Meet Chiko

It was a couple days before our government in Malaysia put us all on a "looser" lockdown again as cases of Coronavirus started to come up - and I felt compelled to foster a puppy. 

I've always wanted my own dog but my mom and dad have never liked pets so I would only be able to have one if I lived on my own. Unfortunately, every 2 years I move to a new city or a new home so I've never been able to feel confident to own one because my schedule is so up in the air. 

This lockdown meant that 95% of the time for the next 4 weeks, I would most probably be home, and therefore was the perfect opportunity to foster a puppy. I reached out to MyForeverDoggo, an organisation that actively promotes adoption, working with countless shelters and animal rescuers to see if there was a puppy who was looking for a temporary home. 

They replied me instantly and I was connected to a rescuer who just didn't have enough capacity to give a puppy 1:1 time among her brood of rescue dogs, so I gladly picked up Chiko. 

I've had a few dogs in my life with my housemates and I was the convenient babysitter where I'd take the dogs out for walks but I've never looked after a puppy 24/7 before. Fearful that she would pee all around my house, I took many trips to the grassy areas so she could do her business and that took a lot of effort. Even late nights made me worry if she would randomly pee on my expensive rug or chew my shoes (luckily she didnt) and so for the first few days, I was up all night just checking to see if she was alright. 

If I ever want to have kids, this was definitely a good preview in responsibility. It's not like I have a live-in helper that I can dispose responsibilities to, it was just me. I must admit it was a role I didn't realise I had in me - at all. 

These “happy hormones” include:

Dopamine. Also known as the “feel-good” hormone, dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter that’s an important part of your brain’s reward system. Dopamine is associated with pleasurable sensations, along with learning, memory, motor system function, and more.

Serotonin. This hormone (and neurotransmitter) helps regulate your mood as well as your sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.

Oxytocin. Often called the “love hormone,” oxytocin is essential for childbirth, breastfeeding, and strong parent-child bonding. This hormone can also help promote trust, empathy, and bonding in relationships, and oxytocin levels generally increase with physical affection like kissing, cuddling, and sex.

Endorphins. Endorphins are your body’s natural pain reliever, which your body produces in response to stress or discomfort. Endorphin levels also tend to increase when you engage in reward-producing activities, such as eating, working out, or having sex.