We think of kids and dogs as an excellent match because "man’s best friend" provides loving companionship. But dogs teach small humans many valuable lessons too. I had fabulous dog friends in my childhood and the values they taught have stayed with me until now.
My earliest friend was Beppo who lived with a family friend at Zandvoort, a beach town about half an hour away from Amsterdam.
Beppo was a rough collie, a hugely popular breed because of the Lassie films and television shows where the heroic dog rescues kids, cats and towns from villains, fires and other dangers.
In real life, rough collies are super clever working dogs that watch over sheep and cattle.
Beppo was a pet but he may have watched the Lassie films because he took one look at me and appointed himself my guardian.
When we first met, Beppo towered over me. He let me hold on to his fur as I walked, comforted me when I fell and shared in my toddler adventures.
I don’t remember him helping me dispose of ice-cream, but I have vivid memories in later years playing with him on the beach.
He was always up for running around, splashing in the water and when I was knocked over by waves, Beppo would be there to comfort me.At night, I helped comb him. Then, tired from running around, he let me share his basket and blanket.
Close connection
In those days, parents didn’t worry much about kids napping with dog and getting the odd lick in the face. Since then, parents have worried increasingly about exposing babies and toddlers to germs and other "dirty" things.
However, modern scientists say that early exposure to pets helps build a resilient immune system, lowering allergy and asthma risk and I’m certain Beppo’s company gave my immune system a solid boost.
Beppo looked after me but above all, he modelled tenderness: his quiet strength taught me to notice and protect the small.
When I was old enough for pets, I was gentle with my rabbit, mouse and guinea pigs. I picked them up carefully, and I watched their faces to understand how they felt.
My memories of Beppo are fragmented but when I was six, my parents began taking riding lessons and I met Khalief and Hendrick who were my fur besties throughout primary school.
Khalief was an Afghan hound. Huge, with a long silky coat and a velvety long nose, he would treat me like a puppy, rolling me over and over in the grass before playing race and chase.
Afghans were bred for hunting deer and even leopards, so they’re among the top 10 fastest dog breeds in the world. Although Khalief could rocket around the fields at 65km/h, he always let me catch him.
While Khalief was a silken strength built for speed, Hendrick was a huge boy bulging with muscle.
Being an Alsatian, he had a passion for rituals. Hendrick taught me to play fetch, bringing me his ball and being very patient as I learned to throw it further and further for him.
Game on
But our best game was tug of war. We’d grab a piece of rope or Hendrick would find a branch and he’d pull at one end while I heaved away at the other. Khalief would join in too, pulling Hendrick’s end, mine or his own. We spent hours doing this and with playing in the fields, it got gloriously muddy.
From them, I learned that it didn’t matter that I couldn’t run fast like Khalief or lift huge branches like Hendrick. We had joy in the moment and joy in each other.
Khalief and Hendrick also taught me practical lessons in kindness and good manners, teaching me to be patient, to respect a learning curve and to be happy taking turns.
We played together for many years and as an adult, I still see sports through my childhood experiences with them.
Seeing top performers like Pandelela Rinong anak Pamg dive or Lee Chong Wei return an impossible shot gives me the same exhilaration as watching Khalief flash across the fields or Hendrick pick up a huge branch with effortless strength and skill.
My personal joy comes from good company. As a teen, I enjoyed tennis even though I was dreadful at it because my friends loved to laugh and didn’t care about winning.
It was as joyful and uncritical as romping with Khalief and Hendrick. Today, I still look for activities where the accent is all about fun and sharing.
I am carrying on the fine traditions of the dogs that helped socialise me, and I think my life is the better for it.
