It’s a dog’s life….is it?
Her gait is that of a model cat-walking the ramp and heads turn when she goes out on her daily walks. Passers-by have many a times stopped their bikes and cars to gaze at her go past. She has a large fan-following not only in the neighborhood but within my family too - spreading across the length and breadth of the country and overseas as well and of whose well-being relatives and friends seldom fail to enquire. She is also a rage among the little kids on the block who run to her chanting her name, forgetting their pranks and play upon sighting her. She is the only member in the family who does not crib or complain but her beautiful large and expressive kohl lined black eyes speak volumes! Oh no, she is not a bollywood or tollywood sensation who sets silver screens afire, but my two year old thorough-bred Australian Labrador Retriever – Bubbles aka Babbloos, BooBoo, Molu, Chakarakutty - her many names that she responds to! I was in for a pleasant surprise when I opened the door for my husband, returning by road from Pune after an official meeting, on a chilly December morning in 2008. He handed me a cardboard box lined with flannel, inside which snuggly lay the cutest little snow-white puppy I had ever laid my eyes upon! It resembled a big ball of cotton with three black dots that made up its eyes and snout and whimpered when I gingerly took it out of the box and held it in my hands and felt its heart beat against my palm. Oh gosh, so tiny yet so beautiful! I exclaimed, taking it into the house holding it close to my chest, my motherly affection over-flowing. It woke up from its slumber when I gently put it on the couch, and looked around with sleepy eyes, feeling the cold leather against its soft fur and a difference in its comfort level. I brought some warm diluted milk in a bowl upon instructions from my beloved husband who held it as if a priceless possession! The milk disappeared instantly and we were greatly relieved as it was the first sign of it adapting to its new environment – its new home and new family. For my husband and me a little baby adopted into the family and for the boys, who slept blissfully upstairs, unaware of the episode that unfolded in the drawing room - a true companion!
The forty-five day old female Labrador puppy was a gift from a breeder friend in Pune who knew of my husband’s craze for canines and who has had pets with him before and whose stories he proudly narrated to me. Jimmy – the agile and aggressive German Shepherd, Bruno – the alert and fearless Doberman, Maggie – the intelligent and sharp Labrador were all my husband’s companions for whom he coined the term “the only true love money can buy”! Bubbles, though belonged to a different clan altogether! Micro-chipped and registered with the Kennel Club of India (KCI), she can boast of a lineage of show-stealers who took home trophies and medals galore! True to the traits of her breed she is extremely charming, highly intelligent, obedient to the core, very loving and friendly, a quick-learner, non-aggressive, and a glutton who is absolutely non-fussy about food! She won our hearts in no time and became an instant hit with the family, even with my mom-in-law who despised dogs or any pets for that matter.
The initial days, though tough, were enjoyable and fun. We allocated a cozy corner for her in our bedroom making it as comfortable as we could with a warm rug and a basket that she outgrew very quickly. Bubbles preferred staying close to my husband - the master of the house and hers too! Her master carefully charted out a highly nutritious diet that she fed upon five times a day. Her nutritional regime, which my husband took immense pleasure in putting together or cooking, consisted of bread slice soaked in milk for breakfast, arrowroot biscuit soaked in milk for brunch, a heaped table spoon of minced meat or mixed vegetables (beans, cabbage, carrot finely chopped) cooked with rice to a soft consistency for lunch followed by a repeat of bread and biscuit in milk for the evening and was never fed on dog-food that could be easily picked up from the baniya next-door. A flask with warm diluted milk stood on the side table for any night-time emergency. Her menu would be altered to avoid similitude – meat would be replaced with egg white and vegetables with pulses. We were delighted to see her relish bananas, water-melon and mangoes that were gradually introduced into her carte du jour. This was her diet for the next one month with only an increase in the quantity and a decrease in the number of feeds.
To our utter amazement, she potty-trained on her own and quietly went to the washroom to relieve herself, we just had to leave the door slightly ajar for her to go in. A large square dish filled with sand was left in the corner of the washroom which she used as a commode, all we needed to do was discard the sand and refill it daily. We decided to stick to this pattern adopted by her as it was inadvisable to take her out for fear of the mongrels roaming free and any infection that she would likely be prone to at her tender age.
Her first car ride was to the veterinary clinic for a thorough check-up. The doctor’s face lit up like a thousand-watt bulb upon seeing Bubbles and he complimented us on our healthy and happy little puppy and his curiosity got the better of him when he tried various methods to extract from us, the secret of her shiny coat, bright eyes and bubbly demeanor. Pedigree – replied my husband spontaneously, winking at me, that’s what we feed her on thrice daily and nothing else! I had to hold my guts to subdue my laughter as we left the clinic clutching the book-let that out-lined the vaccination and de-worming schedules and other nitty-gritty prescribed for Bubbles and above all the ‘healthy puppy’ certification duly stamped on it. To enhance her bone growth and curb any future orthopedic complication that the breed is prone to, the doctor prescribed calcium supplements which she chewed up with much relish like a bar of chocolate! Bubbles, who was till then, only sponged, brushed and powdered had her first bath when she was three months old and the winter made way for summer. Labradors love water and she being no exception enjoyed every moment of her first bath by splashing around in her little bath tub and fell asleep in my lap while I wiped her dry.
With the notion of getting our sons’ involved in her up-keep and grooming, we assigned them the tasks of cooking her food, taking her for her daily walks, giving her a bath, keeping a tab on her dietary supplement (calcium), de-worming and vaccination schedules but as often happens with today’s youngsters, with their diversified interests, the fortnight long enthusiasm and excitement waned away when monotony set in, transferring all the above responsibilities to my already over-burdened shoulders. I did murmur and grumble and even thought of washing my hands off of the add-on baggage handed over to me amidst my juggle between home, office and various other errands in between, but then poor Bubbles would have to suffer for no fault of hers. That’s when my mom-in-law stepped-in and willing agreed to cook food for Bubbles that now consisted of meat and bones, a chore that I detested being a vegetarian, and am very thankful to her for her contribution and commitment.
Her growing up months was a learning process for me, as were with my infant twin sons’. I learnt to clip her sharp claws while she was asleep, would cajole her to let go of her tooth-brush that she loved to chew while brushing her teeth and was almost on the verge of tears when one morning I found a tooth missing in her mouth, only to learn later from my veterinary doctor that dogs like human beings, lose their milk teeth and grow permanent ones. I had to display tremendous amount of patience during her teething when she had an inclination to chew up anything and everything that came in her way. The furniture, my indoor plants, the staircase railings, footwear (she had a fetish for branded ones), washbasin and washing machine outlets were prey to her teething phase and the only action of hers that has annoyed and irritated me and which she adopts even now to exhibit her dislike of any action of ours, especially mine. But then her ability to erase all anger caused due to her annoying feats, in her own charming way, is commendable.
My cute little puppy is now a beautiful, healthy, full-grown bitch, all of two years and four months, but still considers herself a puppy and loves to be patted and pampered while lazing on the carpet and trying to attract our attention with her antics during the family-time every evening. She is bilingual, by which I mean her understanding of our commands to her - both in Malayalam and English, which is strictly adhered to during ‘FOOD’ time and brushed aside otherwise with a sway of her neck. A firm command, either from me or my husband, immediately puts a check on her attitude and she is as obedient as she can be! She enjoys her daily walks with her Master, holding one end of the leash in her mouth and trotting down the lane like a horse - a sight, seen to be believed! She propagates the doctrine of “Athithi Devo Bhava” in its truest sense by welcoming anyone ringing the door-bell with a smile (read smile) and with an incessant wag of her sword-like tail, and could be a brand ambassador for ‘Incredible India’. ‘Beware of Dog’, ‘Dog on Patrol’, ‘Dog on Premises’ are signage’s put up by pet-owners in the neighborhood, that catches my eye, but the one appropriate for my home, though I have no intentions of putting up one, would be ‘Forget the Dog, Beware of the Master’! Bubbles, exhibited her valor recently, when she sniffed out a medium-sized cobra that had crawled into our yard and curled up beneath a loose tile and stood guard till the “friends of the snake society” came over and claimed it. She is a real stress-buster and nerve-soother, when after a hectic day; I find her waiting eagerly for me at the gate to be cuddled and pampered!
“Bubbles ka bachcha kab ayega?”, asks Kitchu, my five year old nephew in Mumbai, who is eagerly waiting for Bubbles’ puppy along with many others who have already booked their puppies with us and a few who have gone a step further and volunteered to barter a puppy from their litter while they take one from ours. Therefore, my next task at hand is to find her a suitable sire and she being the most eligible bitch in the neighborhood, has made my task of finding her a suitable mate ever more difficult. The prerequisites for probable suitors – must be a thorough-bred with a KCI certification, should be fearless, intelligent, obedient and charming, ferocious and aggressive studs need not apply!
Pets have always enjoyed a special status in the western world. The scenario is India is changing too, with people imparting special stature to their pets, the dozens of pet stores and veterinary clinics mushrooming in our neighborhoods are a clear indication to this effect. The Blue Cross Society (India), with its 24-hour animal helpline, should be applauded for their involvement in alleviating the suffering of animals and taking to task harsh pet owners. I also read in awe of a pet-owner in Mumbai who sought legal aid for his 11 year old Labrador, arthritic in the hind legs, who was denied the use of the elevator to gain access to its 5th floor abode. The Mumbai High Court not only granted the dog permission to use the lift, but also penalized the housing society directing it to pay damages to the pet-owner by providing for the dog-feed and its medical expenses for the rest of its life! So, who says it’s a dog’s life? They too, like their master’s, lead royal lives and bask in its warmth!
Hey Ma, there goes your muse on a rampage again! Your beloved Epipremnum aureum (money-plant) is in shreds, calls out the budding botanist in the family. Bubbleeeeesssss……………………….
 |
