SNOW is not the forever-conflicted Jon Snow of the hit TV series Game of Thrones which finally ended this week, not with a bang but with a dud!
What a bummer! Whatever happened to the final episode, only the storyteller can tell!
Snow is neither frosty white nor warmly human. Snow is not a cartoon character either.
Snow is my dog! Yes, and he will turn three on June 2nd, the day he was delivered by Marilyn Arbilo, my good cook of a neighbor, in my humble abode. By the way, Marilyn prepares the best Carbonara ever! Promise!
I saw Snow as a puppy growing up. We took care of him like a real pet. Needless to say, I love my dog. He is very loyal to me, and the rest of the family of course, who play with him regularly.
My son says Snow acknowledges that I am the alpha human in the house. Translation: I am the boss. Does that sound wicked? Haha!
As a kid, I grew up with several dogs in my family home in Tagbilaran City. However, they were not treated as pets. They were guard dogs. I never attempted to bathe or cuddle them. I just fed them. In my young mind, I thought they were filthy.
Spotty was an exception though. I remembered playing with him occasionally. Spotty stayed with us for nearly a decade.
With Snow, I am very caring. I bathe him regularly. He obviously likes it because he doesnât move a tiny bit every time I do.
When he was less than two years old and allowed to run free outside the house â I thought he needed the exercise, much to my chagrin, he contracted fleas. Blast the neighborhood dogs! Truly despicable! It gave me stress.
I had to consult a pet owner on the best way to eradicate it. I bought and applied the liquid medicine to get rid of the pests. I had to do it routinely until the last pest was removed. Yes, I had the patience to do that. Wonder of wonders!
I remember the schedules for his vaccination and I get upset whenever the vaccination is delayed. One time, I threw a fit for the delay, threatening to drive the dog out and leave him by the roadside.
I learned a lot about his behavior like when he wags his tail when he is excited; barks at strangers but behaves when sensing familiar scents or people; growls at the neighborâs cat wearing a pink collar with a bell – one time, I witnessed them growling at each other, ready to attack; barks at other dogs he sees from his vantage point; and pees on corners and plants to establish his territory. Very territorial indeed!
I donât cuddle him, hug or play with him. Itâs the job of the other members of the family. Mine is bathing him and feeding him. Sometimes he is overfed that he doesnât touch his food anymore. When this happens, the ants are genuinely happy.
One time, he barked at his water bowl. When I checked, a fat frog was enjoying the water, haha! Smart frog! It wasnât even scared by the bark. It was oblivious to the scowl of Snow. Fat frog was probably thinking this was his kingdom. He was entrenched in it and no dog can dethrone him. Fated like Jon Snow huh! Hence, the humans had to throw frog out.
Since I grow a variety of plants in my little garden, I also attract a lot of birds. The birds perch on the trellis and build their nests on my plants, aha! I have a mini-forest or a mini-aviary in my front yard. Being territorial, Snow drives them all out, as well.
Finally, Snow is not royalty. Heâs not like some high-breed dogs that cost thousands. Nah, heâs just an ordinary Pinoy dog but treated like royalty. Thus, he is healthy, muscled, active, playful, loyal, and best of all, with lustrous fur.
***
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight â itâs the size of the fight in the dog. â Dwight D. Eisenhower
***
For comments, you may reach the writer at belca.87@gmail.com/PN
