Look at the little canine that walks upright and very stiffly; its head slightly raised, tail held erect and quite rigid, hairs bristling, pricked ears directed forwards and eyes fixated. It is exhibiting a formidable and dangerous appearance. But when it understands that the apparent enemy is its master, its whole bearing is reversed. The little body sinks downwards (even crouches) and is thrown into flexuous movements; the tail is lowered and wagged from side to side; its hair instantly becomes smooth; its ears depressed and drawn backward but not close to the head; and its lips hang loosely. The quadruped grins and laughs and its eyes glisten, its body squirms, it whines and howls with delight upon seeing a beloved human friend. Like men endowed with great strength, it isn’t quarrelsome or given to using its powers unnecessarily either by barking or attacking strangers. Unless its master or its master’s property is attacked, it largely remains good-natured. For the amusement of its friends, the doggie plays tricks and little comedies and behaves ‘waggishly’.
A very keen student of a man’s physiognomy, if the hound sees its master’s face covered with frowns, it infers anger and expects kicks — an inference and anticipation that leads it quietly to get out of the way. If on the other hand it meets smiles/ laughs, it greets its master joyously in its own way reflecting and reciprocating his good humour. Should tears unexpectedly appear, it offers sympathy and condolence in forms as eloquent and unmistakable as the man himself can use to brother-man. Incoming by such means a conclusion, how far it has reason to fear or to trust the man, the dog is very much on the footing with the child. The quadruped canine, be it the street dog or any fancy dog, hangs around and responds to your affectionate call when you throw a piece of bread or bone towards it. With the instinct not to be distrustful, it licks your shoes with all the love, affection, and indebtedness.
Dogs, wild or domestic, are known for companionship and devotion to humans. The positive effect of the canine on the well-being of people is well documented. During this centuries-long association, humans have picked up a lot from them. The little creature has not, however, had much to pick up from the fellow humans. Millions of people the world over own dogs just because they are good-natured, simple, and easily amused. They’re faithful, loyal, and man’s best friend. During the Mao-Tse-Tung era, pet dogs were branded as bourgeois in China and were therefore banned. In the 1990s, however, the same were shipped from Moscow to Beijing on the Trans-Siberian railways. Dogs that sold in Russia for $70 fetched as much as $900 in China.
Dogs are not exactly Mensa members either, but they definitely make better pets than tropical fish. If the master is home alone and he suddenly starts choking on a piece of ‘taken out’ chilled food and then collapses to the floor, dying, a pet tropical fish or for that matter a parrot is not going to alertly rush over to the phone, knock the receiver off the hook, dial hospital emergency with its nose, and bark excitedly into the mouthpiece until the operator sends paramedics. Of course, all the time the faithful dog isn’t going to do all this either, though it can be seen doing so in a Bollywood movie. But while it’s doing this, it’ll never be thinking about sneaking away with the chilled food scattered all about. On the other hand, it will still be thinking loyal thoughts about the master.
In a corner there in front of a butcher’s shop, it’s one among many hungry souls. With all eyes on pouncing on the piece of bone that the butcher chucks away, the canine gets visions, typical of animal instincts, that are largely need-based, nothing more than to satisfy its hunger. Unlike humans, with the proclivities to hoard, it doesn’t manipulate, machinate, or conjure crooked thoughts at the cost of its fellow canines. The “greedy” bundle of doggish flesh and bones soon steps aside to let fellow carnivores dine their share, even if the succulent mouthful of mutton is thrown before it.

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Tajamul Hussain