Parenting A Pet
Rajashree Nair describes how her six-year-old GSD has become an important family member, a companion and a source of joy …
My pet Anboxy Sam is a six-year-old German Shepherd. He has a flaming orange and black single coat, long black hair and twinkling black eyes. We got him from a family in Ooty, where we saw his parents and five siblings. We chose him as he ran to us with gaiety and played with us longer than the other puppies. We instantly knew that this was a special bond blessed by the Universe. His father was a show champion.
My family consists of my husband (a sincere pet lover) and our son Vikram and daughter Rashmi. They are also pet enthusiasts and we all were extremely eager and excited to have the new puppy coming to Bengaluru with us. New member, new memories, more bonding, lots of playtime, and schooling /grooming for the new life companion!
Sam leads a disciplined lifestyle. He has daily walks and playtime, as well as an eating and resting schedule. He is awake at night (as any hunting dog) and takes small naps. At 6.30 AM, he is ready with his tennis ball for his playing session and outdoor walk. He is walked again in the evening at 4.30 once our son comes back from college. These are exercise and bonding sessions which are sacrosanct, and each member involved gives him the utmost attention. At weekends, I take him out for long walks in the evening, during which he socializes with many children who do not have pets at home (in the apartment).
Sam loves his walks. We have a dedicated pet park in our apartment where dogs of various breeds play. It also helps them to be a part of the dog community. In fact, a few dogs are abandoned or rescued and have got new homes. So, we took the initiative of socializing Sam with other pets when he was just six-months-old (after his vaccination). We would walk him every week to Cubbon Park in Bengaluru which has a weekly get-together for pet lovers on Sundays.
Sam also loves to join us in our travels, specially to our country house in Kerala which involves a long journey. There is a river flowing near it, and he enjoys his swim there. At the farm-house, he moves around freely within the compound gates. His food includes nutrition-based dog food from vegan brands. Kibbles, soft foods, and occasional non-vegetarian food, which is an important source of protein.
He is also an active part of family functions. We bake special cakes that he is allowed to eat. At home, he shares space with our pet sucker fish pair. So he is aware of fish and hears us talking to them. He does not pounce on them when we put them in a bucket during aquarium cleaning. In fact, this gentle attitude of his has won our hearts. We are grateful to the Universe that we are the chosen ones for this lovely dog.
Pets come with responsibility and sometimes sacrifice. They become another family member and need time and attention. We hope the story of Sam inspires other families and community members to adopt a pet.
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