How to take care of a new pandemic pet

Here we go again! A new pet means another round of dog training, but this time, it’s a Beagle! Here’s how we take care of a new pandemic pet.

If you are going to ask me if having a pet was ever a plan, I’d say not really. You’d see my daughter and me posting lots of travel photos, playground tours, and food vlogs. Although having a pet brings warmth, the commitment of taking care of a living thing overwhelms me. But now that our little fur ball of energy is here, I have nothing but a welcoming cuddle and a bowl of pup food for her.

We already have Amica, our mix-breed Pomapoo. She’s half Pomeranian and Poodle. However, since we got her, she’s been having these health conditions that may not be safe for children. My daughter would always say how much she misses Amica. Lucky for her, her Tita Ninang gifted her a new fur buddy, a healthy and loving Beagle!

How I prepared for the new pet

I’ve read blogs and watched videos about Beagles to learn about the personality. And as much as I want the idea of a new puppy for my daughter, I’m not gonna lie. I was surprised to discover a lot about the Beagle’s characters. It’s given that they are playful, friendly, and energetic. I get that; they’re dogs, after all. But when I found out that they have all sorts of sounds like howling, grunting, and barking, that’s a problem! We live in a condo, so I’m not sure how a Beagle’s personality could fit in our small space. Beagles are natural hunters, so you can imagine how much energy their mid-size body packs. And true enough, as soon as I carried our two-month-old pup, I was surprised at its chunky thighs. She was heavy! She also has a big appetite, so; I won’t have any problems feeding her because she could eat just about any pup food. But it also meant she’s ready to chew anything she finds on the floor. I knew I’d be busy training her. That’s why I’m arming myself with lots of treats and a stern voice to complete the dog trainer package.

Where did we get her name

Our first pup’s name is Amica. It means friend in Italian. It only makes sense if we could name our Beagle that means the same thing. So, my daughter’s aunties suggested Tomodachi, which means friend in Japanese. But Tomodachi is just way too long. We shortened it out to Dachi, but Kerrigan finds it easier to say Dashi. And voila! We voted it out, and so the name Dashi won. It also resembles the word dash. Does it mean that we will be running a lot? Oh no!

What were the first commands we taught her

I have binge-watched lots of dog training videos from Brandon’s Masterclass to Ceasar’s dog training videos. It’s where I’m getting my confidence that I can do this again. But learning that Beagles are stubborn got me a bit worried. So, on day 1, I already taught her the basic commands like sit, wait and stay. And to my surprise, she learned quickly! I also made sure she knows what ‘leave it’ means, and I’m using it a lot! Oh my, this pup loves to chew stuff, and it doesn’t matter what it is for as long as it’s nibbling random things, she’s happy! At this point, I won’t be surprised if she thinks her name is Leave It!