Lyka and Myka

Pets could mean a problem to me. Furthermore, it becomes a really big problem if the pet happens to be a dog! Oh! No matter how they’re tagged as “man’s bestfriend”, or how adorable they look, dogs still have those fox-like nose, jaw, and teeth that really give me Goosebumps.

Clearly, I have a phobia of dogs and I don’t know or how it started. My heart begins to fear whenever I hear their howls or barks. Moreover, I don’t like it when they approach me.

My stay in Manila has brought me to my aunt’s house. And yes! She has pets! Worse, she has, not one, but two dogs! Named Lyka and Macoi, both of them guard the first and second floors of the house, respectively. Lyka is a female of the Japanese Pits breed. Macoi, on the other hand, is a male of the half-labrador-half askal breed.

However, after about one week of stay, I grew fond of Lyka. On the first days in the house, she would gladly approach me but I would ignore her and put her away. Despite my doing, she kept on persisting to get my attention. Lyka was a very hyperactive dog. “That’s just normal”, as my aunt used to say. It is the nature of the Japanese Pits to be playful.

“We named her ‘Lyka’ because she resembles the white fox in ‘Lobo’”, my aunt said. ‘Lobo’ (Filipino for “fox”) was the title of the local TV series which starred Angel Locsin, who played the half-human-half-fox named “Lyka”.

Lyka was a very beautiful and cute dog. Her little body was covered by white fur. In fact, she really looked like a fox with her protruding nose, standing triangular ears, and curvy tail. Foxes give out an image of savagery, but Lyka’s eyes gave everything away. Unlike a fierce fox, she was very friendly and gentle.

Lyka always coaxed me to play with her. She would always put her two front paws on my knees, as if begging me to give her attention. As she did so, I felt the pulse in her paws which were throbbing so fast that I could feel her excitement. Furthermore, she liked to lick my hands and feet, but I couldn’t help but pull away. My phobia stopped me from getting close to her.

One of my most favorite cuddles that Lyka gave me was whenever she rubbed her whole body on my legs and feet. I loved the way Lyka’s fur tickled my skin!

Now that I am here in Negros for a break, I miss Lyka. I never thought that I would like a dog despite my cynophobia. Owning a pet isn’t such a bad idea after all. Well, maybe having almost the same name helped. Calling her “Lyka” sounded like my name “Myka”.