MY PET DOG

Blackie, our black pet dog, with his bushy tail, was a cross between a Dash and Pomeranian. Like all dogs he too would turn around a couple of times before sitting down to relax in a particular place. He loved to run and roll in the mud immediately after his bath. So we used to lock him up immediately after we bathed him. He would pick up the scent of his master and wags his tail to demonstrate his attachment to its master. When he heard some noise at the gate, his sensual perception was amazing. He would be the first one to reach there. He would watch quietly the regular visitors and ignore them. When a stranger tried to intrude the compound he would yelp and scare his life out of him. Although his barks were deafening to frighten strangers but he had never bitten anybody. I had noticed that he used to urinate on particular trees to mark his territory. He sniffed around and licked our feet and always darted with us. He was our companion for our daily chores at the paddy fields. We were entrusted with the duty of chasing the unwanted encroachers especially after the seeds were sown and also during the harvest season. The ducks and fowls were at times deliberately pushed into the fields by certain neighbours. Blackie used to do a wonderful job of chasing them all out. He used to accompany our hunting trips. We used to give him biscuits and a share of our food, which he loved. He showed us his gratitude and appreciation by a vigorous wagging of his tail.

Blackie and Lucy cat were great friends. The fish, their favourite food, made them fight each other. Lucy would lose her patience and scratch Blackie’s face, and he would chase and scare her life out, and she would climb some tree to avert the attack. He would wait beneath the tree and yelp for some time and then retreat. After some time they are together again.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com