Abhishek Shukla

Dog's Acceptance

Word Count: 498

There is no bigger acceptance than a dog’s acceptance.

When people accept you, there’s usually a reason for it. There is a need that you fulfil; there is a ‘type’ in which you fall into; a set of criteria that you are matching. The things that you own, the clothes that you wear, the car that you drive, all of it matters to them. To find their company, you need to be the right fit. Matching ideology, matching status, matching routines, and on top of it, even the ‘vibe’ needs to match. Their acceptance is conditional and transactional; you are needed as long as you can serve your role.

On the other hand, a dog’s acceptance is unconditional. They don’t care who you are, what you own, what purpose you serve in society; for them, you are there, not harming them, not shooing them away, and that is enough. They need nothing more. If you provide something to them, they will wholeheartedly accept it. If you won’t, even that is okay. You feed them, they’ll eat it. If you don’t, they’ll simply hang around. You play with them, they’ll love it. If you won’t, they won’t mind. They’ll brighten your day with their mere presence and will tell you how you brighten theirs with yours. They don’t care if you are an introvert or extrovert; they will respond to your energy.

They will make your home, their home; your street, their street; your car, their car. You might live with the assumption that it is your property, but they live with the certainty of being the sole caretakers of ‘their’ property. They need no contract to own it; they simply do. They protect it without you ever asking them, and appoint you as their protectors, all by their own volition. They own you, without the need for any tag to name the relationship. They own you and let you own them.

When you leave, they call you to show their face; a face enough to fill you with reassurance that someone’s waiting for you back home. When you come back, they welcome you with unmatchable excitement, often leaving you wondering if you did anything to deserve it. Dogs don’t ask you to be anyone or do anything to be deserving of their affection; you deserve it because you are there with them. Your presence is enough for them, your attention, necessary.

When people accept you, it tells something about your personality; when a dog accepts you, it tells something about ‘you’. The ‘you’ that exists regardless of all paraphernalia. The ‘you’ that can only be identified and appreciated by someone who can look beyond all the paraphernalia. The ‘you’ that even you might not be aware of. Their acceptance serves as a certificate for your soul, a shining proof that you are more than the things and labels that define you.

There is no bigger acceptance than a dog’s acceptance. So, when you see a dog, pet them.

Notes by Author:

#Dog