To err is human; to forgive, canine

I gently opened my neighbor’s gate to make a quick stop to pick up a ball. It had found its way into my neighbors quarters from the game of cricket that my little brother and I were in the middle of. I looked to my left and right with utmost caution. There was no sign of Rita, the big Alsatian that terrified me.

“Where is the ball?” I asked myself as I tip-toed forward. “Must be in that bush over there” my intuition guided me. There was silence all around; Rita must have gone out for a walk with Venu, the teenage boy in the house, I reassured myself. I bent down and rummaged through the leaves in the bush. Yes! I found the ball!

I raised myself to make a dash through the gate. Right then I saw Rita charging at me! As ferocious as she always appeared in my dreams! Her fangs were ready to grab me! She was moving fast and closing in on me! I closed my eyes and screamed!!

The next few seconds went by without me being devoured by Rita! What happened? I opened my eyes. Venu had showed up miraculously to contain Rita and to save me!

Now you know why I came to hate dogs!! I’ve had a couple more such close encounters with canines. These unpleasant experiences basically rewired my DNA to have nothing to do with dogs.

Life was happily dog-free for several years. Then in 2003, my son wanted a puppy!!

“No!” was my reaction. I maintained that stance of refusal for several days. However, the combined power of gentle persuasion and guile of my son, daughter and wife over-powered my recalcitrance.

That’s how a cute little golden retriever entered my life. We named her Laddu (name of a very popular Indian sweet).

I did not admit Laddu into my life wholeheartedly. The Rita-and-other-dogs-trauma came back to haunt me. Though little Laddu did not pose a physical threat, I tried to keep my distance. That did not last very long.

I was forcefully drawn close to her physically to clean up behind her and to feed her. While my wife and kids did their share of the duties, the high premium I place on cleanliness around the house only made me detect so many things that were amiss and unclean!

I instituted strict rules to control Laddu’s influence over my life and my household. I ruled over her with my stern voice and coldness. But my family nullified my authority over Laddu by thoroughly spoiling her with their love for the puppy!

Time went by. The kids got busy with high school and then went off to college. The daily duties of caring for Laddu gradually transitioned to my wife and I, the empty nesters. I executed my duties faithfully, unwillingly though.

Everyday when I came down to make coffee, I gave Laddu a treat. I fed her sumptuous lunches garnished with chicken. In the evening I took her out for walks. And of course I cleaned up behind her. I took her to the vet for checkups and emergencies. And I dropped her and picked her up from the dog care center whenever we were going out of town. My car and home were messed up by her hair. I was always cleaning that mess in sheer disgust and frustration.

Laddu has been with us now for 16 years. That’s 102 man years! Her friendliness and innocence has been anything but a stark contrast to Rita’s attitude towards me! The two of us have developed a special working relationship over the years; each of us in our own space and exhibiting mutual respect.

I guess Laddu has seen me soften up and be more loving and empathetic towards her. I have seen her grow old, especially over the last two years. She has acute arthritis and has trouble sitting down, getting up and walking. I help her when she’s in trouble. Everyday I make sure that she gets her medication. I fix her lunches with care and spoil her with three varieties of snacks. I’ve come to see an elder in her; someone who is living with me that I need to take care of with respect, dignity and love.

Laddu turned 16 a couple weeks ago. As family tradition has it, my wife and I bought her a McDonald cheese burger as her birthday lunch. She was so happy to gobble up her yearly gift. That’s when I realized that I did not have even a single picture with her. I expressed this concern to my wife who advised me to take a selfie with Laddu!

To this day, I’m not a dog lover. But I love Laddu. I know she is the wiser of the two of us and has given me all these years to grow within and transform myself in many ways. She has always forgiven me for my transgressions against her with unconditional love. She’s been a teacher and she’s an important part of my life.

Thanks Laddu! You showed me that to err is human; to forgive, canine!