Man is born with a tendency to tame- he wants to tame fellow humans, nature, as well as ferocious beasts. In his sense of superiority, he forgets that besides the first, the other two are impossible to subdue. It may seem he has succeeded, but his attempts are only being tolerated; and the moment temperaments change, man receives a severe- sometimes fatal- setback! If he gets a tiger cub and rears it, thinking the animal is going to be eternally devoted to him for allowing it a luxurious life, he is much mistaken. A wild beast is meant to stay in the wild. There is a streak of untamable in him that no amount of training or exercising can discipline. Man may think the animal is looking upon him as his master and starts to ‘pet’ it for a thrill, but one wrong move, one unguarded moment and the beast will prove to be just that- a beast!
If you keep a tiger as pet and get mauled to death, who is to be blamed? You, for your stupid guts, or the tiger for being what it is and acting instinctively? Oh, yes, he may feel remorse later because animals by nature are very loyal to the human race. But he will act first and feel later. Same is with dogs. All breeds are very loyal and friendly but untamable. Don’t think Indies are an exception: Treat one with callous disregard and you will be rewarded with a sharp bite- obviously not grievous enough to kill but a sign of retaliation and protest nevertheless. With larger breeds, due to their strength and jaw-lock power, the bite may even kill. Here we must take into account that like humans, dogs also have different personalities- some are short tempered, others may be very timid and let you kick and illtreat them. But, do you wish to take a chance and find out the hard way? The term ‘parenting’ here also plays a crucial role. You should be firm yet respectful of your pet’s personal space; loving but you need not cuddle it without its will. You have to understand that an animal is unpredictable and be on guard around him, though you may justly consider it a baby or a family member. Don’t human beings have mood swings? Don’t they get into raging moods? Aren’t murders sometimes conducted in the heat of the moment? These freak incidents don’t make every human being a murderer, nor do they make every dog too ferocious to keep as pet.
There is some logic in the argument that certain breeds are not meant to be domesticated. They were meant to be wild and free; they were meant to hunt or guard; they were meant for excessive hard work. They cannot release that energy while cooped up in a small house and being taken on tame walks two times daily by cheating walkers. In such cases, they may become prone to sulks or dark moods, and if you are not a very good observer and a sensitive master, you may end up being mauled during one such mood swing. Better to go for breeds that may do very little harm even in a foul temper- smaller, manageable breeds, including Indies of-course. But don’t discriminate between Indie and purebred. Neither side with either- give both a fair chance to exist. We don’t want breeds going extinct. Preserve certain large breeds with limited breeding on special permits. They can join forces with the police and the Army and serve the highest purpose of protection! Check black marketing and animal trading. Don’t advocate extremes. Follow the mantra of live and let live. And above all, if you have a breed that you think you cannot tame, don’t abandon it on the streets. Take help of animal behavioralists and care for it with caution for the rest of its life. It is your responsibility. And remember, you cannot tame the untamable!
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