried drinking as much wine as I had over dinner.  Well, as they say, there is always a first time.  Cheers!

Scruffy Partied All Night!

Party Look!

Aside from weekly visits from other family members, we rarely invite friends over since we had Scruffy.  Scruffy only meets new people when I walk him early in the morning.  But last Friday, Scruffy had a blast!  We invited few friends over for dinner.

Normally, Scruffy gets really excited when someone comes home, as if he has not seen the person for a long time.  He endlessly wags his tail, jumps up and down, rubs his body on your leg, and rolls over asking for a belly rub, or asking to be carried.  But with his excitement, he cannot help not to sprinkle his "love" on the floor or worse, on you.

 At first, we did not understand why he have accidents like that especially when excited.  The vet said it is a normal occurrence for puppies and it may stop once he gets neutered or as he matures.  His accidents lessened when he turned five months old.  I think he is learning to control his bladder better, or so we thought.

When my uncle came home from work, Scruffy did his usual welcome home greeting.  He endlessly wagged his tail, jumped up and down, rubbed his body on my uncle's leg, and rolled over for a belly rub.  But when Scruffy saw my uncle's friend, he happily and quickly run towards him and did what he does best, mark his territory!  We were all surprised.  He did not just do it once, but three times.  Then, I realized that Scruffy had just woken up and probably needed to go potty.  Every time he sleeps, it is guaranteed that he will go potty when he wakes up.  Most of the time when Scruffy gets excited, he forgets what he needs to do.

Well, Scruffy did not stop with one person.  When my aunt's friends came, one of her friends carried him.  Again, Scruffy sprinkled him with "love," but this time it missed the floor and went straight to his jeans.  Good thing he also owns three dogs and used to being accidentally sprayed on.           

Do not disturb!

That was a really fun night!  Nothing can beat an excellent combination of good friends, mouth watering food and wine, and of course, KARAOKE (singing)!  Even Scruffy enjoyed the night!  He did not sleep until everyone left.  It was heaven for him because everyone likes giving him belly rubs.  Just like us, Scruffy was tired and sleepy the next day!

Few more minutes, please!

It did not matter where Scruffy is, as long as he catches up with sleep!  He is such a party dog!  :-)

Kennel or Crate Training Tips!

Nap time!

Training your pets proper behavior is a laborious and overwhelming process, especially for first time pet owners.  One of the challenging trainings, is letting your dogs to get used to their kennel or crates.  Luckily, we did not have difficulty kennel training Scruffy.  Partly because he was really young, around six or seven weeks old when we started training him.

 Here are the steps we did to kennel train Scruffy:

1. Buy a right size kennel or crate for your dog.  Neither should it be too small nor too big.  It should be big enough for your dog to stand, sit, and lay down.
2. Put his favorite bed or blanket inside the kennel.  This will allow your dog to recognize something familiar.  For Scruffy, we put his favorite bed in.  Puppies love sleeping.  He cannot resist not to get inside the kennel when his favorite, fluffy bed is inside.
3. At first, we kept the kennel gate open in the morning.  This will give him the freedom to go in and out as he wishes, and it will not let him feel that he is being caged.
4. Then at night, Scruffy is already asleep when we put him inside the kennel.  So, he did not resisted at all.  We keep the kennel gate closed all night.
5. We also used the kennel to potty train Scruffy.  For potty training tips, click this link:  kennel and potty training. 

Now, Scruffy is comfortable with his kennel.  We also put Scruffy inside the kennel when we need to leave the house.  It gives us peace of mind when we leave the house and not worry about any surprises when we get back.

Kennel and Potty training

When Scruffy was finally settled with his new home, we started training him to sleep by himself.  My aunt bought a kennel and put his bed in it and placed the kennel in the kitchen.  For the first few nights, Scruffy kept crying and kept everyone awake.  We have no other choice, but to bare with it and wait until he gets tired of crying.  One of my aunt's friends told us to put a small clock inside his kennel, as the sound resembles a heart beat, and to turn on the radio in a low volume and tune-in on a station that plays soft music.  These will help Scruffy feel less alone and lonely at night.  To our surprise, it worked!  Now, Scruffy has no problem sleeping by himself.  He can sleep without the small clock, but we still need to keep the radio on.  For more kennel training tips visit my post Kennel or Crate Training Tips.       

Knocking after potty

For his potty training,  we send him out to the patio on a schedule.  We let him roam around the patio and find his spot.  At first, it was difficult to train him since he does not want to be left outside.  We normally go out with him and wait for him to do his business.  Gradually, we try to leave him by himself.  When we are all at home, we leave the door to the patio slightly open, for Scruffy to freely go in and out.

Now, when he needs to go potty, he will stand by the patio door and waits for someone to open it.  We still need to teach him to call us when he is by the door.  Sometimes we do not notice him waiting, then that is the time he will accidentally make a mess. 

Before putting him in the kennel at night, we trained him to go potty since he is too young and cannot really hold it until the morning.  This way he will not wake us up in the middle of the night just to go potty.  The schedule works well for all of us.  Scruffy has different potty schedules in the morning.  First potty schedule, my uncle lets him go potty before he goes to work and puts him back inside the kennel.  Then his second potty schedule is when I wake up around six am.
 

During weekends, there are a few changes in his potty schedule.  When my uncle does not go to work, scruffy can manage to hold it in until six am.  Then if no body wakes up around that time, he will start calling and waking us up.  I am normally the one who hears his calls.  So, when I hear Scruffy, I know that he needs to go potty badly.  I remembered, there was one time that no body heard his calls, I think because we just came home from a trip the night before, Scruffy accidentally wet his bed.  When we woke up, he was crying and was on the side of his bed, trying to avoid the wet spot.  We felt really bad for him, gave him a bath and washed his bed.

My Mornings with Scruffy

 "Start your mornings right!", as the saying goes.  Waking up early in the morning can be a dreadful process.  How many times do you hit the snooze button every time you hear your alarm clock goes off?  How many times do you tell yourself, "five more minutes," or simply go back to sleep?

Since we had Scruffy, my morning rituals changed dramatically.  No more hitting the snooze button or saying "five more minutes."  Scruffy does not allow me to do all those things anymore and became my alarm clock.  When I hear Scruffy's morning calls,  that means it is his potty time.  You cannot simply ignore him because it gets louder and longer, and the pitch of his voice gets higher.  It can give you the worse headache ever!

 

Typically, I teach Scruffy how to behave and a few tricks before giving his breakfast.  My boyfriend told me that the best time to teach a puppy is when the puppy needs something from you.  Since the puppy wants something, it will normally give you its full attention.  So far, it works!  Scruffy knows how to sit, lay down, high five, beg, and shake hands.  I still need to work with him more to learn the "stay" command.  He is a one sneaky pup! He will stay for a few seconds, and if you are not looking anymore, he will start following you around.

When he is eating, I prepare and have my breakfast too.  I liked it when we are eating at the same time.  At least, he does not beg for my food since he is busy eating his own food.  After having breakfast, I take him for at least thirty minutes to an hour walk around the neighborhood or at the park.  I started bringing him to walk when he was two months old.  He was shivering a lot and scared to go outside.  I thought he will not grow to like walking.  Boy!  I was wrong.  Now, after having breakfast, he will stand by the front door and look at you with his puppy dog eyes, begging you to walk him.   

Scruffy loves running around the baseball field.  He runs really fast, like a bullet train.  Probably because he is so small.  He likes digging the loose soil in the batter area of the field.  He also likes chewing the grass.  I guess eating grass will help with his digestion.  He also likes playing with dry leaves.  Now, he likes chasing flocks of crows.  These past few days, there were a lot of crows stopping by the field.  Scruffy just loves chasing them as they fly away.  It was really funny to see him run in confusion.  He does not know which crow to follow first.

After running around the field, we head home.  I wipe his paws with baby wipes and start cleaning the house.  Scruffy brings a lot of dirt, dry leaves, etc., from our morning walks, that I needed to vacuum the house everyday. 

So, that is how my usual mornings with Scruffy!  How does your morning go?  Please feel free to share you morning stories with me!

Are your pets just "pets?"

Prior to bringing Scruffy home, we knew very little about how to properly take care of a pet dog.  Different from animal lovers, we perceive pets as nothing more than four legged creatures.  Animal lovers might feel uncomfortable while reading this, but I only want to describe how we view pets before we had Scruffy.

Pets are not treated specially by their owners, well at least what I have seen and experienced while growing up.  Dogs for instance, have only one purpose, that is to guard its owner's house.  Commonly, dogs are fed with left over human food, and encased in a caged outside the house.  I know it sounds very cruel, but that was how most of our neighbors back home treat their dogs.  Aside from the dog owners, most dogs were feared by other people because of their aggressive nature.  Probably, one of the effects of being treated with less love and care.        

When we came to the United States, we were surprised with how much pet owners value their pets.  They treat them as if they are part of their family.  At first, we cannot comprehend with how much money these owners are willing to spend for their pets.  But then again, since they are considered as part of the family, you will do everything to provide for their well being.  Of course, one does not need to spend beyond his/her means in order to provide for his/her furry babies' needs.  Just make sure that you provide proper nutrition, vet care (This can be costly but I think you can search for low cost vet clinics), and most importantly TLC.          

An "Unwanted" Joy

Who could resist this look?

"Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures." -- Dalai Lama XIV

How many of us have seen stray dogs or cats on the streets, or how many do we know have been in the pound or put to sleep?  The answer is "too many."  We do not know the stories behind each dog or cat, but for whatever reason their previous owners had to let their pets in such situation, it is heartbreaking. 

When I came across this quote while browsing the internet, it reminded me of Scruffy and how he became an important part of our family.

When we brought Scruffy home, he was barely five weeks old.  He is what people call a "freebie dog."  He was given to my aunt by an acquaintance for free.  I am not sure what the story behind it, but all I know was that the previous owner cannot afford to take care of many puppies.  So, they decided to give some of the puppies away, if not, they will be forced to put the "unwanted" puppies to sleep.  It was a sad story to think about, but as far as I know, the owner tried to find good homes for the puppies.

At home, Scruffy was shivering uncontrollably.  I assumed he was still trying to adapt to his new environment and being away from his mother for such a very young age. He looked so tiny and delicate.  He did not even have teeth yet.  He had cute little paws, small body, short legs, and a big head.  At least, that was what my cousin noticed.  His eyes are round and dark brown that pierce through your heart when he looks at you directly while begging.  He has ears that flip forward.

He is our first dog.  The only knowledge we have for taking care of dogs was from the internet and from what other people had told us.  Whether it is right or wrong, we do not know.  It was an overwhelming thought at first.  We really do have a live dog now.  He is not just some virtual pet, like Sims pet or Nintendo pet, that can be taken care of with a click of a button.  He is alive!  He responds to his surroundings and to us.  He is another life that we have to nurture and protect.

It is saddening to think that there are a lot of people who incautiously breed animals for business or profit, or those who do not know how to take care of their pets and let them accidentally reproduce.  It is  a great responsibility to take care of pets.  Not only it cost money to take care of them, but they need your time and attention as well. 
          
Sometimes, I cannot help wonder if Scruffy's previous owner managed to find new homes for the other puppies.  Nevertheless, we are grateful to have him and we are making sure to provide a comfortable and loving home for him to grow.

    

Welcome Home!

For quite sometime, my cousin had been asking her parents for a pet dog.  Not having any sibling to play or to fight with, a pet dog might just be the companionship she was looking for.  However, time to take care of the dog was an issue since my cousin goes to school and her parents both go to work.  She understands the situation and the responsibilities of having a pet, she did not pursue any longer.  Although she stopped insisting, her parents knew that her desire of having a pet dog still lingers.  I know my aunt and uncle were just waiting for the right time to get her one.   

One night, while we were watching Filipino soap operas, my aunt just blurted out "I think we should have a dog."  My uncle and I just stared at her for awhile, our brains trying to process what she just said.  I was thinking, "did I hear her correctly? She wants a dog?"  I am fine taking care of a dog, but my only concern was cleaning the mess the dog creates.  So I asked them, "who will clean when the dog poops?"  Our imaginations run wild and started laughing.

Days passed, anxious and excited to see what kind of dog we are having.  My cousin wanted to be the one to name the puppy.  

Scruffy & I

Finally, the seemingly long wait ended.  It was time to pick up our dog.  As we were driving, I was thinking of how to carry the puppy.  I was a little apprehensive about it, since I am not a pet person.  I was scared of dogs because of the fear of being attacked anytime.  In addition to that, I am also not a big fan of wet nose, sharp claws and teeth, especially the fangs.  Nevertheless, I was still very excited.

Wrapped in a hat.

We finally had him!  He was wrapped in a piece of cloth and was inside a medium size box.  He was trembling a lot.  I do not know if it was because of the chilli weather, terrified, or both.  I felt bad for him.  I don't know how to make him comfortable.  He was so tiny!  My aunt had one of those goofy, fluffy, animal shaped hats, and  used it to wrapped and carry him until we got home.  It worked!  It made him comfortable and shiver less.  He slept the entire car ride.

with the family

Scruffy

My cousin named him Scruffy.  :)  

Welcome to the newest member of our family!