We give Dogs the Time, Love and Space we can spare..
In return, a Dog gives us Everything.
It is undoubtedly the Best deal God has given Man!!
Have been ruminating about dogs since a couple of days maybe coz I was witness to an intense emotional upheaval in the life of one of my good friends.. The dog my friend had for 15 years, succumbed to cancer two days back. The emotional trauma that a pet's death brings can only be understood by those who have had pets themselves.
People say its like losing a relative/friend. I disagree.. The pain you feel in your heart is much worse, its like losing a child you have raised and one who has provided you with lots of happy moments to cherish.
My first memories of having a dog are very hazy.. It was a huge black Doberman we used to call Bobby.. I remember brushing his teeth with my toothbrush n putting it in my mouth again!! Gross right?? I know but then we were both just one year old :o)
People say its like losing a relative/friend. I disagree.. The pain you feel in your heart is much worse, its like losing a child you have raised and one who has provided you with lots of happy moments to cherish.
My first memories of having a dog are very hazy.. It was a huge black Doberman we used to call Bobby.. I remember brushing his teeth with my toothbrush n putting it in my mouth again!! Gross right?? I know but then we were both just one year old :o)
Me and Bobby
We were perhaps like these guys :)
OR maybe these!!
I have some sketchy memories of Dad giving him to a farmhouse as Mom was scared having such a large dog in the house with two small kids around. I remember Bobby coming back to our house and me finding him at our gate waiting for someone to let him in.. thrice! Ultimately I was convinced by Dad that he would be more happy on the farm and I remember praying to God everyday to keep my Bobby happy.
The most concrete memories for me however are of the second dog we brought home who was for all practical purposes the FIRST one for us kids. My sister named him Candy and we all thought it was totally apt as he was cuddly, round, adorable and had baby pink feet and nose!!
The most concrete memories for me however are of the second dog we brought home who was for all practical purposes the FIRST one for us kids. My sister named him Candy and we all thought it was totally apt as he was cuddly, round, adorable and had baby pink feet and nose!!
We were in school, both of us, and were as scared of him as he was of us! My mom refused to have anything to do with the dog and told dad it was totally his responsibility coz he was the one who wanted the dog anyways. The initial days were of course tough for all of us, getting used to this teeny-tiny thing we didn't know what to do with. Candy would follow us wherever we went, would try and catch our ankles when we ran, had chewed off half of Dad's shoes, left muddy paw-prints all over the carpet and would just not know how to mind his own damn business!!
But gradually, things started settling down..
We started enjoying his company and the attention he gave all of us. It was interesting to watch the attitude he would sometimes throw and the tiny little footprints acting as the tell-tale signs of his mischief. I absolutely loved the process of introducing him to the wonders of this world and took delight in every little accomplishment he would make - the first time he played with his ball, the first time Dad gave him a wash, the first time he tasted Rasgullas, the first time we taught him to stay out of Grandpa's way unless he stepped inadvertently on the little thing!
But gradually, things started settling down..
We started enjoying his company and the attention he gave all of us. It was interesting to watch the attitude he would sometimes throw and the tiny little footprints acting as the tell-tale signs of his mischief. I absolutely loved the process of introducing him to the wonders of this world and took delight in every little accomplishment he would make - the first time he played with his ball, the first time Dad gave him a wash, the first time he tasted Rasgullas, the first time we taught him to stay out of Grandpa's way unless he stepped inadvertently on the little thing!
I still remember vividly the first time I taught him to climb stairs.. I was ecstatic and urged Mom to come and see Candy climbing the steps.. The hilarious bit came when I realized he did not know how to get down! It was one of the funniest incidents to happen to me in those days and I realize now how much it had meant then..
It was a difficult time for us.. We had some financial problems; grandma was paralyzed and completely bed-ridden for 12 years; grandpa had lost his eyesight so needed help with simplest of activities; Me and my sister were going thru the confusing phases of adolescence; Dad n Mom were not around coz every weekend they would rush off to Delhi to take care of my aunts who were seriously ill..
Among all this tumult, Candy was like the proverbial breath of fresh air. Gradually, we started forming his habits and reforming our own.. Dad would take him out for his morning walks for which he himself started getting up early, I took charge of evening strolls and giving him bath while sis would pamper him and absolutely refuse to let anyone tie him with a leash (she is the Menaka Gandhi of our house). Mom would make Rotis for him at all odd hours of the day coz d brat would never eat his meals when WE were having ours!!
We were glad he did not show any interest in non-veg when we introduced him to it because that would have been difficult to manage in a pure-veg home. Yet we ensured he got a lot of proteins in his diet. And then he had his own weird food fads too - sometimes he would have Chapati only if its loaded with Ghee, at others only if they are dry.. then he would suddenly develop a taste for curd or tea or milk and would as hurriedly get over it too.
Surprisingly, Tomato (Tam-Tam in his lingo) would make him eat his food most of the times. He wud happily lick the Kulfi from the stick if u held it for him, have peanuts off d table if u crack the shells, eat Cashew but NOT almonds, nibble on lettuce/cabbage when he was on crash diets, hungrily gulp down Maggie, gorge on home-made cake and dance on two feet for Ice cubes in summer!!
We were glad he did not show any interest in non-veg when we introduced him to it because that would have been difficult to manage in a pure-veg home. Yet we ensured he got a lot of proteins in his diet. And then he had his own weird food fads too - sometimes he would have Chapati only if its loaded with Ghee, at others only if they are dry.. then he would suddenly develop a taste for curd or tea or milk and would as hurriedly get over it too.
Surprisingly, Tomato (Tam-Tam in his lingo) would make him eat his food most of the times. He wud happily lick the Kulfi from the stick if u held it for him, have peanuts off d table if u crack the shells, eat Cashew but NOT almonds, nibble on lettuce/cabbage when he was on crash diets, hungrily gulp down Maggie, gorge on home-made cake and dance on two feet for Ice cubes in summer!!
Candy was officially a part of our family now with Dad calling him son n Mum referring to us as Didi n Bhaiya whenever she would talk to him (which happened a lot BTW)!! His B'day (5th Nov) was shifted to 5th Dec to coincide with Choti's B'day.. He was a part of all Puja ceremonies performed in the house patiently waiting for his share of Prasad at the end of it! He was shit scared of crackers and would object to loud noises including arguments.
He also developed his own equations with everyone - kept his distance from grandpa, was respectful towards Dad, demanding with Mom, friendly with Sis and adoringly followed me everywhere. Undoubtedly, your Dog is the only person in the world who loves you more than himself and makes you feel like a star! Even when I was with someone he would have to grab my attention with one hand patting his head even as I spoke to my friends.
He also developed his own equations with everyone - kept his distance from grandpa, was respectful towards Dad, demanding with Mom, friendly with Sis and adoringly followed me everywhere. Undoubtedly, your Dog is the only person in the world who loves you more than himself and makes you feel like a star! Even when I was with someone he would have to grab my attention with one hand patting his head even as I spoke to my friends.
We called him Candy, Candoo, Candice, Candle, Kindle, Kindli, Motu, Kaddu, Gappu, MoiBaby, OyeGadhe, Khote n Doggie (depending on who was addressing him n in what context :D) We actually distorted his name so much that he finally stopped responding to his original name! He would pick up our emotions from the tone of our voice. That came in handy when he had done something naughty and he understood that just by the way someone was talking to him, immediately lowering his head to suddenly turn all docile.. those bloody Bambi eyes cud melt anybody's heart!!
In winters I would dress up in my best woollens, put on his winter-coat (mom had knit one for him with her own hands) and take him out for a stroll where he would invariably chase some other dog n I would end up meeting some females from around my area (which was always appreciated)!
In winters I would dress up in my best woollens, put on his winter-coat (mom had knit one for him with her own hands) and take him out for a stroll where he would invariably chase some other dog n I would end up meeting some females from around my area (which was always appreciated)!
Not surprisingly, 'Ghoomi' was his favorite word coz he cud strut his stuff when out.. and 'Nhai' invariably the most scary one as he absolutely HATED taking a bath!! With so much attention being showered on him, problem came when we had to leave him alone in the house even for a couple of hours. Candy would totally refuse to eat anything we had left for him, would make a mess of assorted toys n clothes, would not start barking till we came back and would sulk for hours when we did!!! He totally felt entitled to our complete attention and resented the times when he did not get it, as if he was the Head of the family.
One thing that he and I shared was the love of rain... He was the only other person in my house who would enjoy getting drenched to the bones in each n every shower during monsoon!! We would block the outer drains, let water fill in the verandah, and keep playing in it for hours. Candy would urge me to splash more n more water on him n I wondered if he was the same bloody dog who did not like getting into the bath tub!
Certain things of his amused me so much that I would deliberately provoke him to have fun.
For some reason, he was absolutely scared of the gardening hose!! Maybe it was an atavistic instinct which made mammals instinctively afraid of their older cousins, the reptiles which the water pipe may have reminded him of.. then when he was having a gala time in the grass rolling around, I would sneak up from behind and sprinkle water on him!! His reaction would be instantaneous and he would promptly run away with the tail tucked between his legs.
For some reason, he was absolutely scared of the gardening hose!! Maybe it was an atavistic instinct which made mammals instinctively afraid of their older cousins, the reptiles which the water pipe may have reminded him of.. then when he was having a gala time in the grass rolling around, I would sneak up from behind and sprinkle water on him!! His reaction would be instantaneous and he would promptly run away with the tail tucked between his legs.
The most painful time for us however came when Candy stopped eating food.. He was already 12 years old by then and we were hoping that he would live to at least 14 yrs of age. But I guess he had a different plan for himself and one fine day, just like that, he completely stopped eating.. We would urge him, cajole him, scold him but nothing seemed to work. It was as if he had just lost the will to live more.
We took him to the regular vet and then some more who tried their level best to find out what the problem was but Candy just refused to eat after that.. the saline and glucose infusions vets gave helped for a bit but then he started getting thrombo-phlebitic complications.. Much as my friend had to take the difficult step to Euthanize his dog suffering from cancer pain, we too very painfully decided not to prolong Candy's misery and let him lead his normal course of life without any intervention from our side.
Finally one dark winter night, Candy just couldn't get up from his bed. Dad had still not returned from clinic by then and mom with her maternal instinct knew that it was the end of time for Candy.. Mom rung Dad up told him to hurry back home, sis put Hare Krishna chants in the CD player and I put drops of Gangajal on his lips while he breathed his last breath in my arms..
At that precise moment I realized how much Candy had meant to me all this while.. As I dug his grave in my backyard in that cold chilly night, as Dad covered him in white muslin and lay him in the ground, as Mom n sis cried their eyes out calling his name, that's when I realized how important he had been in the lives of all of us.
Our pets may not be our whole lives, but they sure make our lives whole!! A dog is not just your pet.. a toy for your amusement or a security guard for the safety of your home.. He is your partner, healer, defender, friend.. You are his master, his love, his leader, his life! He will be true to you till his last breath and you owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!!
To all the people who mistreat animals I would urge them to start being more human.. Its not enough to earn well, carry the latest BB, wear trendiest denims, watch latest movies, attend craziest of parties.. its equally important for us to learn to be helpful to the needy and gentle to those weaker than us. Teach your kids to be kind to animals so that they may become better human beings when they grow up!
Our pets may not be our whole lives, but they sure make our lives whole!! A dog is not just your pet.. a toy for your amusement or a security guard for the safety of your home.. He is your partner, healer, defender, friend.. You are his master, his love, his leader, his life! He will be true to you till his last breath and you owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion!!
To all the people who mistreat animals I would urge them to start being more human.. Its not enough to earn well, carry the latest BB, wear trendiest denims, watch latest movies, attend craziest of parties.. its equally important for us to learn to be helpful to the needy and gentle to those weaker than us. Teach your kids to be kind to animals so that they may become better human beings when they grow up!
Those who have not yet had the absolute delight a pet brings to your heart, I would say please give it a shot but only if you are ready to take the responsibility. If u can't keep one at home, help the strays outside in your locality.. keep the numbers of Animal helplines handy in case u see an injured one. STOP cruelty to animals if you see it happening in front of your eyes.
Paw-prints of my departed friend on my heart
There is so much satisfaction in raising a pet that you would start feeling incomplete once you have had one in your own home. To put across my final sentiment, I would paraphrase what Will Rogers had to say-
If there are no Dogs in Heaven, I don't wanna go there!
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