Usha
You are in the commercial centre of the city for a film and while you are in the vicinity you decide to drop into the bookstore and also squeeze in some long pending shopping. On the way back you are caught in the traffic and finally you are happy to be back in the 'comfort' of your own home after 5 hours of crowd and noise.
And your heart melts when a bouncy dog greets you at the gate and receives you with manic display of affection. Isn't it wonderful to know someone missed you so much? Life seems so beautiful.
Your want to slip your tired feet into the pair of comfortable slippers you use indoors and where are they?
"Munni, chappal?" and the maniac happily bounds off leading you to the back of the house. On the lawn are an assortment of slippers and socks along with your hairbrush and the dupatta you had worn that morning.
And the garden itself looks as if a`wild elephant just passed through it - plants pulled out of the ground and pots, lawn dug up in four places and the garden hose chewed up in several bits.
You try to catch the culprit and she runs all around the garden thinking it is playtime and she is all set to play "catch me if you can."

What about the other inmates of the house? How did she get up to this? what were they doing?
As expected,you find the son at the computer table and the husband behind a pile of newspapers - positions from which they might reluctantly budge if the roof falls on their heads. The acorn didn't fall too far from the tree - well that would have been too much of an effort for those genes.
"Hello, do you know what Munni has been up to?"
"Oh, she has been very quiet all this while. No problem at all."

The battle can wait. A cup of tea first. So you head toward the kitchen or what used to be the kitchen for now it resembles TV pictures of a scene after a natural disaster. The garbage bin has been carelessly left open for Munni to sneak in and play with its contents.And while sweeping the floor you pick up a long piece of black pasta which you would recognise later to be the remnants of your mobile phone charger!

Welcome to a "normal' day in the life of the owner of a thoroughly spoilt dog.

The scene could be straight from that charming tale of Marley, the world's worst dog - Marley & Me. Some of us are blessed with special kind of dogs. They never obey a rule, they never learn a trick and even if they learn, they will make you lose face by ignoring the command when you are proudly trying to show off. These are dogs that are deluded that they are humans and that they are so special that they can get away with their worst.And they usually do because they have the extra ordinary gift of making their home with hopeless dog lovers like me and John Grogon, the author of the book 'Marley & Me'

If you love animals for what they are and not for what they can do, you will love Marley & Me. The book is full of amusing anecdotes involving the huge, dumb, disobedient and yet totally adorable Marley - but every dog owner knows how 'amusing' these must have been at the time they happened. It takes unconditional love and unending supply of patience to put up with some of their childish shenanigans and it is a lot of extra hard work but worth every bit of it if you can draw up the balance sheet and see what they give you in return. As John Grogon says in the book:
"Was it possible for a dog - any dog, but especially a nutty, uncontrollable one like ours - to point humans to the things that really matter in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside.A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple,and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not."


He might tear a wall down when left alone in a thunder storm or ruin a handwoven Persian carpet but then he would also follow his master everywhere,climbing stairs not minding the ache in his legs and knees ravaged by arthritis till his last days. That kind of devotion is something you cannot buy for any amount of cash.
For everything else, as we know, there is master card.

Marleys and Munnis - they make us see the essential aspects of life and try to make us better human beings.
20 Responses
  1. Altoid Says:

    :) Hugs to Munni and Munni's owner. So did the battle happen? *eagerly awaits the gory details*

    -altoid


  2. Hip Grandma Says:

    Serves you right for going off on your own.Did you really think that she would not protest??Munni dear I am on your side as long as you remain on Usha's lawn!!Jokes apart you have a cute little imp to deal with.Sidharth was an obedient child right?You cannot expect to get away without the experience of handling a thoroughly spoilt brat.


  3. Serendipity Says:

    *Waves to munni*
    Usha , what do you expect when you leave such a cute looking pup at home ALONE for 5 hours!

    You GO munni!


  4. S! Says:

    Very nice story.


  5. Savani Says:

    beautiful post. The quote from the book was wonderful. It's so true!


  6. You know, when I read Marley a few weeks back, I thought of writing you a mail to ask you to read it too. I fell in love with adorable Marley and it reminded me so of my dogs past and present.It made me laugh till the tears came and it brought a lump to my throat too, both effortlessly.
    Hugs to Munni and all the Marleys of the world. woonderful creatures they indeed are.

    ROFL At that last picture. Maybe she belonged to an archaelogist n her last birth? hahahahahaha
    and lol at the observation of the men in your life that Munni was very good and quiet. They still haven't learnt that's when the trouble's afoot the most!


  7. Shiv Says:

    Those doggies are so cute!!!


  8. Savani Says:

    tagged


  9. Anonymous Says:

    Black pasta?? Hilarious!!!


  10. Fuzzylogic Says:

    I grew up in a house full of dogs and I cannot agree more with what you wrote. When I began the post I wondered if by any chance you had a toddler visiting your house:)Then as I read further I wondered if Munni had gotten together with Ina what would have happened?:)as for the Munni's oblivious co owners what can I say?can I say I am not surprised at all?:):)


  11. WhatsInAName Says:

    :)
    Such a sweet post. Even a person like me has started falling in love with dogs.


  12. her Says:

    Wow Usha... you've got an awesome sense of humour.. especially the black pasta!!

    I once went to a house which had several dachshund pups at ankle level. When I wanted to return home I found my slippers in shreds and had to come home barefeet!!!

    But who can deny that pups are adorable despite their naughtiness?


  13. Usha Says:

    altoid: Munni wants to hug you and lick you back. could you make a quick trip please? Hugs from me.
    Oh, the battle...hm...I was too tired and at the end of it all, I really burst out laughing.

    Hipgran: I think Munni is just what you need in your life. I will bring her over and drop her with you for a while...EVIL GRIN...Oh yes, I am learning all this albeit a little late.

    Seren: Cheerleaders for Munni...ha, just what she needs!
    I think I know where you live. YOu just wait till you see the hyperactive Moron outside your door sometime.

    S!: Thank you. Munni says Bowwow

    Domom:Thank you.The entire book is very well written.

    JLT:How have you resisted bringing one home so far?
    Munni sends her hugs to you. You can come over and accept them anytime.
    As for digging - she dug that hole in less than a minute. My husband says she must have been looking for oil.

    Shiv: aren't they?

    Dotmom: What? my engagement - nothing that you'd find interesting. But I'll write about it.

    CW:oh yes, it was chewed up really flat and soft.

    Fuzzy: Ina may be a sobering influence on Munni. But Munni is definitely bad news. And yes both being yoghurt lovers, the house will be a mess at all times. We may both need strong tranquilisers!

    WIN::) I am glad you liked it. They arent always scary sometimes they are dreadful like this one. hehe

    Mathangi: Hey!
    They love slippers and my visitors are always surprised at the way I quickly pick up their footwear and leave it on a high shelf.
    They can get away with murder with those adorable eyes and by licking you all over and drowning you in their undivided attention and affection.



  14. Mahadevan Says:

    Sheer literary piece. Wouln't like to offer a drab prosaic comment lest it should mar the beauty of the original.


  15. Unknown Says:

    chooo chwee....t :- )
    being a dog lover, I think you'll enjoy 'Dog stories' by James Herriot.


  16. Anonymous Says:

    i need to get my hands on the book!

    and well do you know my dog too? coz your Munni does sound so much like her!
    but then I see the pics and Munni is brown and bigger :-)

    I wrote a post dedicated to the nuisance in my life too! her name is Vava [ u can see her pics here]!


  17. ~G Says:

    An adorable pup u got there! :)
    I too had one.. The excerpt that you have pasted made me feel that I should have another loyal friend (since my Gary is no more), but the pain that separation brings after so much of bonding is unbearable.
    Anyway, hugs to your Munni :)


  18. Vandana Says:

    After a long time I saw your post, and had to comment. we recently adopted Sophie, and she looks so much like your Munni :)
    She has made a life complete :)

    I have posted a picture of her here,

    http://vandanaskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/happy-2011.html

    Vandana


  19. Well said... every pet owner will definitely agree to that... me 2.. gt one of those special dogs at homes... :):P