| While surfing the Ivet site for pets' health | | | | I bet he looks forward to the few hours after lunch, |
| information, I suddenly thought about our dog which | | | | because by then it's already too hot to make do |
| lives with my parents in a town 40 minutes by car | | | | without the air conditioner. My parents go to one |
| outside the city. The moment Kurt walked into our | | | | room in the house which has the air conditioner for a |
| house, I was ready to believe all the hype about this | | | | noontime nap, and the dog follows and naps on his |
| Mal-shih, or Maltese- Shih Tzu mix. To explain, I had | | | | own pillow. |
| assumed beforehand that the dog being gifted to us | | | | Towards late afternoon, the street in front of house |
| was a smart, lively dog (typical to the | | | | will be busier. Naturally, the dog will occupy his |
| above-mentioned breeds), albeit rather too spirited | | | | vantage point: a wooden chair in the veranda which |
| for its size. The dog was all these, but its charm | | | | actually doesn't give much of a view, but provides |
| simply won us all over. | | | | the best one through a gap in the plants growing |
| He's already five years old by now, which roughly | | | | close to the fence. A small detail for concern is that |
| translates to a human-age of 25 years. People at | | | | he is now allowed to roam the entire backyard. He |
| home claim he's beginning to slow down too fast for | | | | doesn't dig under the fence, but I know he's |
| his age. Now, I am writing to elaborate more on how | | | | scheming how to go after the other dogs loitering |
| we are doing our best to keep this very precious | | | | outside. |
| housemate in shape. | | | | To anybody who arrives home, he immediately |
| His routine begins with a morning walk of some 10 | | | | follows him or her, should that person be carrying |
| minutes. Once he gets back, his food bowl is already | | | | something that sounds like a plastic wrapper. The dog |
| full of his dogfood for the entire day. In between | | | | is allowed to have a small bite of whatever snack the |
| meals, he likes to sleep a lot, if he is not busy | | | | person might have brought. |
| watching the street in front of our house, barking | | | | What a dog, so unforgettable and unique like all our |
| other dogs or inspecting any callers. His exercises | | | | past dogs! He hates having his fingernails cut. He is |
| continue during breakfast, with my mother playing a | | | | my father's constant shadow. He may indeed have |
| modified "fetch the ball" with him. In this game, the | | | | looked like the Baskerville hound when he bared his |
| dog indeed runs after the ball, but brings it instead to | | | | teeth at me once, but my parents for one are |
| his food bowl, and drops the ball to eat a few | | | | already very much attached to him, and so are we |
| mouthfuls. When my mother picks up the ball, the | | | | all. And I think he's cute enough to be on Ivet's main |
| game starts all over again. | | | | page. |