Malay Mail - From sleeping in their own room to specially-prepared food, some dogs in Malaysia get pampered by their owners

Muristek

From sleeping in their own room to specially-prepared food, some dogs in Malaysia get pampered by their owners

Link [2022-04-08 07:13:48]

Grooming centres are providing socialising services for dogs where they are put in open areas with other dogs to let them mingle with each other. — Picture by Farhan Najib

IPOH, April 8 — She has her own air-conditioned bedroom that is equipped with countless toys.

But sometimes Bozzi the Silky Terrier still sneaks into her human daddy Richard Lee’s bedroom to sleep on his bed.

Welcome to the world of dogs who share a good life with humans.

Richard Lee said Bozzi the Silky Terrier sleeps in an air-conditioned room and gets daily car ride. — Picture courtesy of Richard Lee

Lee, a sole proprietor, said besides sleeping in air-conditioned rooms, Bozzi also goes for daily car rides.

“I take her for a 30-minute spin in the car before she calls it a day,” said Lee of his four-year-old dog.

As people move away from having children, pets, especially dogs are taken in to provide companionship.

A study conducted last year found almost 50 per cent of households in Malaysia kept pets.

To ensure Bozzi is in the pink of health, Lee feeds her home-cooked meals instead of store bought kibbles.

“She has a choice of tuna, salmon or pork that are either grilled or steamed,” he said, adding that for snacks, Bozzi eats cream crackers.

Bozzi’s special diet is from Lee’s years of experience in keeping dogs.

“Before Bozzi, I had another Silky Terrier that suffered from a host of health issues.”

“She only recovered after I switched her diet to home-cooked,” said the 60-year-old, who cannot keep track of how much money he spends on Bozzi.

Besides her special diet and daily car rides, Bozzi also gets to meet her friends during her outings at grooming centres.

“As she stays at home alone most of the time due to my schedule, I would sometimes send her for daycare to let her play with other dogs.”

Businesswoman Eunice Chen said her three dogs are not caged at home and they get to sleep with her in her bedroom at night. — Picture courtesy of Eunice Chen

Like Lee, businesswoman Eunice Chen’s three dogs — two poodles and one shih tzu — move around her house freely.

A non-believer of the cage, the 32-year-old said the trio also sleep with her in her bedroom at night.

“They are very close to me and they are like my babies.”

While Chen spends up to RM600 for their food, she also sends them for periodic grooming.

“This is to ensure they have a beautiful coat.”

Special services available for dogs

Like humans, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Some dogs will become anxious and fearful of anything unfamiliar if they are poorly socialised.

Hence, grooming centres are providing socialising services for dogs where they are put in open areas with other dogs to let them mingle with each other.

Friendly Pet House owner Jason Hoe said unlike boarding where dogs are kept in their respective enclosures, some owners would send their dogs for daycare.

“Some dogs turn disruptive when they are left alone at home. So, owners will send them to daycare where their pets get to play and socialise with other dogs and to reduce their energy.”

Gone are also the days where owners groom their pets by themselves.

Friendly Pet House owner Jason Hoe. — Picture by Farhan Najib

Hoe said like humans that go to salons and beauticians for personal grooming, dogs are also sent to grooming centres.

“Pet owners send their dogs for a full grooming which involves trimming of the hair and nails.”

“For owners that want to pamper their pets further, there are also spa sessions where special shampoo is used to help make the dogs hair fluffier and the colour of the hair stand out,” he said.

During special occasions, owners would also ask for special styling for their pet’s hair or even colour it with non-permanent dyes that can be washed off with water.

Specially-prepared food and dining at restaurants

During special occasions, there is food specially for dogs to usher in the festive season. — Picture via Facebook/ FurrenzPets

As people get more health conscious, they too want their pets to stay healthy.

While some owners feed their pets the mass produced kibbles, Furrenz.com provides pets with freshly-prepared food that helps to keep pets healthy.

Its operator SY Cheah said their dog food is made from a wide range of meat such as poultry, wild boar, lamb, beef, duck and fish.

“In the meat, we add vitamins, supplements, vegetables, fruits and innards,” she said, adding that the meat is fed raw.

Cheah said among the plus points of feeding pets raw food are they will have nicer coats.

“Sometimes pet owners feed their pets raw food due to the pet’s health issues.”

During festive seasons, Cheah also has food to celebrate the occasion.

“The next occasion we will be celebrating is the Dumpling Festival. Instead of the glutinous rice, my Zhong Zhi will be made from meat only.”

The specially made festive food, said Cheah, was to ensure dogs are not left out from celebrating the various celebrations.

If eating at home does not float your boat, there are also pet friendly eateries that allow four legged customers.

Owners can bring their pets to eateries that are friendly to pets to celebrate special occasions. — Picture from Facebook/ CuBs & CuPs Cubs and Cups co-owner Peyman Baba Shamsi said besides providing food for pet owners, their cafe at Desa Sri Hartamas also caters to pets.

“For pet owners, they have a choice of fusion food while their pets get to choose from poultry, pork, fish and vegetables.”

To celebrate special occasions such as birthdays, Peyman said the cafe also assists pet owners.

“Owners can book our cafe and invite other pet owners to celebrate their pet’s special occasion.”