Parenting A Pet
Rashi Chopra talks about her German Shepherd, who is a guardian, companion and the family’s child, all in one
My husband and I both grew up with pets, so we fully understood the responsibility involved when we reluctantly got a German Shepherd for our daughter, who is now the most spoiled member of the family - He gets EVERYTHING and gets away with ANYTHING with that baby face!
I still vividly remember meeting him when he was just eight weeks old, playing with his siblings and how scared he was on the ride home. My husband Sumit slept near him for the first few days, and we have never been left alone since then!
Even now, whenever he feels lonely or scared, especially during thunderstorms, he barks to call us. He has brought so many smiles and laughter to our family over the years, from being startled by his own fart the first time to discovering his own bark! He truly is a child to a sibling and us to my daughter, who sets "big sister" rules that he willingly follows only for her.
As he stops eating if we leave him at a daycare, he either travels with us or one of us stays behind with him. Even on regular workdays, we come home at intervals to feed him and take him outside, while he spends the rest of the day watching movies. He has watched all pet movies, documentaries on animals and family movies on Netflix! We haven’t introduced any scary movies yet! Wonder how that would go!
Buddy turns nine this October, and having him has shown us just how much time and dedication a pet requires. We’ve spent enough time with him to understand the exact meaning behind each of his different barks. He is my guardian when I’m alone and a quiet companion when I sit outside in nature.
He is a certified ball addict and takes great joy in pulling the eyes out of new stuffed toys, but tug-of-war with his dad is his absolute favourite! He loves water and has destroyed quite a few sprinklers all these years and will always be found next to the hose, but he hates the rain! He enjoys rolling on the grass and snow and is very particular about his intake of Vitamin D from the sun directly on a daily basis.
He is the family meeting supervisor, which means all family jokes and laughter are shared in his presence. He hates arguments, but he is all in when it’s about him! He chases the rabbits, but birds have a free backyard pass and big wild creatures - Beware!
He is a beautiful, intelligent and affectionate member of our family who ensures we never feel alone. He knows how to keep us busy - it has to be all about him! As beautifully said by Roger Caras: "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”
Leave a comment