What is the first word that comes to your mind when I say "Unconditional"?
Love, right? AND
Who do you associate these two words with?
A dog, correct?
Whenever these two words pop out of our mouths, "Unconditional
Love," our brains show us an image of a dog.
Why?
Why is the word "Unconditional" associated with a dog? I have been
thinking about it for quite some time now.
I am going to do my best to help uncover the reason, and I might need your
generous help. So, please pitch in accordingly with your comments.
I don't associate just "Unconditional love" with a dog; that is a
given. Through my interactions with my six dogs (a Shih Tzu, Two Indies, a GSD,
and two lab-rescued beagles), I have been a witness to various unconditional
emotions.
Let's first go through these emotions before we arrive at the why. I am
going to do my best to try and explain each emotion via an example. It would be
beneficial if you could add your examples to help the large audience
understand.
Love:
Ozzie, our Shih Tzu, who was adopted as a 35-day-old puppy, has an abundance
of it. The bond that he and I share is very different. He knows my every move
and emotion. He is my kid; I never call him a dog and never will.
Mornings are super cool with him. I almost get a Shih Tzu hug from him even
before I am up. I ask if he slept well, and he responds with a kiss and a
rolly-polly (cuddle). It's a routine, one that I have never missed, nor has he.
If this is not unconditional love, then I need your help.
Healing:
We adopted Taco, a Lab-rescued beagle when he was 4 years old. He became
the first lab-rescued therapy dog, healing kids and dogs. I have lost count of
the number of lives that this boy has touched.
Forgive:
We rescued Khushi and Sheru (Indies aka Street Dogs) from the streets after
they got run over by a vehicle (separately). They are both tripods, but I don't
see them holding a grudge, vengeance, or anger towards anybody. They seem to
have forgiven and forgotten.
Sharing:
Bella, another lab-rescued beagle adopted by us, has helped onboard and
taught the ropes to Khushi, Sheru, and Max (another lab-rescued beagle that we
adopted who passed away due to old age).
Trust:
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Our adopted GSD Al, who was ill-treated, was left in a bad state on a construction site. Pavithra, my better half, rescued him, and today he has given life another chance, trusts people, and has become an integral part of the pack.
Won't you agree that it is just not love? There is unconditional healing,
unconditional forgiveness, unconditional sharing, and unconditional trust in
dogs.
How does this happen so unconditionally?
The answer to that is very simple. Dogs do not complicate things like
humans. We complicate even the basic part of "Love." They do not, as
it is very straightforward to them.
I also found this nice article that provides more details Unconditional Love
It is either black or white, nothing in between.
They are masters at picking up emotions. Ozzie, our Shih Tzu, calms me down
by sitting on my lap when I am upset or angry. He practically does not let go
of me at that moment. Does anything of this sort happen with any of you?
Their relationship with humans dates back a thousand years, and although we
have evolved in terms of our relationship with them, they have not changed one
bit.
They are and will always be unconditionally our biggest support, love, and
family.
The least that we can do for them is to love back unconditionally, and I
don't think that is too much to ask.
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