Teddy touched our hearts deep

The phrase “every dog has his dog” always crossed my mind when I used to see my dog lying flat on his back with his four paws dangling in air. Teddy was gifted by my mother on my birthday, making our family members five. He was a white spitz, similar to a snow ball, but we fondly named him teddy bear. He was just opposite to his name as teddy bear means cuddles and teddy would just let us pet him and that too only when he wanted to. Cuddle was a distant dream! Perhaps we should have called him Grizzly bear – cause he was all teeth.
What I loved most about my dog was his attitude. He was the most pampered one in the family and no matter where we were, his thoughts were never out of our minds. He loved to get attention and hated to be ignored. Throwing attitude to his family members was very common. Even if we were 10 minutes late in attending to him, Teddy would simply growl and walk off in the other direction, making you feel like a complete fool. Even though my father was not happy to keep a dog, Teddy managed to melt his heart to the extent that both the males had a mutual and implicit understanding between them.
Every morning when mom used to do pooja in the house and take rounds with the agarbatti, his nostrils and taste buds used to be proactive in the anticipation of the tantalizing ladoos. He was crazy about hot chappatis, which he shared with my parents, each afternoon. Watching him eating a chappati was cute. He used to put the chapatti in his paws and tear it into small pieces.
He never used to like loud noise in the house except for his own bark. Whenever my sister & I used to fight, he used to come in the middle & bark as if telling us to stop. Talk about not liking noise and he simply ignored his natural orchestra. He would snore at different pitches every second.
Also he would step on our bed and God save us if we moved. We would get a sharp snap telling us ‘enough- don’t disturb’. But he was smart enough to jump back on the floor, the moment he heard my father heading towards our room.
But having a pet is not always a fairy tale. Let me share an unusual and embarrassing incident with my dear dog. One day, it was time for his evening walk and he was getting very restless. I tried to pacify him in all possible ways as I was waiting for our house help to take him for a walk. Meanwhile, I was also searching for a book to read. I was sitting on the floor as the bookshelf was low. Just for a fraction of a second, I turned around to see where my doggy was. To my greatest surprise, I saw his bum angled towards my face & saw him fart at that very moment. Oops! That was the major lesson of that day …… Understand the call of nature of your dog! Well, the sad part is, I had to learn it the stinky way!  It was a nightmare for me for several days.
Teddy was the heart of the family. He passed away two years back but his memories are still fresh in our minds. Animals have an uncanny way to teach you love and their faithfulness, love and care touches your heart deep. I know, he will live in our hearts, all our lives …
– Karishma Dewan