In households across the country, a familiar, playful debate often unfolds: who is the family dog's favourite? For oncologist and author Ranjana Srivastava and her family, this question surrounds their five-year-old cavoodle, Odie, whose affections remain a sweet and enduring mystery.
The Hierarchy of Canine Love
The question was posed light-heartedly to Srivastava's youngest child by a friend: "And who does your dog love the most?" The child's answer was swift and reasoned. Odie, they claimed, loved their mother the most. The justification was sound: Srivastava was on sabbatical when Odie arrived as a puppy, handling his feeding, allowing him to sit under her desk, and carrying him everywhere. "She also takes him for the most walks," the child added, though omitting that she is also the one who subjects him to baths and teeth cleaning.
But the inquiry didn't stop there. The friend pressed on, asking who Odie loved next. The reply, "Probably my sister," prompted a corrective growl from the kitchen. The daughter clarified that while Odie used to favour her, his allegiance had shifted to her older brother, leaving her baffled as to the reason why.
A Shift in Affection and a Fondness for Beds
The dynamics of Odie's attachments are observed in daily rituals. When Srivastava is home, the cavoodle is her shadow, a tripping hazard outside the bathroom. Initially, he would bolt into his daughter's room each morning for a face-licking greeting. This may have been partly due to her slightly ajar door, a luxury not afforded by her siblings who kept theirs firmly closed against pet invasions.
However, Odie's strategy changed. He seemingly tired of the mild complaints about being pinned under blankets and moved his focus to the eldest son's room. This son, a university student with irregular hours, possesses the most spacious bed among the children. Odie developed a distinct fondness for both the bed and its occupant. Now, after deducing a morning walk is unlikely, he sits patiently outside the door, waiting to be let in to find a comfortable spot amongst the legs and shins.
The truly puzzling behaviour, however, is that Odie seeks out the eldest son's bed even when he is not home, often found there resting dolefully if left alone. This act of rank favouritism vexes the family. It isn't about walks or treats, they reason, but perhaps the son's exceptionally gentle manner and his peaceful coexistence with the dog.
The Ongoing Invitation of a Dog's Love
Other family members plead their case. The youngest son nightly questions why Odie doesn't sleep on his bed, though the dog is happy to umpire FIFA games from his lap. The dog responds to these dramatic appeals by licking any available surface, as if to say, "Quit the melodrama."
Odie celebrates his fifth birthday today, yet the metrics of his canine heart remain his own. Scientists may be eager to analyse dog brains, and canine intelligence manifests in many forms, but some mysteries are better left unsolved. The family concludes that not knowing Odie's precise pecking order is part of the joy. It leaves them all with a continuous, gentle challenge: the ongoing invitation to live up to his apparent faith and strive to be "the person your dog thinks you are."
