The Big Boss of our house

Pets are special and if it is a dog, it becomes all the more special for its family. My pet dog is a male dachshund. He is golden brown in colour and is small built. We have named him Caesar but he has got quite a few pet names. I still remember the day my family brought him home. Our little puppy Caesar will soon complete 12 years with us. He has indeed become an important member of the family.

All my family members, including my aged mother-in-law, love spending time with him. He befriends all our friends, neighbours and relatives who come home and is eager to play with them. A cheerful soul that he is, everyone is fond of him and wants to spend time with him. Many of my friend’s children brought pets home after seeing Caesar. He loves his wardrobe and wears different clothes as per the climatic conditions.

He is our stress buster and makes us forget all our tensions and worries. He does not like us going out. He clings on to us and gently bites into our heel to express his displeasure. When its time for our return, he stands near the front door waiting for us and wags his tail as soon as he sees us. We all treat him like the ‘Big Boss’ of our house.

Our day starts with a hot cup of coffee and his day starts with a glass of milk. He loves his non-vegetarian meals as veg meals are a strict no-no for him.

Apart from his regular food, we give him dry chapathis because he loves them. He’s also very emotional as he stops eating whenever a family member goes out of town. Any amount of cajoling will not help him change his decision. He hates to stay alone and as a result, at least one member of the family stays back to take care of him.

After his regular food, we always give him a bone to chew and he spends the whole afternoon chewing it.

A dog sleeps in day and is active at night but our Caesar loves to sleep all the time. He sleeps with us in our bed and on the same pillow too. Even though he looks small made, it’s very difficult to move him once he is asleep.

He howls, snarls, barks and growls to express his different moods. He understands our moods as well and behaves himself accordingly.

He is intelligent and understands three to four languages and sometimes we are forced to talk in sign language or just spell out a word. He loves to travel by car and keeps shifting from the front seat to the back seat. The minute he hears the word “leash” he gets very excited.

It is no wonder said that “A home without a dog is just a house”.

(The author can be reached at [e-mail])