Owning Aspins

When I started "writing" in Steemit, I remember that one of the descriptions that I made was that I am a furry mom to my 4 year old dog Ragnar. Its funny if you get to think about it since I get to post stories featuring other dogs. Just for clarification, we do have A LOT of dogs. In my mom's house- that is located in the northern part of Cagayan- at the mouth of the Cagayan River, we have three dogs- Rica, Nikki and Ragnar. In my dad's house, we have six dogs- Lucky, Apollo, Margo, Thorin, Bilbo and Dominique. Yeah, its really not an interesting fact but for anyone who gets to read my earlier post, at least you guys would be "enlightened" on our situation. Some of the pup pictures were previously owned ones- either they were adopted or in some cases, succumbed to disease.

our baby Snow White at 6 weeks old

I am not going to make it a secret that it is difficult to maintain them. Yes, the cuddly, adorable part plus the unconditional love and loyalty is there. But, I just want to make it a point to stress this that having dogs is a lifetime commitment.Its not a fad or a social status and let me just tell you this:

ITS EXPENSIVE!

I am not going to discourage anyone who is considering to have a dog for the first time but yes, I think that despite the proliferation of cute dog related posts on line, I noticed that a few people really had gone to discuss the finer details of having one.

REALITY CHECK

Anyone who wanted to get a dog needed to have enough money to spare for their dog's basic needs- especially food and vet services. One should also have a dedicated space where the pup can feel safe- depending on the size. There is also an unswerving demand to spend time with your pup and not confine your engagements into feeding/bathing routine. Your dog is a living being and you are responsible for its emotional, physical and social well being. Before I forget, when your dog leaves a mess in public places, its your responsibility to clean that up. Same goes with any damages- both to property and other humans(like if they mauled or bit anyone!) When your dog barks, whines or makes excessive noise, its also your duty to find out why and make them stop. Another Reality check: hitting a dog or any form of abuse (like neglect or abandonment) in my country can land you in jail. So if you believe that you cannot handle dogs in a couple of months or a year from now, better get a stuffed toy or a robot pet!

So why do we still keep dogs if its a drain for all our resources- because when I look at their eyes, I see love. I've learned unconditional love and forgiveness(like, the time I get back home and, they chewed my favorite pair of shoes and totally trashed our place). I've learned the meaning of living in the present. Its no secret that the moment I hit the mall or any commercial establishment, the first thing that I often try to locate is the pet store so I can browse on dog related merchandise.

Yes. There will always be the frustrating moments when they would cry incessantly and, I simply do not know what to do.I get angry- yes. But, I never hit or yell at my dog since it would only exacerbate the situation. The trying times when they get sick and, I get so obsessed with nothing else but their recovery. The days when I get up in the morning tired because I was up majority of the time the previous night. I will not make it a secret that the moment I started scooping dog poop in public and private places often, I feel that this can be a back up career for me.

Our baby Frances at 3 months old cuddled by my dad

Your dog is your responsibility and it is no different in the Philippines. However, since my dog is a Philippine Native dog/ Aspin/ Askal, we do have a lot of prejudices to overcome like the continuous belief that my dogs are carrier of the Rabies virus, that they are aggressive, that they are a lower breed.

yes?

Another thing that offends me so much is when people seem to wonder why do I avail for vet services and why do I feed my dogs dog food and give them vitamins and supplements-since, they are ASKALS or mongrel dogs.

Yes. This is one of the frustrations of owning dogs but, my family and I do not really mind. We love Aspins because their breed had already adapted to the climate, food and living conditions in my country. When it comes to temperament, they are not at all aggressive if raised and socialized properly. Its very sad to know that they are not widely patronized even in their country of origin. In my country, people would always want to adopt pure breed dogs as one of the prejudices here is that, its expensive and therefore would elevate one's social status.

seeing love in his eyes

I hope that this post would raise awareness that Aspins or Philippine native dogs are just like any other dogs. Dogs are not fashion accessories just as some of the entertainment celebrities are portraying. Their pedigree is not social status. Their size is not for intimidating strangers. They are not toys to be given to people who has a temporary whim or obsession for one nor to anyone who is deemed irresponsible or does not have any resources to spare! They are not supposed to be used in any blood sports or raised and violently slaughtered for their meat. Dogs are living beings like you and me. They can change and transform anyone to be more sensitive and compassionate to the needs of other living things.

@pinoy @filipino