‘If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.’ – 28th American President, Woodrow Wilson.
Some people say dogs hold grudges while others say they don’t.
According to a professional dog trainer and behaviorist in a story I read somewhere, dogs do not hold grudges because they don’t understand what a grudge is.
Well, I am no animal trainer and behaviorist but I believe they do. I made this discovery after returning from a 6 Day/5 Night Penang-Hatyai and Songkla Tour recently.
On the day of my return, one of my dogs, Cookie, did not wag his tail and refused to eat the food I offered it. The male mongrel, who is about 10 to 12 years old, just looked downcast with its head down on the floor. It also refused to look at me when I called.
Although my family members are dog lovers and have been rearing them since I was a child, I never know that dogs hold grudges. That was until the day I returned from my tour recently.
Now, Cookie loves to be patted and massaged. But that day, when I massaged its back and patted its head, it ignored me completely.
“Why are you upset, Cookie?” I asked my favourite dog. Of course, there was no reply.
I only understood what was wrong with Cookie when I talked to my best friend, Mee Lan, the next day.
“Did you inform Cookie you were going away for a few days before you went on the tour?” asked my ever-wise friend.
“No,” I replied. “Why?” I asked her.
“My friend, dogs are like humans. They will miss you and look for you when you are not around.
“When you went out with your suitcase, Cookie thought you would be gone for just a while. Like when you go to work. It did not know you would not be home for a few days.
“The next time, before you go on a trip, talk to your dogs and tell them that you will be gone for a few days. They will understand and wait patiently for you. They will not be angry with you.”
Since that conversation with my best friend, whenever I have to go out, I make it a point to talk to Cookie and Bailey, my younger female dog, and tell them where I am going.
Cookie only stopped being angry with me on the second day of my return after I apologised and gave it a really good massage on the back.
However, unlike Cookie, Bailey did not seem to be angry with me after my tour. But it appeared to be avoiding me.
Whenever I called it, especially on the first day of my return, it appeared to be deaf. It would not come near me also. I found Bailey’s behavior strange because it usually liked to be cuddled and patted on the head.
Perhaps both dogs were unhappy with me because during my absence, they had to sleep in the car porch.
Usually, when I am at home, both dogs sleep comfortably in the living room.
After my return, a neighbour who lived opposite my house complained that Bailey was very noisy, especially on the morning of the first day of my tour. I told him perhaps it was expecting me to open the front door as usual and let it enter the house.
When I was away, I had tied the naughty dog to one of the windows to prevent it from running away from the house again.
The playful one-year-old mongrel had gone missing twice already. The second time it went missing, it miraculously came home after 12 long days and nights. By that time, I had already given up hope of ever seeing it again.
After the neighbour phoned my son and informed him of the din Bailey was creating, my son came to the house and retied Bailey to the main gate of the house.
While I was away, my son, who lived far away, fed the dogs chicken rice once a day. The neighbour also helped feed them with leftover food.
Worried about Cookie and Bailey, I asked my son whether they were eating well when I was away. I only asked for the first few days. After that, I stopped.
Some of my friends never get to travel because they are worried about the pets they leave behind.
But I am glad I decided to travel and let my son look after them for a few days.
Thanks to the recent trip, I was able to reunite with some of my former classmates and schoolmates, visit Penang as well Hatyai and Songkla, two famous Thai destinations I’ve heard a lot about in the past.
If I have the chance, I will travel again. But first, I will tell Cookie and Bailey where I am going and when I will return.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
