Unlike our home in Quezon City, where our house was situated outside the village and on a main road, our new subdivision is a gated community. Whoever owned the dog probably just lived within a block or two, so we really couldn’t take him in. Besides, he had a collar (he obviously had a family who cared enough about him to gift him with a collar), but no tag or any form of identification. Luckily, we chanced upon his owners roaming the streets looking for him.

We fortunately haven’t lost any of our dogs yet. Not even the turtle. We always make sure that the gate remains closed for fear they might wander about, but the thought that somebody in the household might forget gives me the compulsion to check on my pets ever so often. They didn’t have any form of identification — if they’re lost, they’re lost. They’re too cute and friendly, and I won’t be surprised that whoever finds them might not want to look for us. Luckily, Shantee, Kubrick and Pixel were given a chance to try out Will Wag for Tags‘ custom pet name and info tags for this blog.

The pet tags are about the size of a one-Peso coin, but it could already contain your pet’s name, your contact number and address. That’s enough to make it easy for people to find you in case you lose your pet. Although pet microchips offer a more permanent solution (the microchip is embedded directly into your pet’s skin), this technology requires a scanner to read the information in the chip. Some vets have this technology, some don’t. The thing is, you still need to bring the lost pet to somebody who does have the scanner to know how to contact the owner from the microchip. That’s quite a hassle, especially if you don’t have a vet with the technology near you — also considering the fact that the pet you found might not even have a microchip in the first place.

With a pet tag, you basically just need to know how to read The owner’s info is displayed on plain sight, you can easily read it and try to contact him/her. And best of all, it’s cheaper. Will Wag for Tags’ Pet Info Tags, which can contain pet’s name, owner’s contact info and address, costs only Php450. You can also add a charm accessory of your choice (this depends on availability in stock though).

If you only want to put your pet’s name and have the tag solely for decorative, dog fashionista purposes, it’s cheaper. A Pet Name Tag costs Php250, while a Limited Edition Pet Name Tag is Php350.

For the pet tags of Shantee, Kubrick, and Pixel, I made sure that our phone number is engraved aside from their names. I only have a prepaid cellphone SIM, so a landline phone number was the more practical choice to put. I wasn’t really that picky about how decorative the tags were (they were already pretty nice by themselves in my opinion), so I just left the decorating to Kristine of Will Wag for Tags. I simply gave her an overview of my dogs personalities: Kubrick, the athletic “alpha dog commander” of our pack; Shantee, the camera-loving diva of Dog Fashionista; and Pixel, Shantee and Kubrick’s loyal but a bit shy and timid daughter. Looking at these tags, I’d say she’d done a pretty good job! Clean engravings, with designs that fit my dogs’ personality perfectly

If you want to get a pet tag for your pooch (or cat, or turtle, or whatever animal you have who will allow you to put a collar on him), visit Will Wag for Tags website for more details and photos of their tag designs.

Will Wag for Tags
Mobile: (0927) 3112306
Email: Willwagfortags(at)gmail.com
Website: http://www.willwagfortags.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/WillWagforTags

Of course, the Dog Fashionista Shantee needs to be the first dog to try it!

The Mango and Neem scent smells really good. It’s subtle, but can still get rid of the “doggy B.O.” my dogs have when they haven’t been given baths in a while.

Best of all, it’s organic! Doggie Sudz Mango and Neem is vegan-certified, making it gentle enough for everyday use. It’s been raining on and off lately, so the dogs haven’t been taking a bath as often. But when the weather’s good, I make sure that they do take a bath. We take them out for walks frequently, and their fur usually gather up a lot of dust after… So baths are a must!

Another thing I like about this shampoo is how it promotes healthy skin and lustrous hair. The dogs are so fluffy! It’s like cuddling stuffed toys whenever I give them hugs

And last but not the least, the shampoo also soothes insect bites and repels insects naturally. This is particularly useful as we usually let the dogs play outside in the yard, where they get to encounter mosquitoes and other insects that could potentially harm them.

That’s Shantee in the process of being blown-dry. Blow-drying is probably her favorite part of bath time — she probably likes the soothing sensation of brushing and the warmth of the blow dryer

We’ve only used Doggie Sudz on our dogs twice, but we can already see the difference it made on our doggies’ fur — smells good and unusually (but pleasantly) soft.

You can get Doggie Sudz at Bow & Wow stores in Shangri-La Mall (Mandaluyong) or Greenbelt Makati. It’s also available in Lavender & Neem. For more details, visit the official Bow & Wow website.

The Dog Fashionista was starting to stink, so I figured it was time to make use of the Pet Express Php100 off Bath and Blow Dry gift certificate we got during the TailRunners pet and human fun run last summer. The event was starting a bit later than the scheduled 1pm, but we were already in Cubao by 11:30am so there was still time to have Shantee showered.

After some verification, I paid for the remaining cost for Bath and Blow Dry. Shantee’s fur is still short, so our favorite groomer from Georgette’s Closet advised we let it grow first before another full grooming session. So bath it is. Shouldn’t take too long, right? Wrong.

The lady gave us a number, and I deposited Shantee to her cage. I left my mobile number, and the lady said she’ll just send me a text message when Shantee is ready. About an hour and a half later, I was able to have my lunch already but still no text. I figured I just head back to Pet Express, maybe they just forgot to contact me. But I was in for a surprise when I got there: Shantee was still on queue.

I waited for another hour. I was getting edgy. We were already so late for the event in Ali Mall, and I could see through the glass Shantee was looking scared. You see, she’s not used to being caged — specially not the type of cage she was in where the only source of light was the front where the cage door is. The back and the sides of her cage were solid metal, not the grill type. I think it’s rather effective keeping dogs from neighboring cages from snarling at each other, but for Shantee, it was scary.

Three hours in, and Shantee’s still in the cage. I asked how long before she’d be given a bath, and the now-attending lady said three more would be given full grooming before her bath — one of which was a group of cats. I don’t know how many they were, but apparently, Shantee would have to wait for more hours before she got her turn at having a simple bath. I passed by Shantee’s cage and saw how huge and scared her eyes were. I told the crew to let my dog out.

They couldn’t get Shantee out. She was huddled in the corner of the dark cage. I had to coax my poor baby out, and when I did, I felt her heart beat so fast and her eyes wide with fear. She eventually calmed down, then sat beside me in the waiting area.

It was already a bit past 3pm. We were so late for our event already and she still haven’t been given a bath. I was already frustrated, my dog stressed out for nothing, and we were so late. I asked for a refund, and they told me I couldn’t. They would just give me a gift certificate of some sort valid only for one month — they were expecting me to just go back. SERIOUSLY?! I didn’t lose my cool entirely, but I think they noticed I was beyond pissed. I asked for their manager, and told them outright I will not return to their facility just to have my dog given a bath. We live in Cainta, and there was no way I will make another trip just for that within the one-month deadline they set. Just give me my refund, I said.

The crew and the manager were actually nice about it, saying that they really couldn’t give me my money back. So ok, fine, they could have my money but I was never ever coming back. I basically paid them to stress out my dog, but I tried not to think of it that way and just attributed that loss to learning experience. I was ready to cry in frustration. I guess it shown in my face, because the manager suggested if I could spare them a few minutes to have Shantee move up the queue and give her the bath since it shouldn’t take long anyway. Shantee’s fur was still short (not in its full Shih Tzu glory), and it should only take a few minutes. I accepted the peace offering, and let them work on Shantee.

You know, had I known my dog would have to wait three hours just to have a 15-minute bath and blow dry, I would never have bothered bringing her there. I wasn’t warned beforehand that a dog would take hours waiting on queue to be serviced, I only knew that after Shantee already waited three hours in a dark cage. Shantee had already tried a lot of different groomers (this blog is a testament to that), and she had never waited that long in a cage. The most she had waited before this was about an hour max, but never three hours. It probably would have been more than three hours had I not complained.

I’m very grateful at the way the Pet Express crew and manager handled my situation — they were really apologetic at what happened. I’m also glad they found a way to give Shantee her bath. We missed more than half of the program of the event in Ali Mall, but it could have been worse.

I just hope their management will do something about this. They told me that they only have two groomers and a lot of clients — ok, good to know their business is booming, but making animals wait for hours at a time might actually make them lose clients in the long run. Maybe it’s time for them to hire more groomers? Pet Express has a great facility, and their groomers are trained well. I watched them work on other dogs for more than an hour, I’ve seen they’re pretty good. But obviously undermanned. And please, do warn your customers beforehand and give an estimate of how long the wait time is so dogs like Shantee — who are not used to being in a cage — won’t have to go through such a traumatic experience.

If hiring more groomers isn’t possible yet, maybe they can implement an appointment system as a short-term solution. That way, owners will more or less have a gauge of when to bring in their pets, and the time the animal spends in the cage won’t take too long. Walk-ins will have to wait, priority given to those with appointment, but should be warned beforehand and given an estimate time of when their pets will be worked on.

I’m impressed at the way Pet Express’ groomers work on their canine clients. The attention to detail, and the gentle way the groomers handled the pets. But I am so disappointed with the wait time, not to mention the failure to warn me of such long wait. I really hope they do something about this.

That’s Kubrick in his summer cutie crew cut with the Pooch Park groomer. We were gone for five days on a trip to El Nido a few weeks back, and unfortunately, Kubrick wasn’t able to have his daily brushing as regularly as usual. And since he doesn’t really care about whatever he walks on, Kubrick’s fur on some parts of his body had become tangled and matted. I was given the option to just have the areas that are too matted to be shaved while the rest remained intact, but I imagined he’d look like an elongated earth globe with a head, feet and tails, so I just opted to let them go all out! Besides, it’s summer already and the heat makes Kubrick very uncomfortable. With his adorable new bob, he’s comfy… and he smells soooo good too!

See that other Shih Tzu in the background? That little guy threw a fit when he saw us pick up Kubrick. According to the Pooch Park Metro East crew, the noisy one is a regular, and they were unfazed at the tantrum he’s throwing. Apparently, the noisy Shih Tzu throws a fit every time he sees another dog gets picked up. But once a staff member pays attention to him, he shuts up He’s just an attention-hungry pup like Shantee

I always make it a point to chat up staff members of grooming salons I take my dogs to even when I’m not writing a review. Talking to them gives me a glimpse of how they treat their canine clients, and if they’re just in it for the love of money and not of dogs. After all, I’ll be leaving my pet under their care for a few hours. I needed to know if they’ll treat my pet right.

So far, I’m very satisfied with the crew of Pooch Park Metro East — they know their canine clients, and seem to have a genuine concern for them. Kubrick was literally shaking in fear when I handed him over to the lady behind the counter, but calmed down a bit when she cooed and comforted him. The interaction between staff and the dogs gave me assurance that my Kubrick was in good hands — he’d be safe until I pick him up after a few hours in the nearby gym.

Pooch Park Doggie Day Care in Robinsons Metro East is strategically located by the entrance of the mall’s fourth level. The mall does not allow dogs to wander about, but Pooch Park is so near the entrance that you can easily drop your dog off their store before doing your shopping. Pooch Park started as a doggie day care center with a purpose: give dog owners a place to stay in a no-pets-allowed establishment. They’ve now expanded to grooming services and selling dog stuff; your dogs get the pampering they deserve while you do your shopping.

What most attracted me to check out Pooch Park when it first opened in Metro East is their unique setup of doggy treats. It’s a like a buffet, a dog’s dream come true! It kind of reminds of the those candy stores usually located near movie theaters, where you get to pick the flavors you want and pile it up inside a bag. Pooch Park’s doggy treats corner is similar to that, though the treats are priced as per piece instead of by weight.

My dogs just adore the “burger” treat — looks like a tiny burger — they absolutely go gaga over the bag of treats I take home for them after a round of workout in the nearby gym.

Pooch Park also has reasonably priced dog clothes. My sister already got Kubrick a dog shirt (Php 250 for a “macho” polo shirt) from them which he wears over his crew cut whenever we turn on the air conditioner in the office so he won’t get cold. They also have these creatively-labeled spoof shirts — my husband particularly like the one with the label “No Gay, connecting pretty” a spoof of “Nokia, connecting people,” it’ll look so funny on a macho-looking dog!!!

Pooch Park Doggy Day Care Metro East has so much to offer to dog-lovers — it’s like a doggy wonderland! Check it out and give your dog the pampering he deserves

Hey wait, there’s more!!! Would you like to be the winner of a gift certificate for an Executive Grooming Package from Pooch Park Doggie Day Care? If the answer is yes, head over to mypetchannel.tv and join Pooch Park’s Sleeping Bow-wowties Photo Contest!

Pooch Park Doggie Day Care
Website: http://poochpark.multiply.com/

J. Vargas Branch
181 Auto Depot Building
Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City
Phone: 910-50-36
Mobile: (0922) 966-33-20

Metro East Branch
Level 4 Robinsons Metro East
Marcos Highway, Pasig City
Phone: 647-70-25
Mobile: (0922) 302-45-66

Woof Pet Premium Condition VCO Dog Shampoo is an all-natural dog shampoo, consisting of virgin coconut oil, vitamin E, lavender oil, aloe vera extract, and hydrolyzed wheat protein.

I’m not too familiar with the scientific explanations of the effects of these ingredients (for that, visit this link), but offhand I can tell you that it did wonders for my dogs’ fur. Although Shantee is the fashionista of the our doggy pack, she’s also the most unfortunate to have fur that has a tendency to become seemingly dry. Her fur looks and feels great after a bath, but a week later, expect it to have a dry texture. And no, my little fashionista doesn’t like getting her paws dirty. Her coat is just that way.

I have to admit that I really wasn’t expecting much when Woof Pet Premium was delivered to me for review. So far, all the dog shampoos we’ve tried turned out the same way: Shantee’s fur is soft and silky a few days after a bath, but a week later it loses its stuffed toy-like softness. Although Woof Pet Premium smells good, the scent isn’t overwhelmingly strong that you really wouldn’t expect it could mask the “stinky dog” smell. But still, I gave it a shot and tried the shampoo on our two Shih Tzus and five native dogs — then waited for about a week to see how it will turn out.

Harry, our happy-go-lucky Japanese Spitz and aspin (asong pinoy) mix

I got results I didn’t quite expect. Shantee’s fur remained soft and silky even after more than a week. Same with our other dogs. Their coats are still as soft as cotton — my husband even says their fur are so “fluffy” they look like sheep! They don’t have the “doggy cologne” scent, but they all seem to have this naturally good doggy smell. Experiment: success!

But that’s not all. Kubrick, our other Shih Tzu, isn’t exactly who you’d consider a “doggy fashionista.” In fact, he’s the total opposite of Shantee — he loves to get his paws dirty! He likes romping in the garden, rolling in grass, and splashing in water.

But worse is Kubrick’s tendency not to mind where he’s walking. Give him a bath now, he’ll smell good. But give the bath scent around three days and he’ll be smelling like pee, as he really doesn’t care if he walks all over it. It’s part of his charm, and we love him the way he is, but it does complicate grooming and doggy hygiene since we’re really iffy giving him more baths than usual.

I worry about using commercial shampoo on him too often, as the chemicals could ruin his fur or even cause him allergies and skin diseases. Kubrick is such a sweet dog, and he can’t consider a day complete unless he gets at least one hug from each of us. Whenever he starts to smell like pee, it’s really difficult to give him the cuddling he wants (he gives us that heart-breaking sweet look, you just can’t bring yourself to turn him away). But the thing is, we also don’t want him to get skin irritation from the chemicals in dog shampoo.

The best thing I love about Woof Pet Premium are its natural properties. Since it’s formulated using organic ingredients, I can now give Kubrick more baths than usual. I won’t give him baths too often though, I still worry that doing so could possibly dry up his fur’s natural oils. But at least he (and of course, us people he loves to beg for hugs) wouldn’t have to endure smelling like pee for long periods of time waiting for his scheduled bath

Woof Pet Premium Condition VCO Dog Shampoo is now available in selected pet shops, grooming, and specialty stores within the metro. Its proprietor, Benji Ong, pretty much found the formula — so yes, this is proudly a Pinoy-made product. It’s packaged with a spiffy, cute design on the label carrying the tagline, “Made by people who love their pets.” Well, I so agree with that… As only people with genuine concern for their pets can come up with a product that would be good for their pet’s skin and fur.

Want one? Get one now!

For interested buyers and distributors, here’s the contact info:

Woof Pet Premium
Blackbox Trading
123 Don Manuel Aggregado, Q.C. 1113.
Tel. No: (02) 361-2865
woofpremium(at)gmail(dot)com

http://www.woofpetpremium.com