Ever since Amma and I have started to criss-cross the inside roads of Kamakoti Nagar, I have found myself a new friend. The first time I noticed him was when he called out as we went past his house. At first I thought it was a one off greeting. Then it started to happen regularly and finally I stopped once and spoke to him without knowing his name.
Finally two weeks back I managed to meet him outside his house and got introduced. His name is Cruzer and he is a well built, fully grown, black labrador :). He initiated the friendship by barking loudly and wagging his tail vigorously whenever we went past his house. Then when we met him after his walk one day, he wanted a nice rub and got me to do it as his charms didn’t work on Amma. Another day, he was ahead of us and suddenly stopped to turn back and look at us. When his dad told him to go ahead and greet us, he loped back to us and walked with us till his house.
Yesterday when we met him, he was not very happy that we were missing for a week and didn’t want a massage as he hadn’t completed his walk. Today when we first went by his house, he wasn’t there but when we returned, he came out from somewhere and greeted us. I have told him that I will meet him tomorrow.
I love dogs and I certainly hope Krishnan will relent someday and let us get a dog that can travel with us. I do get his point of view that its hard on the dog to keep moving to a different place every few days as we go about our ShikshaDaan Yatra and many hotels in India have a “no pet” policy which makes it harder. In the meantime till we get our own dog(s), I enjoy other people’s dogs and its quite a nice arrangement. I get to spend some time with my favourite pet animal and I don’t have to do the hard work of giving them a bath and feeding them etc.
Now our morning walks are even more interesting because of Cruzer and even Amma misses him if we don’t meet him. Am sure he will win her over someday… its just his size that intimidates her :).