Its A Dog's Life !

Ever thought about why dogs are so loving?

I never got any particular answer for it, though I thought about it. I thought may be its in their nature to love humans. I did not try to get an answer looking deep into any of our scriptures. Since we have tons of scriptures and it touches every aspect of life, there must be some solid things available. But its like searching in the ocean.

There are lots of mentions about dogs and their love, in most of the religions or religious books and scriptures. For a layman Hindu, if at all he/she remembers, most probably, the dog related memory that connects to religion might be the dog that followed the Yudhistira, the eldest of Pandavas (Mahabharata).



Mahabharatha, the great epic of India almost ends with this dog story. Yudhishtira, his four other brothers and wife decides to renounce kingdom and even life. They started for the Himalayas. A dog followed them. All the five died on their way who followed Yudhishtira but the dog. At the entrance of the heaven, Lord of the Heaven asked him to ditch the dog and then Yudhishtira refuses to enter and he says

“ I can not leave this holy creature who has accompanied me through all my trials and tribulations. Either you admit both, or else I will not enter Heaven”

Most of the Muslims I know don’t have dog as their pet and one of them told me they are not supposed to keep it. They consider dog as a ‘dog’. But I refuse to believe in it coz there is a story like this, connected to Mohammed the Prophet.

One day, a panting dog feebly approached one of his followers, who took notice of the poor animal. Seeing a puddle of muddy water, he tore a scrap off the hem of his shirt, soaked it in the water and taking the dog in his lap, he moistened its mouth.

Another person, witnessing this, went and told the Prophet that a member of the group had handled a filthy animal, "and therefore he should not be allowed back here again." Mohammed asked, "What was he doing to the dog ?" "I don't know, but I saw him moistening its mouth with a torn piece of cloth dipped in muddy water." "Then," replied the Prophet, "He is a better Muslim than you, because he is kind to animals."

In the Bible, there is no direct mentioning of any connection between Jesus and dogs. But the other day I read something strange. Somebody saying that Jesus was followed by a puppy (I wish to add : a cute lil puppy). As we know, Jesus was love and he was promoting love. A dog also shows love and spreads the message of love. Jesus tried to ease the suffering of the mankind and so do a dog. Look at this:

(What I have with me is the New King James Version of The Holy Bible)

“ There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously everyday.

But there was a certain begger named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate.

Desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.

So, it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angles to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried”

- LUKE 16:19,20,21,22

But it looks like it is the Greek who really availed the dog’s doc service, apart from their guard and guide roles. From 500 BC till 300 A.D, in Asklepian Temples (Asklepius is the son of Apollo), dogs served as healers. These dogs were called cynotherapists. They used to smell the ill pple and then lick. But most of those temples got destructed and I don’t know what happened to those dogs. It is said that they got killed or thrown into the streets. One thing I am sure, if Jesus were there, he wouldn’t have allowed them to do so.

When St.Roch was just Roch, he had a wonderful dog. He was involved in healing plague, in the Europe, and he himself contracted the disease. When he was in the dying bed (?? He was lying under a tree), this dog used to steal a loaf of bread everyday for him and even licked his master's sores.

Florence Nightingale also promoted pets in therapies. Now it is proved that a dog’s saliva has got antibiotic capabilities (I think our saliva also should have similar qualities).



MOTI the dog who came with me (us) during Himalayan Hiking (over 13000 ft above sea level, he came all the way)

So, what are dogs, if they are not living example for love and care?