Dog Whisperer

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Dog Whisperer As a person who has loved animals (sometimes even more than the human race) her entire life, it would be pathetic of me to try and write about pets objectively, their pros and cons, etc. So, here is my literary Ode to Pets: I have had my fair share of pets, ranging from PirateEye, my black-eyed goldfish; and a bunch of rabbits, including Thumper and Thumbelina; to a squirrel named Stuart. My best (and most long- lasting, so far) however, is Floppy, my white and brown English Cocker-Spaniel. I beg the pardon of all the aforementioned Dearly Departed for this breach in Master-Pet relationship of picking a favourite. Floppy, however, cannot be placed in this category, as she seems all too human - a trait, I have found, most pet-owners claim of their pets, but few actually have. I waited 15 years to get my Floppy, and when I went to pick her up, it was exactly the fairytale beginning I had hoped for, with her jumping into my arms, and completely excited about leaving. I would love to say that she continued to be like that fairytale dog; however, I am even more happy to say, that she became - the Marley of my life. Here are her statistics : Obedience : Zero. Sense of space : Zero. Respect to owner : Negative.

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An article about pets

Transcript of Dog Whisperer

Page 1: Dog Whisperer

Dog Whisperer

As a person who has loved animals (sometimes even more than the human race) her entire life, it would be pathetic of me to try and write about pets objectively, their pros and cons, etc. So, here is my literary Ode to Pets:

I have had my fair share of pets, ranging from PirateEye, my black-eyed goldfish; and a bunch of rabbits, including Thumper and Thumbelina; to a squirrel named Stuart. My best (and most long-lasting, so far) however, is Floppy, my white and brown English Cocker-Spaniel. I beg the pardon of all the aforementioned Dearly Departed for this breach in Master-Pet relationship of picking a favourite. Floppy, however, cannot be placed in this category, as she seems all too human - a trait, I have found, most pet-owners claim of their pets, but few actually have.

I waited 15 years to get my Floppy, and when I went to pick her up, it was exactly the fairytale beginning I had hoped for, with her jumping into my arms, and completely excited about leaving. I would love to say that she continued to be like that fairytale dog; however, I am even more happy to say, that she became - the Marley of my life. Here are her statistics : Obedience : Zero. Sense of space : Zero. Respect to owner : Negative. Food consumption : Infinity.

Floppy has an attitude of her own, with even the simplest of commands – Sit - having to be elicited by begging, pleading and promises of food from me, while she stares with her head cocked to one side, silently asking me if I’m stupid enough to think that she would actually obey. Her chew toys range from coconut husks, punctured balls, and general garbage to plastic bags and lizards – anything that we haven’t specifically bought from the pet store as a toy for her. Her pet-peeve (no pun intended) is that we don’t devote to her, constant and complete attention. If, even for a fraction of a second, my brother and I decide to discuss our day, Floppy barks her protest – and refuses to stop until we do.

Although hyperactive is an understatement when it comes to Floppy, I am sometimes awestruck by the kind of distinctions she makes between people – who to jump at, and who not to. My father, who dislikes animals, and my

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grandmother, who’s scared of them, both get Floppy’s tail-wagging welcome, but she keeps her distance. My brother, my mother, and I, however, are not spared her doggy hugs, and walk in with new fur coats every evening. For an animal who is labelled to be so primitive in thinking and analyzing, “unlike humans”, she shows more understanding to people’s feelings and emotions than most average people I know.

When Floppy and I play around in the front yard, her gait so joyous and her trust in me to take care of her so pure; any bad feeling I had in the morning just vanishes. She lets me be free, pulling me from my self-consciousness, letting me be a kid again - running, laughing, trusting - Living.

But where my little dog lacks in obedience, or self-restraint, or a whole lot of other things I won’t go into, she gives us one thing that makes up for all the rest. As corny as it sounds, it is Love. Never have I seen, and never do I hope to see ever again, such unremitting, constant loyalty and affection. Hers is the sort of love that would not think twice about standing between you and Death, if it meant Death would spare you. I am grateful for having been chosen to receive this little gift from God, and I hope that each of you reading this will be as lucky as me, to have a Thumper, or a Stuart, or a Marley, or, maybe, even a Floppy.