When it comes to “household dogs,” people may have various images in mind. For some, it’s a kind-hearted, giant friend of the family, while for others, it’s a free-spirited, mischievous breed living life to the fullest. At the same time, there are compact-sized furry companions with soft coats, running around the neighborhood, capturing the hearts of everyone they meet.

For K. Ake, his household friend Khao Pun holds a special place in his heart. This white bundle of joy has been a part of the family for a whopping 13 years, from the days when Khao Pun was a tiny, computer mouse-sized puppy to growing up into a Maltipoo – a delightful blend of Poodle and Maltese. Let’s dive into the heartwarming story of Khao Pun!

Please introduce yourself and your friend! 

Hello, I’m Ake, and for this white fluff, this is N’ Khao Pun. Well, he’s not really young anymore. He’s 13 now, and I have no idea what breed he is. At first, we thought he was a toy poodle, but as he grew, we thought maybe a Maltipoo. But we think he’s a mix of both.

Why did you pick the name “Khao Pun”

When he first came, he was as big as a computer mouse! So small, in the palm of our hands. At first, we were thinking of a name for this white, tiny, creature. So we took a photo and sent it in the LINE family chat for some name inspiration. Khao Pun got the most hits and over 20-30 people agreed! So we ended up with that because he does look like a rice ball, like a sushi, that’s why his name is Khao Pun.

Khao Pun loves carrots??

He’s definitely a carrot lover. We found out purely by coincidence, because I had a dog before Khao Pun, and we fed them whatever we ate, we fed them as well – so human food. Then a lot of complications came, so that’s why we tried to be better with Khao Pun. We feed him kibble, and also some boiled veggies. At first, we gave him carrots and cabbage, and it was his favorite! If you look at his skin, he has amazing skin. Because there’s a lot of Beta-Carotine in carrots, he became a beautiful-skinned dog.

Does Khao Pun like to dress up? 

Yes, but he’s easily agitated. So it’ll last a couple of minutes. But the moment he starts to get possessive, whether it would be a shirt, he would love it. So when we tell him it’s time to dress up, he’ll run to the closet because he wants it. But only for a few seconds. He absolutely loves dressing up, he loves picking out his outfits.

What’s Khao Pun’s most memorable infamous event? 

He’s a rascal. Infamous events are his middle name! He acts like such a gangster when we’re around. He’s always down for some trouble. But when we’re not around, he gets sad. When the plumber comes to the house, it’s like the world is ending – chasing them around, but he won’t bite. But suddenly when he’s left alone with the plumber, they’re friends! Wow, why did I get you? You don’t protect our house!

But he gets very excited when there’s a lot of people. With the fact that he’s the only dog, we suspect he doesn’t believe that he’s a dog. He thinks he’s another person. When he meets other dogs, like when I take him to the mall, or anywhere that’s pet-friendly like Central Eastville, he’ll enjoy the moment. But when he sees another dog, especially a small dog, he will get so scared! Like so scared, probably thinking “What are you?” to the other friends. “I’ve never seen a creature like you before!” and he’ll run, run to hide like he’s terrified. Terrified of his own kind.

Being pet parents as a couple

Well, Khao Pun is actually clingier with my girlfriend than me. I’ll take him out to walkies, and meal times, so these responsibilities are mine. But with my girlfriend, he lives with her and gets affection from her. So it’s easy to separate our roles because they differ so much.

How has Khao Pun changed your life? 

Lots of Chaos. Good chaos. He has his own routine, when he wakes up, walkies, bathroom time, lunchtime, he has everything set. His little rituals and routines. So we adapt to his schedule. But sometimes in the morning, if I don’t wake up early, he’ll adapt to me and wake up late with me. He’s probably scared he’ll get time out otherwise because he needs the air conditioning! He loves the AC and we sleep together. He moves around, and he loves walking on the bed, but we got used to it.

Anything else for the audience? 

If I had to say something then it has to be about giving love to your pets. Everyone probably does. So maybe we can talk about their food and diet. Because I see a lot of it nowadays, where pet parents just feed their dogs everything. But it can cause ill effects in dogs. I used to give my old dog human food and found out there were so many complications that it could cause. So when Khao Pun came along, he already enjoyed the food we gave him. Kibble, vegetables, boiled, sometimes he gets bored of it, but it’s about their longevity. He’s old but he’s still healthy with no serious conditions. So I believe their diet is so crucial. So they can stay with us for a long time. So I guess diet is what I would recommend pet parents focus on, so pets can be healthy.

The story of K. Ake and Khao Pun shows that witnessing the growth of something can be truly unbelievable. From a tiny puppy, Khao Pun has blossomed into a healthy, happy, and smart white furball, sharing their lives together for over a decade. They’ve learned and experienced new things together, and the term “household dog” may sound a bit too modest when compared to the memories they’ve created.

MyFriend would like to thank K. Ake and Khao Pun for welcoming us into their home and sharing their heartwarming journey involving a beloved canine companion. You can follow Khao Pun’s adorable adventures on Instagram @khaopun_thedog

Next week, MyFriend will introduce you to another wonderful story. Don’t forget to stay tuned!

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