Pet-à-Tête

Tell us a short story on your 3 beautiful four-legged creatures in your life?

My boys – Biggie, Mufasa & Beast, were all rescued off the streets of Bangalore. Puppy brothers from different mothers.

Biggie came first to us, he was a motherless puppy who was found with a small head injury. He had already shifted two foster homes before he came to us. We were supposed to foster him till he found a home but it was love at first sight. I just couldn’t get myself to let him move to a new home again and so he stayed.

Mufasa was Biggies’s first friend – a streetie who lived near our apartment at the time. Mufasa didn’t have a sheltered life like Biggie. Life on the street for him was rough and unforgiving and my only regret till date is not getting him home sooner. We adopted Mufasa a year after knowing him.

My husband found Beast a little 4-month-old puppy lost and alone stuck in a drain in Kasturinagar. We decided to foster him till he found a home. We waited and we waited but no one came forward to adopt him and so he just became a part of the family.

I wish people didn’t generalise indies and gave them a chance. I mean look at my boys they are perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing. They complete me and make everything better. #adoptdontshop

What’s a day in your life with the 3 of them?

I am a graphic designer who is fortunate enough to work from home. Working from home allows me to spend my day with my boys hanging out in my pyjamas while still being able to make a living.

A typical day starts at 5.00 – 5.30 am with Biggie headbutting me. He is such a morning dog. After walking and feeding the boys they are happy to take a nice long nap. In the afternoons you can find Biggie sleeping stretched across the bed with his head on a pillow. Mufasa loves sleeping in boxes we have dog beds but he picks the box over the beds always! and Beast is my little baby so he’ll be curled up next to my feet while I get on with some work. I work till about 5.00pm taking short breaks in between to kiss and pet my boys. They are at their absolute best behaviour during this time.

At around 6.00pm the alarm clock goes off in Biggie’s head and it’s walk time again. Our walks last for about 45mins to an hour each time. After the walk, I prepare our dinner, somedays I snuggle up with them and watch TV shows around this time.
And then the lights go off as we prepare to sleep we are two humans, Biggie & Beast on the bed and Mufasa in his box. With dogs, we have discipline and routine and we look forward to doing it all over again the next day.

Permit Room or Toit; which one do you visit more often? And what’s their preference?

The boys have been to Toit, we’re yet to take them to Permit Room. But you can find all our furry friends: Grace, Snowy, Goofy, Maya, Mogambo, Rocky, Tommy, Tango, Piper, Curcuma, Juno, Timmy, Caramel and Pixie at Permit Room every Sunday. There is a lovely outdoor area and we love Cynthia. She’s the best!

Their names, how did that come about, were there options because these are such lovely names!

Thank You 🙂 Biggie is short for Biggie Smalls named after the American rapper, Notorious B.I.G. it just seemed fitting for his personality. Mufasa is named after Lion King and Beast was a bet I lost to my friends and husband. I really wanted to call him Sapota.

Your favourite moment with them that you love to share?

I’m embarrassed to share this but we have a little walk time song and dance we do everyday. They get so excited hearing it jump up and down furniture, do a full-body wag and sometimes they sing along too!

Do they all like the same treats or do each one of them have a preference?

Their current favourite treats are natural chews from Canine Craving. I would recommend them to all Pet Parents.

What is your favourite thing to do together?

Other than taking them to fun locations where they can romp around off-leash I would say Netflix and snuggle-up time. Can’t think of anything more dreamy.

Do you go outdoors? If yes, where is your favourite place to go together?

We love outdoors! On most weekends we go out for short treks in and around Bangalore so the boys can enjoy some off-leash time. Whenever possible we find pet-friendly cafes and spend the afternoon with them. Our favourite time is our pet vacays some of the places we’ve been to are Goa, Chikmagalur and Kerala.

What is the hardest thing about being their owner?

Having dogs is the most rewarding thing but it is a full-time job. I’m not complaining! I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s just hard to do things at a moment’s notice. I refuse to stay out late if I haven’t planned ahead. And to be honest I can’t stay away from them too long either without getting anxious.

What is the most rewarding thing about being their owner?

At the risk of sounding cliche, I would say you don’t know unconditional love without a dog in your life. They complete me.

Have you ever taught them any tricks? if so, what?

Not really, they know how to sit but it’s conditional only if you have a treat for them. Despite that, they are great observers and have a decent vocabulary you can expect a certain kind of behaviour for the words you say.