3. What Do You Want?

You might find it a repetition of the previous chapter. In chapter two I talked at length about want and in this also I am talking about wanting. But it is not the same thing because dogs come in different shapes and sizes. Centuries of selective breeding had made certain breeds displaying certain very pronounced characteristics. The first broad classification is between a mongrel and a pedigree. In India a mongrel is known by the name of a 'street dog'. Now, if you are not from India then you must be wondering as to what exactly is a street dog? It is a dog gone feral, living an independent life making a living on bits and pieces, on scrounging the dustbin. When I say feral, it doesn’t mean that the dog is a Dingo, but it means that the dog doesn’t have a owner or a parent. Such dogs are strong in their immunity and don’t suffer from the genetic disadvantages of selective breeding. These dogs show multiple intelligences instead of a predominant characteristic. In short, mongrels are strong and intelligent but more of a challenge in training for it is a dog and not a breed of a dog. There are no distinct breed specific characteristics but just a mix of many things. Then there is not much of size variations among the mongrel. Most of them are like a mid-sized dog.

The pedigree adds to the confusion. There are so many varieties of breeds that it becomes difficult to make a choice as per our requirement. The question is 'what do you want'. It should be fine-tuned to which breed will be suitable for us. It all depends on 3 Ts viz.,

1. Temperament

2. Territory

3. Time

1. Temperament here refers to the temperament of the dog or the breed to which the dog belongs. Is the dog friendly? Is it protective? Is it strong and assertive? Is it aggressive? Is it inquisitive? Is it intelligent? All these questions will help us to find a dog that we need. We must understand the dog’s mental makeup and its emotional needs. In short it is about the different ways the dog wants to find happiness. Is the dog happy in the company of many or is the dog happy under the command of just one? Does it prefer seclusion and selective company or is it a happy go lucky type trying to bond with every stranger?

A Pitbull or a Rottweiler won’t be a good choice if you desire to interact with many strangers and expose the dog to such experiences. A Labrador or a Golden Retriever might prove more friendly towards strangers. Then again smaller breeds bark more but the bigger ones' bark is a booming presence in the neighbourhood.

2. Territory is about the space available to the dog for it to consider as its area of influence. For example, it all depends on where you intend to keep your dog as a pet. Would your dog be living in a house with a lawn or will it be living in an apparent with a balcony and a drawing room? A farmhouse will mean more space for the dog to run about and explore. A 2BHK flat will not provide it that much space but it will be cosy and safe. A small breed needing less space will thrive well in a flat or apartment. A big breed needing more leg space and more headroom will be happy in a farm. The free space to explore is directly proportional to the size of the dog and the rule of the thumb is that a bigger dog needs more space. So, if you want to keep a Tibetan Mastiff then don’t provide it cramped quarters and what is cramped quarters for it will be a wide playing field for a Tibetan Spaniel.

3. Time is a precious matter in the living of the modern society. We must make time for our pet. Some pets need more of our time and attention for their fur needs to be groomed on a regular basis. A pug with its short fur is easy to maintain. A Border Collie needs more of our time for its coat is made of long hair which can easily get tangled. We might not get time for that. In that case a dog with short hair is more suitable for the owner with less time. Moreover, a dog needs to be taken out for a walk. A big dog will need to go for a walk. A small dog may be happy running around in the apartment. So, we need not invest much time on a small breed compared to a big breed.

The size of the breed is a big concern. It all depends on your living space and your willingness to accommodate. The next thing to consider is the length of its body hair or fur. Long hair needs more grooming than short hair. Then comes the amount of food that the dog would eat as it grows from a puppy to an adult dog. The food intake is directly proportionate to the poop generated, so more food means more poop and more poop means more hassles cleaning.

It all started with a wish which then transformed into a want and here we are making a choice from the varieties We are streamlining our wants and zeroing on a choice best suited to our wants. But then as we choose, we mustn’t be oblivious of the fact that irrespective of a breed, a dog is a dog, a lovable companion and a trustworthy confidant. Different breeds are there, and dogs belong to different breeds but inspite of that each dog is unique and not a clone of another. Even in the same litter, puppies display different characteristics. Some of the puppies might be brave explorers and some may be shy observers, some may be dominating while others may be dreading. So, there's incredible diversity of size, shape and soul. That diversity is both an advantage and a disadvantage.

It is an advantage because it provides us with an opportunity to choose. As we choose, we become aware of different looks and behaviour. That increases and adds to our knowledge of the dogs. It helps us to better understand our needs and thus helps us to make better choice. We begin to understand that a Bloodhound is different from a Bulldog and Labrador is different from a Lasha Apso. The awareness of that difference makes us aware of what exactly we want.

It is a disadvantage because it confuses us with too much of choice and may contribute towards making a wrong choice. Too many choices might prompt us to choose a wrong breed based on a wrong criterion. We might be attracted to the smart looks of a German Shepherd and adopt it inspite of living a sedentary life in the 25th floor of an apartment block. We might do that without realising that its smart look results from exercise in the open, from its herding instincts, from its ability to run in the pasture with the sheep. A majestic large breed looks attractive compared to a cat like small breed but a large breed demands more space and more time.

So, awareness of the looks of different breeds is not enough to take the right decision rather it is the knowledge about the 3 Ts which helps us to arrive at the right decision. Then we must also observe the behaviour of the pups in the litter. A carefree pup might attract our attention more than a timid and whimpering pup. But we must realise that a carefree pup also points to an independent attitude and such a dog will be difficult to train. A curious pup demanding attention; readily responding to touch and bonding well may point to a willingness to work together and might be easy to train. A pup afraid of its surroundings may be too afraid to try out new things and might be trapped in its own phobia and paranoia. Such a pup might need lot of reassurances to be able to respond to training.

Our roadmap to the future will be a more gratifying and soothing experience, if we know as to what we really want. All our plans are built on our dreams and our dreams are made by the mingling of our imagination and our realities. Adopting a puppy is no different from all that. Our imagination of a future nurturing a bond with our four-legged friend and our acceptance of our realities will mingle together to bring this chapter to an end. Realities devoid of imagination will not make us grow in the relationship. But at the same time imagination bereft of realities will make us loose our way in a maze of unrealistic expectations, heartbreaks and painful separations. The puppy is the reality, the situation and scenario of our life is the reality, the puppy living with us in our life is the reality and imagination is the relationship waiting to be discovered in the journey together through life having its fair share of twists and turns, ups and downs. Our awareness of what we want, the process of knowing what we want, the exploration and experience of what we want is the bridge that connects reality and imagination; and makes us who we are.