Of Pets & Pedigrees

We've got a new dog! My family was surprised and so was I when I agreed that we need to have a dog! I'm not an extreme dog-lover though I've lived with dogs all my life! Taking care of pets is another thing altogether. I'm quite sure though that our new dog is more as a watchdog than a companion to me....but Feroz has other ideas! To add to the surprise, we chose a Rottweiller, a pedigree I'm told that is banned in the UK for being unpredictable. Anyway, Simba has arrived and he does not behave unpredictable at all. A three-month old pup, he is big for his size which means he will grow to be a good, huge dog keeping unwanted elements at bay!

I went to the internet for some information on Rottweillers and this is what I got - "The Rottie is powerful, calm, trainable, courageous, and devoted to their owner and family. Loyal and protective, they will defend their family fiercely if needed, seemingly immune to pain. Serious, even-tempered, brave, confident and courageous, this breed needs an owner who is strong minded, calm, but firm and able to handle their massive size. A docile, natural guard dog with a laid-back, reliable temperament. They are highly intelligent and have proven their worth beyond question in police, military, and customs work over many centuries and can be trained for competitive obedience."

Simba is a playful pup and does not have that incessant, high-pitched bark....he is a social dog and loves company. He is very alert, when anyone comes to about 15 ft. distance of him, even if he is lying down, his ears cock up and his head comes up and soon he is on his fours looking at you. Fortunately for Simba, the place where we stay has a lot of area for him to run around in. In a couple of months he will go for a three-month training period and then we will have him as a qualified watchdog!

Before Simba, there was an untrained, wild dog called Chuckles, a misnomer if ever there was one, poor fellow would lunge and bite anyone regardless of family or outsider, and never elicited chuckles from anyone, finally dying on my father-in-law's ninetieth birthday. Prior to that there was Sheru, who ran out of the gate and was run over by a passing car. Then there was Podgy, short for Podgorny, who was perhaps a Dalmatian somewhere, but he had such a funny gait, almost like he was drunk and walking sideways! He ran away and never came back. There were Rinty, Danny and some others whom Feroz talks about, but I remember Podgy quite vividly, as he was around when I first got married and came to Hyderabad!

In my family up in Simla and Chandigarh, I only heard about the legendary Alsatian - Devil, my father's pet companion and after that was Tinker, also an Alsatian. I think it was either Devil or Tinker, who saved my sister, a toddler in her pram, from falling over the hill. Then there was Bonny, a white Alsatian in Chandigarh, and she died a ripe old age. There was Dinky, a white Pomeranian, then Brownie, a Cocker Spaniel and then some piedogs like Laika, Shaitan and now Bagheera, my brother Sushant's dog in Chandigarh.

I came across this verse in Proverbs 12:10 - "A righteous one understands the soul of his animal; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." I hope that I can understand Simba's soul and let him do what he does best, to the best! I mean to enjoy him and let him enjoy me!! All of us are enjoying Simba actually!!!