I still don't know - what life would be happier for him? Wandering, full of dangers, struggles for life, maybe short ... Or the life he spent in the village with my father: on a leash, as it is customary to keep dogs in the village - to scare away all strangers, full of anger and fear! He lived with us for 14 years - a dog who was proudly named Lord. Although perhaps the name Sirko would suit him better :)
I remember the moment when I first saw him. In the city, under the roots of a large tree, a stray dog gave birth to four puppies. There were three redheads and one black and white.
My father, who lived in the village, once said - I would like to have a dog. And we invited him to go there to choose one of them.
My father put his hand in the hollow under the roots of the trees and pulled out the dogs one by one. The oranges did not resist, were weak and sedentary. And the gray bit his father in the arm :) "That's what I'll take!" - said my father and we took him in a car and took him to the village.
At first it was a cute funny puppy, which was very much loved by my 4 year old daughter Victoria! She played with him in the summer and I think he felt loved 😀
But when he grew up, something happened: he took the eggs laid by chickens. And then he attacked a chicken in my father's garden. That's when he was ordered! This was the first time. And later he was tied to a chain. At first he sometimes tried to escape. But then he resigned himself ... For some reason my father did not want to walk with him, train him, teach him, communicate with him, although he was a very smart and faithful dog! There have always been other priorities. Work, and in the evening watching the news on television. Although you understand that we always take the time to do what we are really interested in.
Every time we came and lived in the village during the warm season, we walked with him in the evening near the forest. But life on the chain has done its bad deed. The dog became wild and not completely controlled. Sometimes he did not respond to the name, and when other dogs met on his way - there were fierce fights. Neighbors were afraid of him too!
The Lord was fed once a day. I called this food prison soup: the bread in the water and refined oil. Sometimes, if the owner cut the rabbit, the Lord got his share ... Or if I sometimes gave milk or something tasty from his table. The dog had a good appetite - he ate everything he was not offered.
That's how 14 years have passed. The owner grew old and became a widower ... The dog also grew old. In recent months, my grandfather began to worry more often - what will happen to his dog when he dies ... He started talking about the fact that he would like the dog to go to another world sooner than him, because who will take care of the dog if he will die! It is very sad and painful to watch such a situation! And then there was an event that demonstrates how our desires materialize!
We did not notice the dog when he was lying on a chain in the pit and a little hit the wheel of the car on his paw.
The dog limped for several days, but the unpleasant situation benefited him - the Lord was untied from the chain and he was released. Out of pity for the injured dog, Grandpa did what he seemed to be going to do a long time ago, but put it off until tomorrow. Because it was more convenient.
But it turned out that the dog was not used to freedom and the only thing he thought about was food, which he probably always lacked in life. He was like a prisoner, with eternally hungry eyes. He ran to the kitchen and ate everything that was in the cat plates. His company was intrusive and unpleasant.
He recovered completely, ran and walked with us again, but something in him changed irreversibly! He was sad. The dog seemed to understand that the owner wanted him dead. Every night he slept at the door of his old master. And one day, a few weeks later, he suddenly stopped walking. He lay in the rain for several days and tears flowed from his eyes .... This photo was the last ... Grandfather buried his friend.
You probably know this saying: We are responsible for those we have tamed! Dogs are intelligent, very loyal animals. They need a special relationship with people and if a person does not give him the friendship he needs - the dog will be unhappy! In my opinion, a short bright life on the loose is better than a long gray meaningless life on a chain!
Here are my thoughts ...