Sometimes the most difficult part about writing a blog is making a start and this blog post is one of them. It usually happens when emotions are running high and when feelings are hard to determine, sort of being in a high speed, belly tickling, mind boggling roller coaster ride! And it’s only been a week of having Loki with us.
Introducing Loki – the newest member of our family, the apple of our eye, the latest love of my life – our 4 month-old Labrador pup!
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Might I also add in his honour – a bundle of energy, the reason for my current back-ache, a little trickster, the reason for my exhaustion and exasperation, a source of continuous mischief – and hence the name ‘Loki’ – aptly suggested by my older son, after the Norse God of Mischief, as represented in the movie Avengers, and unanimously agreed upon by the rest of the family. I wasn’t too sure as I timidly rebelled against naming my dog after an Indian vegetable ‘lauki’ or the way I saw it spelled ‘low key.’ But I gave in.
The night that he came home which was exactly a week ago, I couldn’t sleep. After the initial euphoria of finally owning a dog, after 12 long years, died down, my mood suddenly took a U-turn. I couldn’t sleep that night as I tossed and turned and questioned my decision of getting a dog. There were so many cons I could count – I had passed the younger mum phase and I finally had the time to focus on my business, it was a large dog breed which would get difficult to manage as they got older, puppy stage had its own issues with potty training, chewing, and all that came with it, what happens when we travel, and the biggest of all was that our building is not ‘dog-friendly’ – how were we going to manage ALL of this and why did I bring this upon myself and my family?
Till I woke up the next morning, albeit at 5:45 am and took one look at my pup to know that I had made the right decision. All I had to do is watch my kids interact with Loki, watch my husband share a special moment with him, to understand what a pet brings to the family. All my life, as far as I can remember, I have been around dogs. Besides the ones that we have had at home, I have spent many hours interacting with street dogs in Mumbai, carrying milk and biscuits for them, petting them, giving them names, loving them from the core of my heart! I also did a few years of volunteering work for them along with other crazy pet lovers. Every Sunday, our pursuits used to be on the hot, sweltering streets of Mumbai, then Bombay, looking for sick or injured dogs and cats, hiding underneath parked cars or in the narrow alleys of Bombay’s infamous slums. Looking for them, attending to them, taking care of their injuries on the street and re-visiting them on a weekly basis, gave a sense of unparalleled fulfilment.
The joy that a dog brings into your family is second to none. The love, the loyalty, the bond that they share is for life and something that I have always wanted for my boys to experience. Yes we did have our fair share of doggy love whenever we did our trips back home to India. From my old cocker spaniel, Julie, who lived with my mom, to all the random stray dogs who were temporarily adopted, I had started teaching my boys to pet and to love dogs at a very early age. But to pet or adopt a dog temporarily is very different to having one full-time, and I can’t wait to see how this bond develops over the years.
Cheers to all dog-lovers in the world. I am sure going forward, my blog would be more about puppy-parenting than kids-parenting, specially considering that this son isn’t averse to his photo being put up on social media!
“If your dog thinks you are the best,
Don’t seek a second opinion.”
(From my fridge magnet)
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