For the furry boys and girls

A GOOD friend made this request that I write something about dogs. I loved the idea but I was a bit hesitant about it as well. For dog lovers like us, it would be like talking about our babies, literally. But for others who don’t share the same fascination we have for these furry creatures, it would be hard relating to them with a write-up of some sort, or a column for this matter.

But once she planted the idea in my head, I knew I just had to. The big challenge was what dog angle I would focus on as to make it the least bit interesting to other people who are not as enthusiastic. I racked my brains, viewed and reviewed my dogs’ pictures for inspiration, but unfortunately I couldn’t come up with an angle that could portray even half the awesomeness of a man’s hairy best friend.

We, Cordillerans love dogs. And that love transcends in two possible ways. Love like the way I dote on my dogs, playing mommy and getting the love back. And the other kind of love, which is we love them so much, petting them is not enough that we have to have their meat reach our palates. No, this is not a self-righteous piece on which I will chastise dog-eaters and talk about morals related to this practice and lifestyle. Hypocrisy aside, I’ve had my fair share of tasting dog meat. I’m a Cordilleran after all. But I stopped when my perceptions about dogs took on a different level. I always knew they were the most faithful of creatures but I never truly understood that until I got to have my own. Having my own Byte and Bark made me learn some of the most fundamental but often taken for granted attributes that some human beings (who are a lot more capable with the gifts of reason and emotion, take note) lack.

These dogs reminded me of true faithfulness, compassion, care, love, and most especially, happiness. That happiness can be experienced with even the most effortless action. They have a way of tugging at your heart, a way of making your day a lot better, of licking those troubles away, and a way of reminding you how loved you are with that signature leap at you once you’re within reach. Priceless. I know, I know. I now sound like this half-crazed girl obsessing about dogs. But I would never be ashamed to admit that they’re indeed my waterloo. A boy can have a girl at hello but a dog always gets me with that wag of tail. Always. Never fails.

And so I’ve written several gibberish paragraphs droning on about dogs and I haven’t even started on how nice it feels to pet their necks, brush their hair, bathe them and be sprayed on with dripping water in return, how comforting it is, knowing you’re going home with someone anticipating your return. I’m nearing the end of this page and I haven’t even come up with a good angle for a dog story.

But maybe that’s it. There are just no words, and not enough space to capture how awe-inspiring and remarkable a man’s best friend is. You don’t need me to tell you that. And you shouldn’t be surprised either when you come across photos of people saving their dogs first before anything else during catastrophes (man wading through the Philippine floods carrying a perfectly dry dog in a basin sound familiar?). Some may find this silly but one fully understands this once you realize that all these things they say about dogs are not just clichés. A dog is not one’s whole life, but it can make one’s life whole. Too romanticized? No.

P.S. My Byte just turned two. That’s like 24 years in human years. (That also means we’re age mates?) I guess that’s reason enough to write a tribute for dogs.