Pets make you more social in general

CHENNAI : Having a pet at home is an ecstatic feeling. You will create a lot of happy memories every day. My phone is filled with pictures worth 100GBs of these priceless happy memories.I have two lovely girls, Aria, a four-and-a-half-year-old Golden Retriever and Fiona, a Labrador Retriever who is around 10 years old. I adopted Aria when she was a three-month-old pup from a friend whose dogs had littered. Fiona however, found me at work.

She walked into Sotally Tober’s first outlet in Koramangala when it was still under construction. She looked like she was abandoned by a breeder after being used as a puppy mill for several years. She immediately formed a strong bond with Aria and they are inseparable now.Having a pet is a lot of fun, but needs a lot of work at the same time. I had to make sure I was at a point in my life where I could adopt a dog. 

Aria is very good with dogs and children. She is a sweetheart who comforts and picks up the pieces of all foster puppies and dogs I have brought home. But, her constant begging for treats is a small price to pay for the wonderful girl she is. Fiona is a constant bodyguard to Aria. She is always there to shoo away any unwanted male attention. She is a good mother to the puppies I have brought home, as she teaches them how to behave around adult dogs. 

Every Sunday, I take them out on a drive to socialise with other dogs or to go swimming. They love it so much that every Sunday morning, I am woken up by sloppy kisses and smacks to the face by their paws.
Once, I encountered a challenging situation with Aria. A year ago, she started having seizures out of the blue, which were triggered by sudden outbursts of noise. The challenge was to stay calm and give her the comfort she needed.

After extensive consultation and tests, we got to know that she is epileptic and needs to be on permanent medications. Now, she is all good. On the other hand, Fiona is a smooth sailer. She is the most carefree dog I have ever met.Having a pet changes your attitude in ways more than one. They have made me more social. I think we all should consider adopting a pet. They give us all their trust and all they want in return is for you to not break it and of course, some treats too.
(The writer is the partner, Sotally Tober)