The dogs in my life
This post could well be about all the men who came into my life and broke my heart. But this post is actually about the dogs in my life. I have never had a pet dog of my own. I am yet to experience what its like to get a little pup, train it in human manners, teach it tricks and watch it grow. Despite this, a few dogs have touched my life. I have decided to dedicate a post to them.
I will go in chronological order. The dog that taught me that you ought to love dogs was Zulu. A black labrador. He belonged to my first cousins. Zulu was tied every time guests came home because people are scared of dogs.This was ironic because all he wanted was to be your friend. As if being denied the opportunity was not enough, he had to deal with being tied up. The tragedy of it all, naturally made him upset and caused him to bark the house down. Causing the guests to justify their fear.
I was one such guest. Zulu pointed his barking towards me and that just scared me to death. I was only a little taller than Zulu myself. It looked like he was angry with me and waited for the chance to chew my head off. This was our first meeting. In the years to follow I would grow to understand him better than that. Zulu was loving and eager. Well, like most dogs are. But also, very sensitive. There was a little stuffed toy in the house, which he used to lick as if it were a pup. Zulu had a problem. If he saw an open door/gate, he would run away. He wanted to come back always. But being raised as a house dog, his sense of finding his way back was not so strong. He always lost his way. Thankfully, he always bumped into someone who recognized him and brought him back. Until, one day it happened in a new city where people were yet to get to know him. He never found his way back. We searched and searched till we had to give up.
A few years after they had got Zulu, my cousins had also got a briddle boxer. They called him Leo. Leo loved to sit on your lap. As he grew bigger, he had to come to terms with the fact that he cant sit on people's laps without squishing their legs flat. Leo didn't want to cause you any discomfort. So he invented this new way of sitting on your lap. Wherein his front legs would be on the floor while his back would be perched on your lap. it was the most amazing sight. Leo didn't quite get what was so funny about it, but he was happy that it entertained us. Win-win as they call it.
Leo was really sad about Zulu not returning. So, they got him a new friend. A sprightly young boxer. They called him Scooby. Scooby was a loveable little brat. If you encouraged him and showed him the slightest love, he, unable to contain his own love would jump on you - meaning stand on his two hind-feet while leaning his fore-feet on your shoulder, hands or lap depending on how tall you are and whether you are standing or sitting. I didn't mind it one bit. The adoration was heart-warming. Like I said, you gotta love them.
Meanwhile my grand-parents got a doberman called Ceaser. He was the most soft hearted 'ferocious dog' i had ever seen. Every time we all left the house, he would bark the colony down. But anyone with a heart could tell that these were complain barks, not intimidating barks. It was like he was objecting to everyone leaving him all alone. He wanted to be a part of the party too. He didn't understand what he had done wrong to be excluded like this. Ceaser was raised as an out-of-the-house dog. He had his own kennel behind the house, where he slept only when he was chained there. Else, he preferred the front verandah from where he could keep an eye on all passerby folks and everyone who visited. From here, he could also meet us house folks the minute we stepped out, with his vigorous tail-stub wagging. He had the big garden and all the place that surrounded the house to play in. To dig holes, chase random creatures, mark territory to his hearts fill and just lounging about till someone called him for his meal.
One day, when everyone left the home and Ceaser barked the place down in complaint as always, something interesting happened. (It never discouraged him that his loud protests had never worked. We had always cold-heartedly left him behind, barking his lungs out) This one time, he did not know that everyone had not gone out. He did not realize that I was at home. I got to witness what happens after everyone has left. Ceaser literally howled in sorrow. Like a ware-wolf on full-moon day. He wailed and wailed till he got tired of it. Now, i was not allowed to open the door when I was left alone at home - dog or no dog. I was 14. I helplessly heard him cry. Later, when my folks were back i told my grand mother how ceaser cried. So, she told me that the next time this happens, I should stand next to the front door and say his name, softly. I wasn't' sure if it was a good idea. What if it made him sadder that i was not opening the door to pat him? She said, he just needs to know that we have not left him alone. I had my doubts about whether he will even hear me. there was no harm in trying. So the next time I tried it. His howling stopped like someone had pressed a pause button on him. In the silence that followed, from either side of the front door, Ceaser and I felt the warmth of each others company.
Ceaser died of old-age. He was replaced with another doberman also called Ceaser. Also very friendly and loving. This one doesn't have the sentimental tantrums of Ceaser the first. And yet I miss the old fella.
Few years ago, once when I was having a sleep over at a friends place, I was woken up by persistent barks that came from outside. It was more of a complaining bark that i am so familiar with. I ignored it for a few minutes till i got the feeling it was coming from right outside the front door of this 4th floor apartment. I opened the door to investigate and found this magestic great dane standing in front of the neighboring door. He stopped barking and looked at me and then back at his door quizzically as if to say "your door opened...why doesn't this door open??" And i replied to him in human (as i can't speak dog). "oh i could ring the door bell for you...that always works" As I moved towards the door-bell, it was like he understood what I was doing and licked my hand gratefully. I had just met him. I was so happy to meet him I petted him on his head till the door opened. I don't know what the story was. The boy who opened the door thanked me, then held him by his collar and took him downstairs and said to me that he was supposed to stay downstairs or something of that sort.
I wonder who the next dog to come into my life will be. Maybe this time, I will get a pup of my own. Who I will teach some human to and learn some dog from.
woof! woof!
I will go in chronological order. The dog that taught me that you ought to love dogs was Zulu. A black labrador. He belonged to my first cousins. Zulu was tied every time guests came home because people are scared of dogs.This was ironic because all he wanted was to be your friend. As if being denied the opportunity was not enough, he had to deal with being tied up. The tragedy of it all, naturally made him upset and caused him to bark the house down. Causing the guests to justify their fear.
I was one such guest. Zulu pointed his barking towards me and that just scared me to death. I was only a little taller than Zulu myself. It looked like he was angry with me and waited for the chance to chew my head off. This was our first meeting. In the years to follow I would grow to understand him better than that. Zulu was loving and eager. Well, like most dogs are. But also, very sensitive. There was a little stuffed toy in the house, which he used to lick as if it were a pup. Zulu had a problem. If he saw an open door/gate, he would run away. He wanted to come back always. But being raised as a house dog, his sense of finding his way back was not so strong. He always lost his way. Thankfully, he always bumped into someone who recognized him and brought him back. Until, one day it happened in a new city where people were yet to get to know him. He never found his way back. We searched and searched till we had to give up.
A few years after they had got Zulu, my cousins had also got a briddle boxer. They called him Leo. Leo loved to sit on your lap. As he grew bigger, he had to come to terms with the fact that he cant sit on people's laps without squishing their legs flat. Leo didn't want to cause you any discomfort. So he invented this new way of sitting on your lap. Wherein his front legs would be on the floor while his back would be perched on your lap. it was the most amazing sight. Leo didn't quite get what was so funny about it, but he was happy that it entertained us. Win-win as they call it.
Leo was really sad about Zulu not returning. So, they got him a new friend. A sprightly young boxer. They called him Scooby. Scooby was a loveable little brat. If you encouraged him and showed him the slightest love, he, unable to contain his own love would jump on you - meaning stand on his two hind-feet while leaning his fore-feet on your shoulder, hands or lap depending on how tall you are and whether you are standing or sitting. I didn't mind it one bit. The adoration was heart-warming. Like I said, you gotta love them.
Meanwhile my grand-parents got a doberman called Ceaser. He was the most soft hearted 'ferocious dog' i had ever seen. Every time we all left the house, he would bark the colony down. But anyone with a heart could tell that these were complain barks, not intimidating barks. It was like he was objecting to everyone leaving him all alone. He wanted to be a part of the party too. He didn't understand what he had done wrong to be excluded like this. Ceaser was raised as an out-of-the-house dog. He had his own kennel behind the house, where he slept only when he was chained there. Else, he preferred the front verandah from where he could keep an eye on all passerby folks and everyone who visited. From here, he could also meet us house folks the minute we stepped out, with his vigorous tail-stub wagging. He had the big garden and all the place that surrounded the house to play in. To dig holes, chase random creatures, mark territory to his hearts fill and just lounging about till someone called him for his meal.
One day, when everyone left the home and Ceaser barked the place down in complaint as always, something interesting happened. (It never discouraged him that his loud protests had never worked. We had always cold-heartedly left him behind, barking his lungs out) This one time, he did not know that everyone had not gone out. He did not realize that I was at home. I got to witness what happens after everyone has left. Ceaser literally howled in sorrow. Like a ware-wolf on full-moon day. He wailed and wailed till he got tired of it. Now, i was not allowed to open the door when I was left alone at home - dog or no dog. I was 14. I helplessly heard him cry. Later, when my folks were back i told my grand mother how ceaser cried. So, she told me that the next time this happens, I should stand next to the front door and say his name, softly. I wasn't' sure if it was a good idea. What if it made him sadder that i was not opening the door to pat him? She said, he just needs to know that we have not left him alone. I had my doubts about whether he will even hear me. there was no harm in trying. So the next time I tried it. His howling stopped like someone had pressed a pause button on him. In the silence that followed, from either side of the front door, Ceaser and I felt the warmth of each others company.
Ceaser died of old-age. He was replaced with another doberman also called Ceaser. Also very friendly and loving. This one doesn't have the sentimental tantrums of Ceaser the first. And yet I miss the old fella.
Few years ago, once when I was having a sleep over at a friends place, I was woken up by persistent barks that came from outside. It was more of a complaining bark that i am so familiar with. I ignored it for a few minutes till i got the feeling it was coming from right outside the front door of this 4th floor apartment. I opened the door to investigate and found this magestic great dane standing in front of the neighboring door. He stopped barking and looked at me and then back at his door quizzically as if to say "your door opened...why doesn't this door open??" And i replied to him in human (as i can't speak dog). "oh i could ring the door bell for you...that always works" As I moved towards the door-bell, it was like he understood what I was doing and licked my hand gratefully. I had just met him. I was so happy to meet him I petted him on his head till the door opened. I don't know what the story was. The boy who opened the door thanked me, then held him by his collar and took him downstairs and said to me that he was supposed to stay downstairs or something of that sort.
I wonder who the next dog to come into my life will be. Maybe this time, I will get a pup of my own. Who I will teach some human to and learn some dog from.
woof! woof!
Comments
plok.
That's the ball. And it is in your court now.
plok.
That's the ball. And it's in your court now.
Landed here via your twitter feed. I've never had a dog until now, now that I live alone in Mumbai, away from home and family. It wasn't because of that that I decided to get a dog, I've always wanted to. My parents were never too comfortable with the idea. So I got me a dog, a 1.5 year old Lab. She'd been abandoned by her previous owners, left alone at a railway station from where SPCA had rescued her and put her up for adoption. She cuddled up to me when I went to see her for the first time. A week later, when the paperwork was done, I went to pick her up and she just jumped at me as if she already knew I was coming to bring her home. All that pup was looking for was some love. Now she follows me everywhere I go. I bring her to work with me, lucky me. She loves everyone at work. People who were afraid of her play with her now. She's never alone. If I have to go anywhere, she stays with my friends, playing around, having fun till I come back. And that is like an incentive for me just for the reception I get when I come back to her. As I write this, she's sitting in my office by my side, being an adorable dog that she is.
@Latin Sardar that was a delight to read about. You are lucky you already have a dog and whats more..she's always by your side! :)