We always had a dog growing up. And it was very easy because our lives were very simple. The dog ate what we ate – sometimes from his own bowl or sometimes from under the dining table when it conspired to help us finish whatever was served on our plates. Those were the days when our meals were simple too and whatever we ate was suitable for canine consumption whether it was daal chawal or roti sabzi. Since we didn’t have chocolates or cheese in such abundance, the dogs didn’t see them either. But they enjoyed the occasional munchies that we munched on all through the day – biscuits, chaklis, bhajiyas, kebabs etc.

Our dogs were simple too – they were trained by us and could understand commands like come, sit, eat, move, NO, in English, Marathi and Hindi.

They were bathed once a week by my brother or me, walked down four times a day by one of us and were taken to the vet for regular shots.

No grooming parlours, no doggie treats, no trainers or dog walkers and no pooper scoopers .

They often accompanied us on our road trip holidays, a stay at a friend’s or relative’s place or to a place where we could stay in a Government Inspection/ Dak bungalow. Or, if in a bind, since our househelp ( in those days we called them servants) lived in quarters attached to our houses, we could leave them in their care while we were out.

FOMO

Only once, I remember we had a problem : when my mum, brother and I were travelling to NEFA ( Arunachal Pradesh) for almost 4 weeks. We had given our maid a long vacation which meant Moti, our Samoyed had nowhere to stay.

Luckily, Mrs M, the wife of one of our army friends offered to take care of him. She simply LOVED dogs and they had big house with huge verandahs and half an acre of land around it and also plenty of house help. They also had NO children so the dog would be extremely well looked after. So they told us.

Sadly, the friend didn’t account for the extreme jealousy that would overpower him when he saw Moti being cuddled and pampered by his wife. And even though it was temporary, he just couldn’t bear it and consigned the dog to a former chicken coop. When we returned home, everyone was relieved – the couple because they could go back to their happy twosome, and us, because we were back with our beloved Moti.

Unfortunately, Moti developed a viral infection and eventually died of Distemper.

Strange are the ways of love

We had one more dog after Moti who drove us crazy with her antics but after I got married, I studiously avoided keeping a dog. It was much too much work.

So I deliberately avoided petting dogs and talking to them on the road. I didn’t want to get involved with pets and animals. Luckily, they avoided me too and I could walk past the cutest of dogs without a twinge of regret of not having my own dog a dog.

This surprised my mother who always felt that I was more comfortable with canines than humans and actually despaired of ever having human babies to grandmother.

Fast forward to 2024

All was well till Ms Iti adopted Anna Shetty and her Boy Gang and I was asked to Doggy sit by Anna Shetty who was going to an Island in the Sun vacation with her Boy Gang. I was most reluctant to do so because I haven’t had a dog at home for over four decades now.

‘It’s just for a week’ , she wheedled .

‘You must be mad,’ said all my friends.

‘We still have workmen coming home,’ said the rest of the household.

But somehow I landed up doggy sitting.

So I was left holding the doggie while Anna Shetty and her gang cavorted with the dolphins.

Literally, half an hour before leaving for the airport, she came along with Iti.

‘Don’t leave the balcony doors open! She can jump out’.

‘Don’t let her off her leash . She can run away and won’t be able to find her way back’.

‘Don’t feed her off the table’

‘Don’t forget to walk her four times a day’.

And with that, they left .

After they left, I pulled out an old, soft chenille bedspread and made a bed for her. She was still on the leash and curled up on her new bed. Then, Ms Papaya entered the room and wiggled between Hubby Dear and me, and we all settled down for the night…….

Within half an hour , Iti jumped in and squeezed herself between Ms Papaya and me ! That night we slept four to a bed. Needless to say none of us really slept.

I woke up before the crack of dawn and struggled with getting her on the leash . I hurriedly took her down. After she relieved herself, I realised I had nothing to pick up her poop with. Unable to find any scrap of paper , I asked the watchmen for some and gathered it all, dumped it in a trash can and dashed home before the other dogs in the building came down. Phew!

With lazy old Beagle staying above us, a crazy, overweight, nasty tempered Labrador on the 20th floor, a sweet tempered Golden Doodle on the 19th, a huge black gumpy black Lab and a temperamental Beagle in one wing, a frisky young russet coloured Labrador, a middle aged Shi tzu, a cocker spaniel and an aging black cocker spaniel in the other wing, I had a lot of dogs to worry about ‘meeting’ accidentally as Iti is mortally scared of her fellow beings.

The afternoon walk was a nightmare because Iti dragged me to the front lawn ( VERBOTEN FOR ALL except the gardener) and in broad daylight evacuated her bowels.

‘Oh dear ! I hope Mrs Nosey wasn’t watching from behind her lace curtain’, and looked around frantically to clean up. There were some mouldy leaves on the grass and I scooped the poop with the dog threatening to run away . getting rid of it wasn’t easy because the lid on the garbage bin fell down with a clatter further scaring the dog who was already coping with the trauma of being in unfamiliar surroundings.

By the end of the day, I had figured out a routine and it became easier managing the dog.

Unfortunately, that might my father passed away and the next morning we had to leave for the funeral. Fortunately, Iti’s househelp came over and she didn’t feel too abandoned .

But when I returned, she stuck to me like glue. And that drove Ms Papaya away because she was feeling more jealous by the minute .

It was strange being sought after by a dog and a grandchild and the next few nights were quite eventful – getting the dog down, putting the granddaughter in her own bed .

And of course during the day, I had to make sure the dog didn’t run after or intimidate the workmen, run away from the house because the front door was always open and make sure the verandah doors were always shut so that she didn’t jump out .

One evening I found her happily destroying my memory foam pillow and one evening she demolished Hubby Dear’s leather Kolhapuri chappals.

After biting through a leash, I had only a six inch lead to restrain her and while entering the lift one day, I tripped over her and fell on my knees, while entering the lift as she was busy trying to sniff out which dog had used it before her!

So I went to ‘Paws & Tails’ to by a KONG toy which apparently soothed a dog who was suffering from ‘separation anxiety’. Sneaking out while Iti slept, I got her a squeaky toy that was suitable for a ‘strong’ biter.

Diwali night was a nightmare for Iti and I had to abandon a family Diwali-do to calm her down.

This morning the poor dog’s torture ended when Anna Shetty came straight from the airport to pick her up.

Despite this tightrope walk for me, I shall miss this little one.