The Dogs

A month of Madam Mili

Go ahead and label me “the indulgent, besotted parent” of this little pup –you will not be far from the truth!

Mili has made her place at home, found her niche in our hearts and horrified Pepper the matron.Food, cuddles, an assortment of interesting toys ( broken, bashed up remnants of life), calcium tablets, vaccinations…its all there in her life now. A far cry from that evening, a month ago, when the cruel wind was whipping up her scanty fur and there was an alien world around her, after some human threw her from his motorcycle.

Food is a good thing, but ahem, the packaged dog food is a no-no. Playing is a great thing, but ahem, her sharp bites ensure an equal number of yelps and scoldings. We are almost there with the toilet training routine, but winter and snow have been the bummers. We are getting the routine now.

Through this winter month, Mili has met the entire family on Skype. My daughter dropped in for a surprise Xmas visit and spent two days cuddling and training her. The former was highly successful, the latter could  be termed “water down the drain”. Mili has nipped, bitten, licked, snuggled and adored each one of us, and that is the reason she has been forgiven ,every day, for her sharp trespasses.

Considerable growth has happened too..Brown specks have emerged on the entire body. Grey smudges on the snout make me want to wash her with soap, like a dirty kid.  Some things remain the same though….her rope-like tail which rarely stops wagging, and her terrified reaction to barking dogs.

She loves being cuddled and smothered with affection. There is this contented sigh which escapes from her happy body, every night, before she curls up into a sleep-filled jalebi beside me. I feel her adoration and devotion, and consider myself fortunate to be on the receiving end of such total love.

Of course, during the day, when she has jumped and nipped and scratched and nibbled me and the objects-dear-to-me, I feel like doing what Pepper does best–Lie on my back, paws in the air, and say, “Why me God, Why me?!”

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