Dogs, through their inherent qualities, teach us lessons of unconditional love, loyalty and help us value the simple pleasures of life. Nupur Chaudhuri speaks to women about what they’ve learnt from their furry pals

In the 20-something years of my life, no one, other than my dog, has ever waited for me to come home with such eagerness — ears perked and tail all ready to burst into wags; and no one has made me feel so loved, for who I am and what I am. He doesn’t care what clothes I wear, what car I drive, how much money I have or don’t... He just loves.

Dogs have lessons aplenty to teach us. They come into our lives for a few years, but leave lasting memories of unmatched love, loyalty and kindness. Whether lowering your blood pressure or nursing a broken heart, dogs are known to be the best healers, even better than ‘time’. Here, some women agree and share their ‘furry’ experiences...

It’s got to be love

She didn’t grow up with dogs but she’s glad that her kids did. Homemaker Nanda Shetty has raised and loved three dogs — Dash, Mash and Daisy. They may no longer be around, but even a single thought of them lights up her face. She smiles, “The experience of having them around was just wonderful. My kids were only eight and 10 years old when my husband got the dogs home.” Almost instantly, a bond was formed, and the dogs became her world, her “everything”.

You can sense her immense love for them as she says, “It was a great help to have them around while my kids were growing up. Dogs teach children to be compassionate and kind. Kids can sometimes be selfish and unkind but when dogs are around, they learn how to be better human beings.”

Nanda’s family hasn’t had pets after the dogs passed away. But that doesn’t stop her from caring for and loving other dogs. She goes for a walk to the Pune University every morning and there she feeds five stray dogs. “I started with one, then she had a litter, and now there are five of them! I’ve been feeding them for the last 10 years,” she reveals. Well, all they need is that and love!

A third child

Nita Chavan was never a dog lover. But now, her five-year-old dog M is her “child”. He’s smart, loving, obedient and he makes her proud. “My husband always says that M is his favourite child! Our kids don’t mind because they love him just as much,” this doting mother tells us.

They got M five years ago because her younger son insisted. “I’m so glad we did because he has brought so much love, joy and closeness into the family. Now, each member of the house likes being at home, to spend time with M. Otherwise, everyone would just be doing their own thing,” she says.

M has also given her the joy of bringing up another son. “From worrying and fussing over him when he’s ill, playing with him — whether it's ‘catch the ball’ or ‘hide-n-seek’, to cajoling and coaxing him to have a bath and surprising him with treats (read: Bones), M has added to the happiness of motherhood,” she smiles.

Taking no or few holidays has also become a norm. “If we really have to go, our maids stay back to look after and pamper him. They love him just as much,” she coos.

Prefer dogs to men!

“The more I see men, the more I love my dogs,” laughs Jullie Chaudhuri. Well into her forties, Jullie is single, with no intention of tying the knot. She doesn’t need a man. “My dogs give and teach me about unconditional love and about being there when no one else is around. See, I believe that there are a lot of ‘earth’ beings, but very few ‘human’ beings. You can be called ‘human’ when you have human qualities. Of late, animals are showing more human qualities so I prefer them to human beings who show animal qualities!” she says firmly.

There has never been a time when Jullie hasn’t had a pet. “When I was small, we had 16 pets — dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, squirrels etc. Right now, we have a family of three dogs — husband, wife and son!” she quips, adding, “For us, they’re not just pets. They are family members, who are there through good times and bad, happiness and sorrow.”

That Jullie is an ardent animal lover is obvious. She has adopted two stray dogs, and rescued even rats, squirrels and pigeons. Ask her more about her three dogs and she smiles brightly, “They have different barks for the different things they want and they grin when they see you, even if it’s only after 15 minutes! And when you scold them for being naughty, they come and lick you as if to say ‘I’m sorry and I won’t do it again’, and they mean it!”

Loving Lucy

“She was just a few days old when my children got her. She would snugly fit into their palms. She had the most amazing shining brown eyes and was just a furry black and white ball. I had to feed her milk with cotton swabs,” recalls Mukul Roy, a former Math teacher at St Xavier's School, Bokaro. Lucy, a crossbreed of Spaniel and Daschund, shared 14 years of her life with the Roys. 14 years equals to 98 years of human life. So you can well imagine the kind of bond that the family shared.

“We all dearly loved Lucy. But yes, when it came to looking after her needs, she was my baby,” quips Mukul. “At school, when I was not teaching, my mind was preoccupied with how Lucy was doing, whether she was safe, and would eat properly... I was worried all the time about my youngest baby,” she adds.

“Once I was living alone for almost six months (husband was away on work and kids had gone to college) and I had taken ill. I was advised bedrest for a few days. For those few days, from morning to evening, Lucy patiently sat at my bedside and wouldn’t make any demands to eat. She was visibly sad and morose,” recalls she. “Lucy taught us how to love unlimitedly, and most importantly, selflessly. Also, since she was trained to lead a disciplined life, the children too learnt a lot of self-control and organisational skills.”

Lucy was also an obedient dog. “Only once she chewed a few books and was reprimanded. But after that there was never an instance when I had to admonish her,” says Mukul as she fondly reminisces her pet who taught her to to savour life’s simple pleasures.

With Inputs by Tania Roy