Dog's Day Out Easy Tips

We should really have more public places that are dog-friendly.
So far, the one that fits that bill perfectly is Bonifacio High Street.  Huge space.  And it even has doggie water bowls at the door steps of some shops.  Without a doubt, Alpha loves BHS immensely!

On that note, we should have more dog owners who are more responsible during their doggie-day-out trips.
For our little diva, Alpha, it takes only a few easy steps.

1.  If you have to travel to your destination, your dog should be car-trained.  Our big dog, Ziva, gets car sick almost every time.  When she gets excited, she pees all over the car seats, too.  Not.  Good.  Alpha, on the other hand, is a natural when it comes to being chauffered.  Imagine that. :D

2.  When crossing the busier streets to the park, carry your dog --if she's small, that is.  You don't want her getting trampled on or getting too overwhelmed that she might nip on a stray human leg.  Heavens, no!  Can you say 'Sue'?

3.  Very basic.  When strolling, make sure you got a little emergency kit with tissue, plastic bags, and alcohol on hand.  Smelly accidents happen and you don't want to piss people off because of that.  (See what I did there?  Lol!)  Alpha, however, prefers to do her business at home before the trip.  She's a neat freak.

4.  Make sure your dog is trained to behave.  Not to unabashedly pat myself on the back here, but Alpha is one of the most good-mannered dogs I know.  She's a bitch, but she knows her place.  That's why she's always a welcome guest at Hobbes and Landes where my boys get their Legos and where Alpha gets her din-din packs.

5.  Lastly, make sure your dog listens to simple commands like 'Sit', 'Go' and 'Stop'.  You're in a public place so anything can happen.  When a child comes over to pat Alpha's head,  Alpha sits immediately.  When it's time to go, she doesn't get us into a stressful leash tug-of-war.  When other dogs try to mess with her and she messes back, a simple 'stop' gets her back to congeniality mode.

It takes a heap of preparation, but that's how you get to enjoy (that's you and your dog) your public walks together.  If only more places would see that potential, our doggie friends would have more places to play in.  *sigh*

6.  Oops!  Before I forget... after your successful doggie day out, always, ALWAYS, show your dog how much you appreciate her job well done.  Alpha loves that.  All dogs do. :)

Pats for P.A.W. 2011

Rule of the Dog Universe:  When you already got the Hobbes and Landes' Fashion Show and the Good Dog Magazine feature, you're not getting the PAWtogenic 2012 Calendar.  LOL!
It seems only fair.  Alpha's had a big year so far.  And not making it into the illustrious 12 of the Hobbes and Landes' PAWtogenic Winners wasn't going to stop us from joining the Hobbes and Landes' P.A.W. (Pet Appreciation Weekend).  By any measure, you can tell we appreciate this dog more than anything.

The event was set on a warm, sunny Sunday in an opening dotted with fabulous pet booths with freebies.  Miro quickly collected a dog balloon, pet vitamins, dog food, more pet stuff, and a fan.  In the blistering heat, we were most thankful for the fan.

There were games, but the best part for us would be the pet parade where Alpha worked her fairy wings like she owned the walkway.

Lots of lovely dogs marched proudly.  Some came au naturelle.

And some dressed like Vegas belles.

The highlight, of course, was the announcement of winning dogs to grace the Hobbes and Landes 2012 calendar.  And Alpha's friend, Noodles --the uber friendly rottie-- was one of them!  Good on 'ya, biggie boy!!!

You can tell Alpha was just so proud of her bud.  There she is doing her signature dance of freaky joy for Noodles!

In the end, it was another successful event for Hobbes and Landes.  And, another fine way of showing our pets that they're more than just pets.  They're perfect companions, good listeners, ready-hug givers, best friends to cry on.
And for that, we deeply, deeply appreciate them.

Do you LIKE Alpha?

If you've been reading this blog for a longish time, you've seen our family dog (and my son, Kenji's, best friend), Alpha, grace some of my posts. 

Well, for some reason, October's shaping up to be my Alpha Crazy Month.  I just did the unthinkable and put her up for a photo contest --which I don't usually do.  Fashion shows, magazine spreads, those are more my speed.  But beauty pageants, not much.

But... it happened.
Soooo... I'm appealing to all of you to please support a rabid pet mom in her quest to put her son's beloved mini pinscher, Alpha, on one of the glorious pages of the Hobbes and Landes 2012 Calendar!  Yeah!

If you've got a Facebook account, then this should be relatively quick and painless.

1.  Simply LIKE the Hobbes and Landes Facebook page.

2.  The link will take you to a page full of adorable dog pics.  Avert your eyes from the onslaught of cuteness and LIKE only Alpha's photos.  Haha!

3.  You can choose from...
Alpha the Lifeguard.  
Alpha the Sphinx.
Or, Alpha the Surfer Girl.

But if you're feeling uber generous, you're free to LIKE all three.   Hee... there I go pushing it.

Friends, readers, just-passing-throughers, do me this once in a lifetime favor and please LIKE Alpha.

After all... what's not to like?  Lol!

Dog Washed, Dog Saved

Hobbes and Landes does it again!  It's the second year of the dog-loving store's Dog Wash Weekend, and we weren't missing it for the world.

What's the big deal, you ask?  Oh it's a BIG deal.  This isn't just your run-of-the-mill pamper-your-Paris Hilton-puppy episode.  Hobbes and Landes' Dog Wash Weekends support the Animal Kingdom Foundation in rescuing and rehabilitating homeless dogs that are bound for the slaughterhouse.  Year after year, pet experts gather here for that one mission. 

And all we had to do to help was shell out a mere Php500 to get Alpha bathed.

Dried.

Groomed.

Vet-checked.

Overfreebiefied.

And Paparazzied! 

There were doggie games at the Dog Wash, too!  That's how Alpha scored this chic haute couture hat.  Eat that,  Tinkerbell!  LOL!

After all that fun, the Dog Wash Weekend proceeds will then work to champion animal welfare.  In fact, with the turn out yesterday, I say we all did a pretty good job.

Alpha feels great --and somewhere, a homeless puppy is about to feel even greater. 

Fashion Beats to the Bark of Hobbes and Landes

I have one dream that will never, ever come true in this cruel lifetime:  To be a Supermodel.
*guffaw!!!* 
(What, whaaaat!  I'm entitled to my own madness! And I can see you rolling your eyes, mom!)

But thanks to Hobbes and Landes, I managed to pseudo-live that loopy dream vicariously through Alpha. How, you ask?  The Style Origin Fashion Beats Fashion Review hit the catwalk on May 21 to showcase Bonifacio High Street's high end fashion faves --one of which is Alpha's beloved pet palace, Hobbes and Landes.  And wouldn't you know it, Alpha got chosen to be one of the ramp models!  You go, baybeeh!

We even have the labeled stage pass to prove it!  (This is for you, mom.  Mwahaha!)

Pet and owner came in matching costumes they obviously went to town with.

Presenting Casual Chic.

Ballroom Beaus.

Summer Sizzlers.

Diva Duo.

Alien Allies.

And Rocker Royalties.
The Hobbes and Landes pet products we strutted down the runway with were awesome, too!  Like this sweet heart-shaped puppy stroller.

And then there's the fabulous music by Brass Munkeys!

So fab, in fact, it had Alpha dancing --which had the audience cheering and us almost getting entangled in her leash and falling offstage. *egad!*  Ah, the hazards of professional modeling.  Haha!

Overall, it's the bomb of an experience.  That's what we love about Hobbes and Landes.  It loves our pets just as much as we do.  And, yes, it makes impossible dreams (like mine, lol!) come true.

Jing (proud father and paparazzi) and I can't wait for the next pet event.  Come on, Hobbes and Landes --like a dog, we're begging for more!

DIY Doggie Duds: La Belle Epoch

OH MY GOD!  I've become one of those pet parents who dress up their dogs in frilly frocks to the mall!

Not quite.  This happens to be Alpha's very first homemade costume to the Hobbes and Landes La Belle Epoch Pet Club fashion show.  Why homemade?  Because pet clothes are insanely expensive.  More ridiculously expensive than human clothes.  Even more so if the requirements are specially-made Victorian doggie duds!

It's easy, really.  If you're semi-friends with a sewing kit and own an old lacy shirt you'd be shot dead wearing in public again --then you're good to go.

Cut the shirt in half, and sew one half in a tube structure that would hug your dog's body ever so snugly.  Pay close attention to the neck and leg holes.  Your dog has to move freely.

Add unnecessary lacy embellishments that would make Liberacci and Prince proud.  Just make sure your dog won't be able to reach them and tear into them.  That would be damn frustrating.

It's dire important to consider plumbing, too.  Leave an opening on the dress for little accidents -- without sacrificing style, of course.

Hey presto!  I've got a lovely puppy who can rock any puppy party!

Plus, a proud dad seeing his baby belle blossom into Victorian womanhood.
*le sigh*

Night Fury meets Night Furry

Why didn't we think of this sooner?!!
If we had, we would've taken Alpha to the Hobbes and Landes HOWL-o-ween Party for Dogs last October... and we would've slayed!

Well, there's no such thing as too-late-the-hero in this household.  So we still went with making Alpha's costume, for future reference.

Now one tip when putting on a costume on your dog for the first time:  If your dog --like ours-- is used to running around au naturel, there will be some grief dressing him or her up.  So work with what's already there.  Think of a costume that would take into consideration the color of your dog and the bare minimum of only wearing a leash with simple and light add-ons.  Accessorizing is the best you can go with a first timer.

In Alpha's case, we went with How to Train Your Dragon's Night Fury.  The costume is so easy and cheap to make.

All we needed was a roll of electrical tape, some barbecue sticks, and a couple of old black stockings.

The wing skeleton is a little tricky.  Let electrical tape save your day.

Then, we just slid the skeletons into each stocking and made sure the stockings clung tautly to the shape of the frames.  Electrical tape did the job again in binding the loose ends of the stockings so it was easier to wrap them around the leash.

The tail is the easy part.  We just took the left over part of one stocking and twined tape around it.  The knotted loop at one end is important.  That's where Alpha's stubby little tail goes.

And  --it's done!  Alpha was a little fussy when we started putting it on her.  But later on, she got comfortable and totally forgot she even had wings!

So I guess it's a date next HOWL-o-ween?