The article is about decoding superstitions and exposing inconsiderate behaviour regarding animals, specifically pet dogs. Case Study for this is my own pet named Roger, a male liver spotted dalmatian aged 11 years. (Posted here from my own LinkedIn profile)
The thought that might have come to our minds is howling of the dogs as soon as we read the first sentence. Its the most widely believed signal for bad luck and imminent death. If this wasn’t our first thought then we either are well informed or not informed at all about dogs.
Firstly, dogs howl as part of their communication. Different reasons are attached to these howls over varied situations, common among them all is that the howl is heard farther than a bark. Roger has Lola’s company, but still howls at times in the night. Street dogs howl back, few other pet dogs howl too. But, my neighbours are adamant that we make it stop. Talking about the popular bad luck factor, they are scared that so many howls would lead to some bad news. These conclusions coming from people who are educated doctors, businesspersons, lawyers etc is astonishing.
Secondly, there arose severe problems with our neighbours for pets barking as well. Our house lies next to the highway, close to commercial spaces and is in an area that becoming a hub for new ventures. So, our security arrangement was our brave and tough guard dog. Our pup was aggressive by nature and that wasn’t the only characteristic that would make him an excellent guard.
In addition to being aggressive, he is emotional, alert, loyal and doesn’t feel the need to respond to munchkin language by strangers. His dominance over the house and the subordination to us as a family made him the ultimate guard dog we could ever imagine for ourselves. He is 11 years old, has arthritis in his hind legs but his bark will raise terror to the trespassers and his bite will leave flesh on the ground. Why wouldn’t we want him accompany us in our lives? Why would anyone be so inclined to see him as a disturbance when he alerts the whole neighbourhood when strangers group on the road for a small chit-chat.
Thirdly, male dogs bark more than usual when a female dog is nearby and is in heat. Female pheromones trigger emotions and hormones that make male’s instinct plummet by folds. They crave attention, lose appetite, become more aggressive and focus more on mating than impressing the female. This phase lasts for a few days, comes once in six months and is a natural process.
People stopped acknowledging fellow humans long time ago, they have started betraying the Earth decades ago, and the lives of domesticated pets will not be in a priority battle anytime soon. When we are ashamed of talking about menstruation in human females, the start for the conversation of a dog’s phase doesn’t see a wake for few more decades to come.
Neighbours demanded his bark be stopped. They clearly mentioned that they don’t want him to make noises at all. They suggested we send him away for good. That teared us up. He is and will be family, whose food and care budget will not be calculated in this house. First time ever in 11 years he was behaving restless, making it hard for us to think and comprehend the situation let alone handle it in an instant.
Some dog that lives in an apartment complex three lanes deep in the colony, occupied by a joint extended family doesn’t bark. Some dog that lives in an building, lives within the four walls of a flat only barks at delivery boys and elevator sounds. “ But why doesn’t your dog learn to be so? Its because you abandoned him and don’t care for him”. These words shook us as a family, when we were brainstorming together including medical help to solve this.
Why isn’t our dog the same? I mean its not the same species, not the same age, didn’t see the same jay walkers every night and just doesn’t have that nature to it. Why should it be the same? There is not another pet in the exposed street for 10 houses ahead in both directions, and not a single scary incident ever in these years because of him. And all they had to say was he barks, he howls, he is not cared for and he is a nuisance.
We are sorry Roger, we failed you as a family and failed you as a neighbourhood. People believed all that negative science and imposed superstitious feelings but forgot about one that also says, “Dalmatians are symbols of luck and prosperity”. Indeed, Bad has more publicity than Good.
Thank you.
Writer’s Note- The follow-up of the above article will have even more interesting facts and laws that are effortlessly overlooked by us, Indian citizens.
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Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.