My OSCAR

Here is my story of most unlikely teacher. My pet Dog Oscar. He was not just a pet dog but for me he was my four legged younger brother, youngest at home.

For a very long time I wanted to write about him but had no courage to do so because each time I think of him, tears just start rolling down my cheeks.

He was a Great Dane Breed, he would talk to me face to face..hahaha.. that was his size, but he was a very gentle fellow..He was very caring and protective of our family. Dad isn’t found of dogs(any animals for that matter), yet we had two dogs at home:). Dad never entertained these souls but they never stopped loving him. He wouldn’t trust any strangers no matter even if they stayed next door seeing him daily.. hahaha. We never chained them and they were free to go around in the house. But they understood that they were not suppose to enter the kitchen so always stood at the kitchen door if they wanted to ask anything. 

He was big boy but he always was a puppy and loved sitting on the lap..hahaha… When he happened to sit on my lap, I became invisible to others and he was only one visible:)

He would sit at the gate and wait for us when we were out for shopping.. we wouldn’t leave them alone for more than 2-3hrs and once were back he would jump very happily, as if to say he is seeing us after many years….

When elder brother raised his voice, this fellow would come to me running because he knew nobody can raise their voice when he is with me since everybody at home(except him) considered me to be devil in disguise..hahaha…

I remember, once he tore my new duppatta and when I asked who did it, everybody pointed fingers at him and I just hugged him and said, “it is okay”..Mom immediately replied” It is him so you let go, anybody else, hell would have broken loose” hahaha…

Day in and day out I always hugged and kissed him on his forehead and cheeks.

If we happen to leave the gate open and not notice it, he would stand near the gate and think for sometime and then run away.. He knew the whole area and everbody knew him, infact if they found him on road they would immediately make way for him, they were scared for the way he looked, his size..hahahaha… He would then directly go to his friend Tuffy’s(Oscar’s friend, smaller breed dog-cocker spaniel) house and play there for sometime and Tuffy’s human elder brother would bring my Oscar back home. He was the only person who dared to touch Oscar apart from our family members. Nobody else dared to even look at him, let alone touch..hahaha….

He was never choosy with food.. whatever was served he would eat happily..Even if the other fellow left some food in the plate( he is very choosy with food), he would finish it off. He almost followed everything that we spoke.

If he had to be given any meds it was very easy, he would take it without creating any mess. I would wrap the tabs in the small morsel of rice and he would gladly open his mouth and I would literally put my hand in his mouth and allowed him to swallow and he never resisted.

There were many times he fell sick but he never bothered anyone.. he would just sit in one corner and suffer silently and take given meds and he was a fighter who never gave up, even when the doctor had given up on him. Once he was back to health again he would jump around as if nothing happened.

He loved lady’s finger and water melon:) and of course ice cream. He never disobeyed, he loved car rides and rides in autorickshaw, but it was always when he had to visit his vet:(, I feel guilty for that.

My Oscar never feared for anything be it lighting and thunders or fire crackers. During diwali, one would always find him sitting near the gate and watching children burst fire crackers.

My other dog(Bunty), Oscar’s elder brother :), he has bitten my Oscar many times but he never bit him back and he always respected him.

All that he wanted was food when he was hungry, rest of time he wouldn’t bother anybody at home. He would just be lying down in the bedroom or the living room or at the gate. Mom was always at home..

The lessons that he taught me, I can never forget.

1. Never waste food..Be grateful for whatever you’ve been given to eat.
2. Do not bother anyone when you are suffering, they cannot take your suffering but can only be with you while you go through
3. Always be happy, be in the present moment.
4. Love everyone even if they do not reciprocate
5. Most importantly, do not give up even if you are at the death door.
6. When you leave this world, leave your footprints behind for others to cherish
7. People will hurt you but do not hold any grudge against them, let go and forgive.
8. Be brave always.
9. Do not judge anybody, learn to accept them as they are. 
10. Stay contended with whatever you have.

I can keep writing endlessly about him but I shall stop here:)

This photo was taken 4 days before he crossed the rainbow bridge. He crossed the rainbow bridge on 15th July 2015 at the age of 8yrs, it was very painful for me to see his struggle for 2 days before he left. 

While I write this post, I couldn’t hold back my tears.. During his last days I did raise my voice against him and I feel guilty for that and regret it even today. I can never ever forget him and his lessons for me.

He visits me in my dream almost every other day, may be to check on his student’s progress.. hahaha..