A Dog's Life?

WHENEVER I am abandoned by my wife in a shopping mall, I have the tendency of straying into a pet shop and learning a thing or two about the animal kingdom.

There are many things that I can learn about keeping pets, all kind of pets, ranging from cute and cuddly designer dogs to fierce and ugly flying lizards.

One thing I have realized after visiting several pet shops is that it is not bad to lead a dog’s life – not at all unless it is a stray dog.

It is quite a fashion to keep pet dogs as society becomes affluent and the way they are being pampered can easily make some of us turn green with envy.

Of course, these are designer dogs, dogs with great parentage proven by birth certificates properly endorsed by licensing authorities.

But, oh, how they enjoy life just being a pet!

They sleep in special baskets, lined with soft bedding. They are regularly groomed and have their fur shampooed, trimmed, coloured and blown dry. They have their nails manicured and their health checked by professionals. There are dog medicine for the sick and vitamins for the old and weak.

I wonder if there is counselling service for dogs which have gone into depression and emotionally unstable. But I do know dog owners talk to their pets as if they are human beings, constantly giving them hugs and kisses to assure them that they are loved.

Some dog owners like to dress up their pet dogs, maybe with a ribbon and a little floral skirt to make it more lady-like if the dog happens to be a female. Some dogs have jackets to protect them from the biting cold in winter.

Just visit some dog shows and you would know how much these little pets are being showered with love and care.

But I must admit that these pets are cute and adorable. Best of all, they are intelligent and affectionate. They provide very good companionship for the owners.

Some are entertaining as they able to do tricky stunts. They are obedient and are able to follow simple commands.

I have seen dogs which can fetch newspapers in the morning or slippers whenever their owners want them. And some are able to dance, standing on their hind legs while offering a hand-shake is quite common.

Just visit a circus and you would often see them working as a team, doing all kind of tricks at the command of their master.

Even in the ancient city of Beijing, you would see pet owners, mostly women, taking their pet dogs for a walk in the morning. Most of these little pets are not on leash and they often wander into nooks and corners, sniff here and give a little yap there.

But they would make sure that their owners are within sight and would follow at a safe distance.

During summer, some of them would curl up in the bosom of their owners or sit comfortably in a basket on a bicycle cruising in the wind. During winter, they would be wearing little jackets to keep warm. I was once given a skinny little dog with spiky ears, bulging eyes and with little fur. He could not wag his tail because it was too short and he could only do some yapping instead of barking.

But this little fellow liked to be cuddled. Given a little opportunity, he would jump onto your lap and make himself comfortable there, whether you like it or not.

It was not my idea of a furry pet dog. It does take a bit of effort to love a skinny little doggie with spiky ears and bulging eyes, right? And so, it was given away eventually.

When I saw those little furry pets walking around the manicured gardens in Beijing, I was very tempted to own one. I even had an assurance from my house help that she would look after it if I went on home leave or eventually when I had to leave China.

Of course, there are many pet shops in the city. But if you don’t want the hassle of going to the pet shops, look out for girls selling puppies near underground stations.

The puppies are put in little baskets, like little balls of fur and whenever you stop to observe them, they look at you with curiosity. I was greatly tempted but my wife remained unconvinced.

Firstly, she rationalized, we stayed in an apartment and we might have problem with the management and secondly, we might not have time to take it for a walk and exercise on a daily basis.

The result was predictable. I didn’t get the dog.

But suffice to say that dogs in China don’t always end up on the dining table as an exotic dish. They are pets, some of them definitely lead a better life than many people.