Patis’ passion for Poodles

Patis Tesoro loves being Filipino. Proof positive of this is her crusade for anything Filipiniana. She is known to wear Filipiniana garb to any formal occasion she attends, whether here or abroad. And she wears it with such grace! If you believe in previous lives, you’d almost think that Patis would have wished she lived during that period of history just for the lovely clothes. But the truth is, it is the other way around – Patis brings the past into the present and makes any modern Filipina feel what it was like to have been a Maria Clara or a lady such as the ones who lived in the pages of our literary classics.

Matter of fact, a visit to her shop in San Juan will make a Filipiniana lover out of anyone. Apart from beautiful gowns all over her shop, there are dolls, also dressed like a true Filipina should (well, at least in the past). But I bet you didn’t know that Patis’ other passion is dogs, Poodles in particular.

"I grew up with Boxers. That was because my family used to raise this breed," says Patis as she shares how her love for dogs started.

When she was about seven or eight, they also had a duck until their driver ran over it and killed it. "My Dad made us eat the duck because he said it would go to waste if we didn’t. We ate the duck although it was a hard thing to do," laughs Patis. "But I guess at that time it was OK to eat your pets."

The love that Patis then developed for animals, dogs in particular, never left her. It did not matter that she did not have a dog of her own – being around them was enough for her to grow to love them.

Fast forward.

"I started having my own dogs about 30 years ago. This time I chose to get Poodles. It must have been the influence of my sister who also had Poodles," says Patis. "And once I had a Poodle I never looked at any other dog again. The Poodle is the perfect pet for me."

Patis say that even though her husband, sons and daughter do not share the same passion, they tolerate hers. "I guess it’s because they think that Poodles are snooty dogs," she Patis. "But for me there is no breed of dog that is better than the Poodle."

Indeed.

Four Poodles make up Patis’ brood – Bud, 11, who is a not purebred, being 3/4 Poodle and 1/4 Spitz; Zsa Zsa, 16; Cyrano, 9; and Maria 3 1/2. Patis rattles off the ages of her pooches as quickly as she would those of her kids, a clear sign of how close a pet lover is to her charges.

"My dogs live long lives because they are house dogs. They do not sleep in kennels. They sleep in my room beside me," shares Patis. "I need to sleep on a special mattress which is on the floor because I have a bad back. My dogs have their own beds, which is beside mine. My husband sleeps on the bed."

Patis tells us that her brood knows when it is time for bed because they settle down when they see that she is getting ready for bed herself. "Although there are accidents sometimes because my dogs are not so well-trained as I tend to spoil them," laughs Patis.

The dogs sleep with her no matter where she is – whether they are here in Manila, in Baguio or in any other out-of-town location that Patis takes them.

The dogs wake up when Patis gets up in the morning and this is the time when she takes time out to cuddle with them or just rough it up with them a bit. If she’s at home and has time for a nap, then the dogs are with her too – also taking a nap. But it is grooming her pooches that she likes doing best. "Poodles love it when they are combed and their ears are being cleaned. They sit still all throughout the procedure. It is as if they want to always look their best," shares Patis as she takes out a comb and starts to show us just how well behaved her Poodles are as she combs their manes.

Poodles are high maintenance dogs. "It is important that you comb the hair of a Poodle at least once a day and that their ears are always kept clean because they are long," she advises. There is the weekly bath, too. On top of all this grooming Patis makes sure that her dogs are brought to the vet at least once a month "because they are not so young any more."

What about designing clothes for them? "I don’t believe in dressing up dogs," she shares. "Besides, it is too hot here anyway." This does not mean that Patis will not agree to make a set of clothes for a dog if a customer asked her to, but this has not yet happened.

So, what is the secret to the long lives of Patis’ dogs? "I do not feed them commercial dog food. My dogs eat lamb, chicken or beef that is cooked here at home. I make sure that their food is cooked well. Of course, chocolates are a no-no because these are toxic for the dogs. Sometimes they also get to eat our leftovers. But that only happens when the food is not too salty or spicy for them," she adds.

Trips to Baguio or Laguna are not uncommon for Patis and her pooches. "They know when we are going out of town and they just love riding the car," she says. "It makes me happy to bring the dogs with me out of town. And I think they enjoy going out of town, too."

Before hitting the road, she makes sure that the car is well stocked with the snacks as well as pillows for each one of them should they decide to nap. On a long trip, like to Baguio, short stops at gas stations are a must. "I don’t need to put them on leashes. I just let them down at a gas station and they follow me where I go. I take them to an area where they can do their thing," she says.

Pet ownership is not something people should take lightly, says Patis. "Anyone who wants to have a pet must make sure that they have time to spend with their pets. It is not cheap to own a pet."

Then again, as Patis and her dogs have found out for the past decade or so of living with each other, "The unconditional love they shower you with cannot be replaced by any other love. My dogs are always happy to see me and I can feel that they really love me."