For the dog lovers of the world!

The other day we dropped in to a friend’s house. It was to be a courtesy visit but turned out to be an interesting day out for us. Though we knew that this friend of ours liked dogs, we had never seen him keeping any earlier. His wife was not very keen and he used to talk about an ashram for his dogs where he would spend the rest of his life, etc…

As we parked our vehicle, we found a small shed in which an alert rottweiler was giving us the best of his stares. As the gate opened, a lively daschund mother and two 60 day old puppies wound themselves around our feet. Seeing our raised eyebrow and smiles, our friend, with an impish grin, pointed to the terrace and whistled. Two cheparapakkam hounds immediately stuck their heads out and cast their gauging look on us! ‘Wow’ said my wife and asked him how he managed. So the stories started. But the best among his adventures with his pets is narrated below.

For long he had drooled about having a St Bernard and finally got one (for a handsome price) from an acquaintance who brought a year old from Switzerland. As he proudly walked the three + feet tall, four feet long big fellow with a face as big as a cow, his wife unilaterally declared that either he (the dog) stays or she stays. (Don’t think that she is hard-hearted. She is one of the finest and affectionate beings that we have met so far. Her reaction perhaps is predictable considering the number of pets already at home!) So, a friendly query was initiated and a tea estate owner-friend offered to keep him. So the fellow was taken to the friend’s place at Ooty and necessary introductions were made. Leaving the fellow there, my friend hardly had left the town when he received a panic call from his friend pleading him to take the fellow back. The inquiry revealed that the docile fellow (keep his size in mind, please!) got scared of the sight of the mother of the friend (considering the cold climate, his mother had wrapped herself with some four sweaters, a couple of scarves and a balaclava cap when she met the dog!) had barked at the top of his voice. The poor old lady, seeing and hearing a St Bernard bark at her, had swooned requiring medical help! So, the St Bernard was put back into his car and brought back.

Since the St Bernard can not be taken home, my friend arranged to keep the fellow in his office and appointed the watchman as caretaker, soon as driving into the town. Next day, the sincere watchman rang up to find out what should he feed the fellow with. “Give him idlies”, my friend ordered.

Seeing the size of the dog, the watchman brought 10 idlies. The poor hungry fellow gobbled them in one go. So the watchman went and fetched some more. At the end of the feeding session, the now practically poor watchman rang up to say that 240 idlies have been fed and yet the dog looked hungry! On top of that the hotel from where idlies were brought had run out of dough!! Seeing a huge dog gobble down 240 idlies, a crowd had gathered and it was difficult for him to leave the dog alone to go and fetch some more idlies!!!

My friend left whatever he was doing and went running and jumping to a vet first with the dog!

My wife and I were in splits hearing these stories. Our friend kept reeling out the incidents with an embarrassing smile. And by God, our day was made.

We do not have a pet yet. Managing two sons, I suppose, is no mean feat by itself! But both of us would like to salute the dog lovers of the world. Your patience and the selfless, unconditional love that you shower on your pet makes you guys very special and better humans than many others.

God bless you all!