Birthday dogs just wanna have fun

Last Jan. 3 Alaskan Malamute siblings Drake and Diesel turned one-year-old. The two dogs were joined by Lycan, who is from the same litter.

Drake had two parties: One in my brother’s house, and another one in my house for Drake’s friends in the neighborhood, who would not have been able to make it all the way to where Diesel, my brother’s Malamute, lives.

What a treat both events were in large part because of Jojo Isorena, founder of Better Dog School in Makati. Jojo used to be in advertising, with DOT Secretary Mon Jimenez who also loves dogs, but because Jojo had so many dogs he ended up going to the States and studying about dogs there. He later on put up his own dog school.

It was such a treat having Jojo and his staff  handle the party. We had three games. First was a relay where Jojo divided the dogs into two teams: small and big dogs.

In my party it was the Malamutes and the non-malamutes. The goal was to carry in a spoon a piece of siomai — go to the chair, return, and turn over the siomai to the next owner with the dog. If the siomai fell, one had to start again. The first team to finish won the game.

In Gabby’s house, the smaller dogs won. In my house, the Malamutes won.

The second game was really cute. Jojo called it the “Temptation Game.” Two rows of hotdogs, chicken and siomai were made and the dogs had to pass through them. The dog that made it through the obstacles when being called by his owner, without gravitating and eating the food was the winner. Jojo gave each dog two chances. It was so funny to see how the different dogs went through the course.

The third game involved scattered (plastic) eggshells. Inside one of them was chicken and hotdog. The dog had to sniff to choose which egg the food was in. I was told this is how dogs that detect drugs are taught. When they find the drugs, they are given a yummy treat so they equate food with the drugs they are able to detect.  It was so funny to see how each dog reacted to the game.

The highlight of both days was seeing Chardy and his dogs perform. A four-time winner at a Channel 5 talent show, Chardy and his three dogs are amazing. (View this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8c5XOKuleQ&feature=youtu.be or search “Chardy Ang” on Youtube).

This video was taken from the party and you will probably agree, as I did, with Jojo’s statement that these dogs are the best-trained dogs in the country. Chardy’s act reminded me of the talent act that won in Britain’s Got Talent. 

It was amazing to see so many Malamutes, especially the pure white ones. I literally gasped in amazement upon seeing them. One came straight from Alaska, another was a gorgeous five-year-old Malamute named Kara with a beautiful coat and a sweet temper. I was later told she was the first-ever Philippine Alaskan Malamute champion.

One of the guests was Jojo Alejandrino, who has a 10-month-old Malamute. Jojo started the Alaskan Malamute Club of the Philippines just last December — not only to protect and promote the breed — but also to educate Filipinos on how to properly take care of their Malamutes. Their Facebook page is Alaskan Malamute Club of the Philippines.

I was told the club now has 100 members. Like human beings, it is very important for dogs to socialize. This is the reason why Drake kept barking at everyone else — to my utter dismay — because he has not been socialized.

Alone in the house, he is the sweetest dog so his barking at all the other dogs surprised me. My gardener who runs him around the neighborhood twice a day said, “Ma’am kung babae hindi yan ganyan. Chickboy si Drake. Ganoon lang siya sa lalaki.” (Ma’am, he wouldn’t be like that with female dogs. Drake is a chick boy. He only barks at other male dogs.)

When I was telling DOT Secretary Mon Jimenez about Drake, he told me that Jojo also handles dog problems. He added that I should leave him with Jojo over a weekend and he will be okay.

Well, if Chardy is proof of how good a dog school Better Dog is, then you are in amazing hands. Search on YouTube “Drake and Diesel party” to see the fun they had in Laguna, and “Drake’s party” for the one in Quezon City.

Better Dog School also operates a hotel. If you are going to be out of town, and you need to leave your dogs under competent hands, you might want to check out this school.

The dogs are exercised twice a day and the kennels are air-conditioned. Their contact number is 886-5918 or e-mail jojo.isorena@betterdog.com.ph. Visit their website at betterdog.com.ph.

In a very upscale hotel in Florida, I was impressed to learn that they not only allow dogs, they also offer massage  and care services. It’s unfortunate that only very few hotels in the country allow dogs. That’s a shame since for some households our pets are an intrinsic part of the family.

I was sitting at a merienda beside an aunt and there was a request for me to be somewhere else but I said I couldn’t make it because it was my dog’s birthday party. That’s how much our pets are a part of the family: giving joy, adding wholeness.

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Solar lights in Paco

This next topic is not connected to dogs but I didn’t want to wait a week to share with you this event. We just had a “Solar Street Lighting” event in Paco. The money came from the funds raised during the Pasig River Run and  Adtel provided the solar street lights. The residents have lived in darkness for several decades, so getting the energy of the sun to light the estero at night has additional symbolic value.

The effect on the community is joy and a fostering of community spirit. This is the way to go.

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I can be reached at regina_lopez@abs-cbn.com.