Guapa, No?

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The Dog. Isn’t she cute? I thought she should get her own post on Valentine’s day. Sometimes I am almost certain that one can love one’s pets (or animals) possibly more than some other humans, despite that being somehow politically or religiously incorrect these days. I mean, I think I would “love” the dog more than I would “love” some serial killer or other heinous crime perpetrator. Think of all the millions if not billions of dollars spent to save animal species from extinction, nurture injured wildlife and release them back into the wild, or help birds and sea creatures affected by say, oil tanker spills while billions of humans starve… Or the size of the dogfood/pet paraphernalia industry for that matter. I was reading up on cannibalism lately, trying to figure out when it was no longer considered acceptable human behavior to eat other humans, and realized many folks could still have been referred to as being cannibalistic up until just 600-700 years ago. That’s pretty recent, in historical terms. And there are a few cannibals still amongst the nearly 6? billion humans currently on the planet. The thought came up because of a recent hypothetical discussion over what different body parts might taste like, say would my belly be as fatty as a pork liempo… But back to the dog…

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The Dog is a chocolate labrador retriever, and picked out by the Teen some 8 years ago. She seems like the runt of her litter, and is small but incredibly loving and loyal. Over the Christmas holidays, we decided to bring her with us to the beach. It was her first long car ride and first holiday by the seashore. She LOVED it. If she could speak, she would have definitely said “what took you so long?” Labradors have a natural affinity for the water, and her relatives not so long ago were probably retrieving ducks shot out of the air into the swamps off of Labrador.

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She was most fascinated by the sea, the waves, and the vast amounts of salty water. She is seen here in the first few photos perched on a rock, trying to “catch” something in the water. She stuck her entire head under water on several occasions and I was rather concerned she was going to drown or something.

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She was also equally happy to hang out on the lanai, munching on her new raw hide bone she got in her Christmas stocking… After a fresh water bath following all that bothersome salt and sand from the swim in the ocean…

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A bit of sunbathing and a little “lick your lips action” in anticipation of a treat or snack.

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A large yawn…

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…and a midday nap in the sun. :) From The Dog to all her dog cousins and human loved ones around the world, Happy Valentine’s Day!

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56 Responses

  1. Happy Valentine’s Day to you, MM and family :) What a lovely dog! She looks so cute and friendly. Btw, I think I am also guilty of loving my cat more than other humans… Haha!

  2. “Sometimes I am almost certain that one can love one’s pets (or animals) possibly more than some other humans, despite that being somehow politically or religiously incorrect these days.”
    SOO TRUE!
    Our beagle and 8 hand-reared cockatiels mean more to me than my ILs lol
    Your guapa companion is adorable!

  3. Reminds me of a description of a sharp trial lawyer in Law & Order, “she can persuade the jury Jeffry Damher had an eating disorder.”

    600 to 700 years ago? I thought a Rockefeller heir disappeared (into the digestive tracts of tribe members) in New Zealand in the fifties.

  4. i always admire the way french treat their pets most especially dogs. just like what u have mentioned, they even love their dogs more than humans sometimes. i have read some cases of divorce because of their dog. apparently, the wife wants the dog to sleep in the same bed with them. there are a lot more cases like that wherein either wife/husband prefers spending time with the dog than with the spouse. i especially like how their pet dogs dress for winter. absolutely fabulous! in paris, we can see ladies strolling with their dogs, and the dogs are dressed like their owners! they are often dressed with designers clothes. and recently here, they introduced dogs/cats hotel, wherein owners can leave their pets while they go on vacation. and mind u , it’s quite pricey! they also have pet spa, pet social club and a gourmet épicerie wherein they sell luxury treats for dogs such as friand with foie gras etc, and a special champagne for dogs as well !

  5. Yes…Most definitely agree…Happy Valentines’s…MM (JB) and Family..Dawg included. My Filipina wife before she moved to Abu Dhabi wanted to get rid of my Persian-Siamese Cat…now she cannot rest till the Cat is cuddling in her arms, and at night sleeping next to her head on her pillow…Animals also have a way with Children and love them dearly ..specially autistic children.
    Also reminds me of a story Doc Alex the dentist told me..seems one of his Filipina Matron patients got a lot of dental work done..then she could not pay him…so she said take one of my Labradors..and Doc Alex reluctantly did..later when one of his crew was walking the dog he just tied it to a post and started watching some parade…later he told Doc Alex…Senor problem…a Doberman raped the Lab…Doc Alex ran to his Vet Friend…who told him the Dobermann is a shooter and later the Lab had pups. Now Doc Alex cannot do without his Labrador…Chocolate.

  6. ohhhh…i love dogs… i have a black labrador ….i have given up on him last New Year’…he was so weak the morning after the celebration…maybe from stress from all the noise…plus the fact that he’s quite old na rin…11 years old.. so in human years ..he’s already 77 years old….i thought of calling the vet for a home service…..luckily the vet agreed.. now…Ash…is again up & about…i tried to spend more time with him..knowing that sooner or later…he will take a bow……btw…i also have a black male mini pincher…named Wish…best friend now to Ash…

  7. Why do we love our pets more than other humans? It’s their unconditional love! Happy Valentine’s day!

  8. Kung minsan hindi rin masisisi na mas mahalin ng tao ang hayop kaysa sa kapwa tao…mas madalas na ang tao ay higit na walang hiya at masama, at lalong higit na masakit kung ang naminsala sa iyo ay kadugo o malapit sa inyo.

    Salamat sa post, MM – your post is really about love.

  9. labradors make great pets, such unconditional love! they say you could always tell a lot by a person in the type of pet he/she prefers whether dog or cat, with cat owners perceived as more feminine, hehe

  10. Lovely post. Today is our Daisy’s birthday. She’s 12. She’s a golden retriever of sort. We suspect she had ADD for dogs as she is super hyper even though she’s 12 now. When my husband got her when she was 2 weeks old, her name was wiggly. She’s mellowed a bit now. Daisy is love. Hope our beloved pets stay healthy.

  11. I did not greet my wife Happy Valentine’s Day first thing this morning. And now I’m in the doghouse. I love it.

  12. Happy Valentines MM!

    Beautiful Dog! Have you watched “Hachi” or “Hachiko” starring Richard Gere? Truly heartwarming (aka super tear jerker). Watch it!

  13. Not to be a Debbie downer on a lovely valentine post – for any dog owner, please be vigilant with your dogs and those rawhide bones. As it gets small enough that the dog can swallow a good size chunk, take it away before they do. Rawhide swells in their stomach and a large dog, or an aggressive chewer of any size, can swallow a large enough piece to cause major problems.

    I wish everyone a happy VD! Ha!

  14. Thanks and happy Valentine, Mr. Marketman! A bit of trivia: Your Labradors ancestors were used by fishermen to retrieve fish and to help haul in fishing nets. Friends with Labs have told me this is the reason for their webbed feet and large flexible mouths. Must have felt like deja vu for The Dog when you took him to the seaside.

  15. Belated VD greetings! MM,your dog is so gorgeous! We have 3 cats; a birman and 2 cats we got from the pet’s home. They are also wonderful pets,but they are the bosses of the house so we just follow orders from them. Dogs have masters and cats have staff! Hahahahahaha!

  16. Hi Marketman,
    Isa is right about the rawhide–it can be dangerous for dogs that tend to swallow chunks. Also, never EVER leave a dog unattended with a slip collar, they are incredibly dangerous. Most trainers today do not use slip collars, too much risk of damage to the dog’s larynx (and Labradors are especially prone to laryngeal paralysis). I would highly recommend switching to a plain buckled collar (or a well-fitted harness) for safety. Labs are also famously prone to being overweight, and your girl looks like she could do with a tad more waistline. (As could most of us, I wager!) :)
    Take her swimming more often–great exercise and it’s what she is bred to do.

  17. kurzhaar and isa, thanks for tips, small raw hide bones will be removed. As for the slip collar, it was the trainer that introduced it, and only used when she goes for walks. Otherwise, she is collarless at home.

  18. Aaaawww! What a cutie! I really love her color! Belated Valentines greetings to you and the whole family (including of course this beauty pictured here) :)

  19. she’s so adorable. thanks for featuring your dog. Belated happy valentines day to you and your family. greetings from me and our 2 dogs Antonina and bamboo (mom dog and makulit na anak).

  20. Your Lab is beautiful. I for one have had labs for years now and i just cant get enough of them. I started with 1 now i have 4.
    We indeed love our pets more than we love our humans. Why is that? For me, simply because pets give us unconditional love and with that unconditional love it brings no judgement and they dont tell us what to do and what not to do. They are just there to give it all.

  21. Now I really miss my black Lab terribly! Her name is Pasta and I haven’t seen her for almost a month. Been travelling here in the US. She’s 4 months old. And yes, mas marami syang pasalubong than the rest.

  22. Belated Happy Valentine’s from a first-time commenter, Mr MarketMan! Love your dog. :)

    We spent our whole Valentine’s Day giving our two Shih Tzu a bath, shave trim, and tooth brushing. They were not very happy about it (especially that toothbrush!), but we sure were! I, for one, love animals more than humans. I think it was a V-day well-spent with my bf and furry family. :)

    Hope you have a great day ^^

  23. she is so guapa indeed! i remembered my own black Labrador, Nami. She was always drawn to the water, even if it’s just in a batya she would plonk herself down and play. Maybe we love our pet dogs more than humans because of their capacity to love us with no judgement.

  24. Wow she is so cute! My mother also has a black Lab whom we named Potter (from H. Potter) and aaaw those eyes! These labs can get away with anything with just those eyes! Our Potter is like the third child of my nanay and is considered as the bunso of the family. Only problem with Labs (or at least with Potter) is that they often underestimate their strength haha because they are sooo playful and malambing! Sometimes they hurt the person they are playing with unintentionally. haha!

    This is such a nice post for V Day, MM! Galing! Posting a different but equally important and fulfilling kind of love :-)

  25. Happy VDay!

    This being a cooking/food blog specializing in Pinoy dishes, will you be offended if I raise the subject of dog meat? People will find it disagreeable, but I have to say it is part of the real Pinoy cuisine, specially in the provinces.

    Asocena recipe, anyone?

    -Jack

  26. Perfect post for Valentine’s Day =)

    I once read a book about a child who wanted to have a dog so much, she told her father “Did you know that dog is GOD spelled backwards?”

    We have to admit, sometimes dogs deserve to be loved more than humans. =)

    Perfect photos too by the way!

  27. Hi Marketman,
    Get your girl a new “outfit” for her walks, and DUMP that trainer. :) No-one should use a slip collar to train a dog. I speak as one who used them in the dark ages, to my own shame…but having trained dogs over some 4 decades I have seen the changes towards a more intelligent and more effective way of training. I would even use a prong collar over a slip collar as there is far less likelihood of injuring the dog.
    In our house, the dogs go collarless at home, wear a plain leather buckled safety collar for their tags and a harness for their seatbelt or leash. They are both tattooed and microchipped as well. I like the SENSE-ation harness for its versatility but there are several good harness designs on the market.
    Pats and tummy rubs to your girl. :)

  28. Yippee! Finally the Dog gets her own post. She’s made a few cameo appearances in past posts, but this is special. I love that you treat your lab like a member of the family.

  29. Your dog is soooo cute! I just felt like hugging her! I love this post. Belated happy valentine!

  30. The color chocolate in the Labrador breed are hard hard to find this days. Normally it’s the yellow and black color are the most common types.

    Being a dog lover and breeder myself, I am glad that you took out your dog with you on the beach. Labradors like the water so much that they think that they are ducks….

  31. Aww, MM. This has got to be my favorite non-food-related post. Ever. Belated Valentine greetings to The Dog (and her humans!) from me and my soon-to-be-five yr old pooch. :)

  32. so cute! im sure she’s being pampered…

    i have a dog too and i love him through and through…

    belated happy v day and may the year of the tiger bring you more blessings! more power!

  33. our wifi at the boat is so bad….. a bit late but this is such a cute post and make me miss my last dog…. am heading to the bahamas…

  34. She is so lovely! I remember a black labrador back in Moalboal that swam with us and we had so much fun playing catch with it! The owner said it originally belonged to an expat but he had to leave the dog with him because the dog didnt want to get back in the car. It was the first time I came across a dog who enjoyed swimming and fetched coconuts! Belated happy V-day!

  35. ohhhh, sweet….im a dog lover too…but recently my dog, Bob died…nag ka sipon…i took him to a vet, he was given medicine and told to go home and observe lg daw…the next day,when i came home from work,yun medyo silent ang people sa house and then i asked them “where’s bob?”…dead na daw…:( nailibing na.. the next day, the vet called me up and asked,”how’s bob?”… ang sakit2x im still heartbroken…

  36. Belated Valentine’s Greeting to the very guapa G, and the rest of the MM family. Am typing this sideways as my kitten has decided to sleep on my leg. The things we let our pets do.

  37. Be careful of rawhide as the dog can choke on it especially when it’s chewed on and it becomes slippery and unravels.

    I like dogs better than people, LOL!

    Grab some deboned chicken breasts bake them on a flat tray whatever they are called the ones used for cookies. Just put some olive oil on tray before baking the chix breast. Bake for an hour dogs LOVE IT!

    I also cook for my dogs, it’s “ulam” on top of their kibble. LOL!

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