Season 2 Episode 12 special edition during COVID-19 pandemic
Level of Indonesian and English fluency: Intermediate to Advanced
Indonesian Version
Setelah tinggal di DC selama 4 tahun, pada tahun 1998, saya ingin sekali punya anjing. Pada saat itu, saya rajin riset dan baca buku ensiklopedia khusus buat anjing. Akhirnya saya jatuh hati dengan satu jenis anjing, yaitu Saluki. Tapi karena anjing saluki tingkat aktivitasnya lumayan tinggi dan saya waktu itu masih sekolah master sambil mulai bekerja, maka saya pendam keinginan untuk memiliki anjing jenis itu. Selain itu, saya juga masih tinggal di apartemen, jadi saya memutuskan untuk memilih jenis anjing yang sesuai dengan gaya hidup saya, yaitu jenis Italian Greyhound, yang bentuknya seperti miniatur greyhound, dengan tinggi sekitar 25 cm.
Kira-kira saat musim panas tahun 1998, dari hasil riset, saya menemukan peternak anjing jenis Italian Greyhound di Nebraska. Anjing pertama saya di Amerika ini saya beri nama Giorgio. Nama Italia, karena jenisnya Italian Greyhound. Sekitar 8 hingga 10 bulan kemudian, saya putuskan untuk punya anjing satu lagi dengan jenis yang sama, dan saya kasih nama Giacomo, yang waktu itu kira2 sudah berusia 4-5 tahun.
Tahun 2004, saya pindah ke rumah di daerah Columbia Heights, DC.
Di tahun 2005, anjing saya Giacomo di diagnosa dengan masalah tiroid. Akhirnya tahun 2005, sekitar bulan Maret, anjing saya, Giacomo meninggal. Jelas saya dan Giorgio sedih. Akhirnya pada saat musim panas, saya mulai cari anjing satu lagi. Saluki yang pernah ada di benak saya, muncul kembali. Saya riset online, dan saya menemukan peternak anjing jenis ini di daerah Kansas. Hadirlah Osmar, anjing Saluki berwarna putih, di dalam kehidupan saya.
Saluki adalah jenis anjing yang mempunyai naluri untuk berburu dengan menggunakan mata, dibandingkan dengan penciuman seperti anjing lain pada umumnya.
Jenis anjing ini bisa lari dengan kecepatan 64 hingga 80 kilometer per jam. Dalam sejarah, anjing saluki ini sudah ada kira-kira sejak 7000 tahun yang silam di daerah Persia. Makanya anjing jenis ini banyak dipelihara oleh orang di daerah Timur Tengah atau Asia Barat sampai saat ini. Yang pertama memelihara anjing Saluki adalah suku Bedouin, yaitu suku asli bangsa Arab yang hidup di gurun dan selalu berpindah. Anjing ini bertubuh ramping dan berkaki panjang, dengan tinggi sekitar 70 centimeter.
Dedikasi dan komitmen saya dengan Saluki lumayan tinggi. Saya tinggal di kota besar dan bukan berarti saya bisa bawa Osmar ke tempat yang tanpa pagar, dan saya biarkan lari. Karena kalau dia melihat, misalnya tupai, nalurinya untuk menangkap besar sekali. Paling tidak, sehari dua kali, setiap hari, dalam cuaca apapun, harus saya bawa ke taman khusus anjing, dalam jam yang tidak ramai. Taman anjing selalu berpagar tinggi. Jadi saya merasa aman untuk melepaskan Osmar berlari sekencang-kencangnya. Jelas, Giorgio juga ikut serta ke taman ini. Kegiatan ini sangat penting buat anjing saluki, karena akan membantu perkembangan ototnya dan juga untuk melepas energinya yang tinggi.
Semua jenis anjing, terutama waktu masih kecil, kalau energinya tidak dikeluarkan, bisa jadi bosan di dalam rumah, dan punya tendensi untuk merusak. Satu hal lagi yang penting adalah, melatih anjing waktu masih kecil untuk belajar tinggal di dalam kandang kalau saya sedang tidak di rumah. Melatih anjing kecil perlu disiplin dan konsisten. Banyak orang yang merasa kasihan untuk mendisiplinkan anjing waktu masih kecil, dan akhirnya anjingnya jadi bermasalah waktu sudah besar.
Awal tahun 2011, Giorgio yang sudah berusia 13 tahun, terdiagnosa dengan masalah slip disc dan radang sendi akut. Dokter hewan yang sudah saya kenal lama, menyarankan supaya Giorgio disuntik mati dengan tenang, karena ini yang terbaik. Terus terang ini adalah hal yang belum pernah saya jalankan sebelumnya. Tetapi ini adalah hal yang sangat “manusiawi” di dunia binatang. 4 tahun kemudian, untuk kedua kalinya saya harus lakukan hal ini terhadap Osmar di tahun 2015, ketika dia berusia 10 tahun dan terkena kanker.
Ini merupakan pelajaran baru dalam hidup, yang membuat saya berpikir sangat dalam.
Bukankah lebih manusiawi jika seseorang yang didiagnosa dengan penyakit yang terminal, bisa memiliki pilihan untuk tidak memakai alat bantu hidup? Orang itu mempunyai pilihan untuk membebaskan dirinya dari siksaan, mengakhiri rasa merepotkan orang lain, dan juga melepaskan biaya pengobatan untuk penyakit yang tidak bisa disembuhkan lagi.
Selama beberapa bulan, saya tidak punya hewan peliharaan karena saya merasa perlu waktu untuk diri saya.
Hingga satu hari, saya menemukan peternak anjing Saluki di daerah Maryland, sekitar satu jam dari rumah saya. Dari hasil pembicaraan beberapa bulan, akhirnya saya mendapatkan informasi dari Janice, nama peternak anjing tersebut, kalau dia akan menternakan salah satu anjingnya. Disinilah saya mengenal istilah “co-ownership” yang artinya kepemilikan bersama. Hal ini cukup baik untuk kedua belah pihak. Misalnya, kalau saya harus bepergian jauh dan cukup lama, seperti pulang ke Indonesia selama 3 minggu, saya bisa titipkan anjing saya ke Janice. Karena anjing saya, adalah anjingnya dia juga. Atau seandainya ada apa-apa dengan saya, dan saya tidak bisa merawat anjing saya, anjing tersebut akan kembali ke Janice, dan bukan ke tempat penampungan binatang. Perjanjian ini terdengar menguntungkan untuk saya, tetapi dengan catatan, anjing ini tidak boleh dikebiri. Karena bisa dijadikan prospek untuk Janice sebagai stok perkembang biakannya di masa datang. Anjing saluki kedua saya, datang pada bulan Maret 2016. Saya beri nama Ixan. Pada bulan Februari 2017, anjing saluki berikut hadir meramaikan rumah, dan saya kasih nama Imran.
Komunikasi antara saya dengan Janice berlangsung sampai saat ini. Melalui Janice, saya juga mengenal dua aktivitas yaitu dog show atau pertunjukan anjing dan lure coursing, yang merupakan pelajaran baru buat saya.
Kalau orang ingin mempunyai anjing dan bertanya kepada saya, saya selalu menjawab sejujurnya bahwa tinggal di Amerika dan memiliki anjing bukanlah hal yang mudah.
Disiplin, konsisten, waktu dan kesabaran amatlah sangat diperlukan. Memilih jenis anjing, jangan karena bentuknya saja, tetapi yang paling penting adalah, apakah anjing jenis tersebut sesuai dengan gaya hidup seseorang, karena ini akan berhubungan dengan beberapa hal seperti fisik, waktu, dan finansial.
Masa hidup anjing hanya berkisar antara 6 sampai 15 tahun, tergantung jenisnya; tapi ketergantungan anjing terhadap pemiliknya, akan sepanjang hidupnya. Banyak orang berpikir, memiliki anjing seperti memiliki anak dalam hal tanggung jawab. Bedanya memiliki anak kecil tanggung jawabnya lebih berat karena mereka mempunyai masa depan, sedangkan anjing tidak. Untuk saya, anjing bukan hanya hewan peliharaan tapi juga teman hidup.
Tapi satu hal yang indah adalah, jika manusia bisa memiliki kemampuan untuk mencintai satu sama lain tanpa syarat dan batas, seperti cintanya anjing terhadap pemiliknya; mungkin dunia ini akan menjadi tempat yang lebih damai untuk hidup.
English Version (9:56)
After living in DC for 4 years, in 1998, Iwan really wanted to have a dog. At that time, he diligently did research and read encyclopedias specializing in dogs. At the end, he fell in love with a breed of dog called Saluki. But because Salukis have a high activity rate and at that time he was still doing his masters degree while working, he decided not to have that breed of dog just yet. Besides, he still lived in an apartment, so he decided to get a dog that fit his lifestyle, which was an Italian Greyhound, which shape is like a miniature greyhound, with a height of about 25 cm.
Around the summer of 1998, from his research, he found an Italian Greyhound breeder in Nebraska. His first dog in America was named Giorgio. An Italian name as it was an Italian Greyhound. After 8 to 10 months later, he decided to get another dog with the same breed and named him Giacomo, who at that time was already 4-5 years old.
In 2004, he moved to Columbia Heights, DC. In 2005, his dog, Giacomo was diagnosed with a thyroid problem. At the end, in March 2005, his dog Giacomo passed away. Both Iwan and Giorgio were very sad. During that summer, he started looking for another dog. The Saluki breed that was once on his mind, surfaced as an option. He did online research and found a Saluki breeder in Kansas. That was how Osmar, a white Saluki dog came to his life.
Saluki is a breed of dog which has hunting instincts that relies on its eyes, instead of its nose like other dogs in general. This breed of dog can run up to 64 to 80 kilometers per hour. Historically, Saluki dogs have been around since 7,000 years ago in Persia. That is the reason why many people living in the Middle East or West Asia have this breed of dog as their pets until now. The first people who had Salukis as their pets were the Bedouins, a native Arabian tribe who lived a nomadic life in the desert. These dogs have a slender figure with long legs, with a height of about 70 centimeters.
Iwan was highly dedicated and committed to his Saluki. Living in a big city meant that he could not bring Osmar to a fenceless place and let him run freely. Everytime Osmar saw a squirrel, for instance, his hunting instincts would take over. At least twice a day, every day, rain or shine, he had to bring Osmar to a dog park during off-peak hours. The dog parks always had high fences, so Iwan felt safe to let Osmar run freely as fast as he’d like. Obviously Giorgio also came to the park. This activity is very important for a Saluki dog as this will help the development of its muscles and also to release its pent-up energy.
All types of dogs, especially when they are young, if they are not given a chance to release their energy, could end up feeling bored at home and would have destructive tendencies. Another important thing is to train your dog when they are puppies to be able to stay in their kennel when you are not at home. Training puppies requires discipline and consistency. Most people don’t have the heart to discipline their dogs when they are puppies and end up with troublesome dogs.
Early 2011, Giorgio who was 13 years old, was diagnosed with a slip disc problem and acute joint inflammation. The veterinarian whom Iwan had known for a long time, suggested that Giorgio be euthanized peacefully as that was the best treatment for him. Honestly, Iwan never experienced this before. But this was the most humane treatment that can be given to an animal. Four years later, he had to do the same thing for the second time with Osmar in 2015, when Osmar was ten years old and had cancer.
This was a lesson in life for Iwan, that made him think deeply. Isn’t it more humane for someone who is already terminally ill, to have the option to not prolong his/her life using life-support machines? People should have the option to free themselves from the pain and suffering, to not want to be a burden to others and also to not have to bear the medical cost of an incurable disease.
For a few months Iwan decided to not get another pet as he felt he needed time for himself.
Until one day, Iwan found a Saluki breeder in Maryland, about one hour away from his house. From a few months’ worth of conversations, he finally was informed by Janice, the dog breeder, that she would breed one of her dogs. This is where he learned the concept of “co-ownership” which means both people owned the dog. This is to the advantage of both parties. For instance, if Iwan had to travel for quite some time, such as going home to Indonesia for 3 weeks, he could leave his dog with Janice, as his dog was also Janice’s dog. Or should anything happen to him and he could no longer take care of his dog, the dog would go back to Janice and not to an animal shelter. This agreement suited him well, with one condition that the dog cannot be sterilized. As Janice would still have that dog as a breeding prospect later on in the future. Iwan’s second Saluki dog arrived in March 2016 and he named it Ixan. In February 2017, the next Saluki dog joined his household and was named Imran.
Iwan’s communication with Janice lasted even until now. Through Janice, he also learned about the two activities which were dog shows and lure coursing, which was a new lesson for him.
If people who are interested in having dogs came up to him and asked, Iwan would always answer truthfully that living in America and having dogs is not an easy thing. Discipline, consistency, time and patience are required in abundance. Choosing the type of the dog must not only be based on its physical features, but the most important thing to consider is whether that type of dog fits with one’s lifestyle, as this would be highly related to a few aspects such as the physical activities, time and the cost that are required.
An average dog’s lifespan is between 6 to 15 years, depending on its breed; but the dog’s dependency on its owner is for a lifetime. Many people think that having a dog is like having a child in terms of the responsibilities. The difference is that having a child is obviously a much bigger responsibility because we need to prepare them for their future, whereas a dog does not. For Iwan, a dog is not just a pet but a living companion.
But one beautiful thing to think about is that if only humans have the capability to love one another without any conditions and reservations, like the love of a dog to its owner, maybe this world would be a much more peaceful place to live in.
This is a story from Bagus Permadi Himawan, closely known as Iwan Bagus. He is originally from Jakarta, Indonesia and has lived in Washington DC for 26 years. He currently works as a professor and a photographer. For those who grew up in the 80s and 90s in Indonesia, you might recognize him (or might also be one of his biggest fans) as a well-known model who frequently graced the covers of various top magazines.
VOCABULARIES
Gaya: style
Benak: mind
Naluri: instinct
Tupai: squirrel
Penampungan: shelter
(dalam tanda kutip) “manusiawi”: humane
Peternak: breeder
Dikebiri: sterilized
Perkembang biakan: reproduction
Peliharaan: pets
Kandang: cage
Meninggal / mati: die
Meninggal is usually used for humans and in formal conversations, on the other side, mati is used in more casual conversations and not just limited for humans.
Indonesian language used here is in the daily-conversation format, that has influences from the local culture and custom. Should you have questions on the more formal version, please consult with your guru Bahasa Indonesia.
Level of Indonesian and English fluency: Intermediate to Advanced