Dog walker suspicious of 'red dot' on dog's forehead, learns what it means to 'belong' somewhere.

Every culture is different, and so are its traditions. For instance, someone who has grown up in a Hindu family most likely knows the importance of 'Tilak,' which, as per Britannica, indicates a "person's sectarian affiliation." In most Hindu households, people apply a tilak on their forehead every day after prayer as a symbol of protection and devotion. While it may be very common in India or families practicing Hinduism, it might be an alien concept for others. For instance, Jennifer, a dog walker who goes by u/zarierose on Reddit, has found herself wondering about the "red dot" on the golden retriever she walks, and the Internet has come to their rescue, explaining the importance of the tilak.

In her now-viral post, the dog walker shared that the adorable dog she walks is owned by a Hindu family, and every day, his owner puts a tilak on his forehead after the morning prayer. "When I pick him up for his walk, he always has a red spot on his head," she wrote. Further, the author also attached a sweet picture of the golden retriever, Milo, with an auspicious red tilak symbolizing protection, divine blessing, and faith. Talking to Newsweek, Jennifer shared that she was shocked seeing people's heartwarming reaction to her Reddit post. "I just thought it was sweet and a nice thing to share," she added.

Reacting to the post, u/bedheadredemption427 commented, "I love this lol. My 74-year-old granny does communion with my dog. He gets water instead of grape juice, lol. He bites the cracker very delicately and even closes his eyes for prayer. They’ve been doing this since 2016." Similarly, another user who goes by u/robot-brain on the platform explained, "The red spot is called a Tika or Tilak. It's a matter of blessing after the ritual. If you go to the family and even just bow your head with praying hands to the deity, you'll get one too. That dog is truly blessed."

u/ibadmonkey commented, "This is such an Indian and Hindu thing; most of us do this. I'm a Hindu, and we do this with my dog and cats too. Every time we have a puja ceremony at home, all the pets get the roli tika (the red dot) after the puja. It means they are all a part of our family. It fills my heart with joy that this handsome doggo also gets the same treatment, even when he is in another country." Another person, u/lyulf0, said, "Regardless of belief, this shows the dog is absolutely loved. He is included as if he is family. They want to share their beliefs with their doggo. I'm happy this dog is so deeply loved."

u/pitforsofts wrote, "Indian parents love pets like they love their kids. I have seen Indian moms hand-feed them like babies and grandmas performing rituals that ward off the evil eye." u/cuspchaser111 revealed, "I grew up in a Hindu household, and our cat would come and sit during prayer time and just vibe out with the mantras. He was so smart that he'd never go into the prayer room; he'd sit outside. Years go by, and my sister has a cat, and he did the same thing. Animals are cool and can detect high vibes."