Do Dogs Have Archenemies?

"Is it a person, or a situation?."

Meet Max – Our ferocious fur ball! My love for dogs isn't new; I have been an ardent pet-lover since a very tender age, but I still consider myself lucky to have him. In other posts, we will talk a lot about how he has become an inseparable part of the family, but the topic is triggered by a recent incident at the dog park. Most of us have heard about the forgiving nature of dogs, but do they really forgive and forget?

Max is a sweet boy who loves to be lazy in his favourite corners inside the house – except when we are petting another dog or a pigeon is claiming a seat at our windowsill, or when he's simply exercising his voice-box! Anyhow, while at the park, Max is usually very gentle towards everyone – provided his demands are answered:

(1) Play fetch with his favourite Frisbee and Ball

(2) Left in peace once he's done playing (No pictures, please!)

However, despite being a regular visitor at the same place for almost a year now, Max still has zero tolerance towards 2 things – Huskies (there hasn't been a single one he hasn't taken up arms with) and his archenemy, A Golden Retriever named Courage! No matter how many months since their last interaction – Max eyes Courage as soon as he enters the vicinity and goes right at him at any chance! Their tussle dates back to when Courage was over a year old and Max was less than half that age; being bigger, Courage would run all over Max and scare the living daylights out of him. However, being an adult now, Max tries to return the favour with interest! Seeing how they haven't put those memories behind them is amusing.

Don't we do the same? We often let a few unpleasant experiences ruin a lasting memory or a loving relationship. Call it the complexity of our emotions, but we let these emotions fester and, in turn, create suffering for our own selves. So, we must take a cue from our four-legged friends and associate the unpleasantness with a situation rather than a person. And although achieving a state of emotional stability is a self-learning curve – it is never a bad idea to rely on a chosen few who can bring a ray of positivity during the turmoil and put us back on the right path. As for Max, I often wonder if he is turning into a human while living amongst our emotions, but I am sure he will be able to see the better in Courage with time and through some positive reinforcement!