Three Residents!!

Duke is tough! 

Built stocky and packed solid, he looks like a battering ram. A pudgy ferocious face that could be easily be mistaken for a tiger cub without stripes.

Beneath this fierce look, Duke has a soft nature and a softer personality.  No one has ever heard Duke bark. His low toned grrrs  is non-threatening. Me think he is just clearing his throat now and then.

Duke is a perfect gentleman. 

He never interferes in any conversation, politely sitting at the parties, keenly watching everyone with an innocent look and making perfect eye contact with his bright marble sized eyes. Absolutely well behaved and no embarrassing PDAs either!

And he is absolutely at peace with the world - eat, rest and sleep on his circular shaped padded couch. No long walks No jogs No fetch-the-ball (if the master wants to chase the ball, be my guest!) and absolutely No chasing behind scared children!

The only times I see Duke exerting himself is when he is briskly walking out early mornings to perform some important functions and rushing back with a hungry stomach to catch is breakfast.

On the first day of occupying our new flat, we had performed pujas and were winding up when Duke marched in smartly.  Inspected all of us and our guests closely. Surveyed and checked out every room, bath room, kitchen and the utility area. And then with a satisfied nod marched back across the foyer to 2002.

Yes, we had successfully met Duke Stage IV standards for non-troubling & non-interfering residents and certified as good cooperating neighbours!

Zoey loves Duke! 

Every time she happily approaches him, he shies away quickly. You see Duke is a pucca South Indian. Having been raised in a very conservative family he is not used to the present days PDAs. 

Zoey on the other hand is the typical modern-day millennium girl. Nearing 5, she has a perfect figure, fashionably groomed in a beautiful fawn coat and a smart regal walk in her white soxed paws.  

Unlike Duke, Zoey is an out and out outdoor girl with the well-toned muscles of a professional athlete. And she can easily win a beauty contest any-day too.

I would not be surprised if Zoey is a Bombay girl.  

Smart and gregarious, she loves company and is eager to make friends – so unlike Delhi girls (so snobbish), Chennai girls (so conservatively shy) and the Bangalore ones - aloof, at best. You can spot the Bangalore ones miles away, dog tag around their necks announcing their international owners (Deloitte, CGI, Reuters, etc.) with their eyes riveted to their eye-phones - no kidding. There is more action for the eyes nowadays than for the phone sub assembly!

Zoey has perfect manners. 

Her pace is perfectly timed with her master’s gait, the right amount of slack on the leash and a proud upturned nose. Never have I seen her pull her leash or try to drag her little masters. And never ever has Zoey tried to stray near a bush as most others do to sneak a pee. 

Bhageera is the baby of the family!  

Do not get surprised. This special baby comes in a 25inch tall 25 pounds jet black package and can deliver a 2 kilo-ton TNT sized bark!

Over the last 8 months I have seen Bhageera grow rapidly – from a clumsy tail wagging pup to a strong handsome lad.  He is still childish and happy go lucky, blissfully unaware of his big formidable size and his fiercely wagging tail.

Early mornings, I see Bhageera dragging his still groggy master enthusiastically to watch the beautiful morning sunrise and enjoy the classic Bangalore morning chill. While returning he must inspect, both visually and with his nose, each and every bush and tees lining the front pathway. Sometimes a quick inspection walks around the building in also conducted. 

And I can make out that Bhageera has learnt this lesson well- no more does the little lady carry a water bottle behind him anymore!

In a group Bhageera can get really excited, rushing at people and tugging on his leash.  I am still scared when the jet black well-muscled well-meaning friend rolls near me.

Now for some formal introductions …

Duke is the popular Pug in 2002. 

He comes from an illustrious family of actors and performers. His grand dad was India’s most adored and the iconic TV Star of the world-famous Vodafone serial. Incidentally his grand mom won the Golden Globe award for her performance in the well-known glass-licking screen saver program in the e-films category. Google for ‘30 incredible pug videos’ and you can watch his entire clan in action!

Zoey is that graceful young beauty of a Boxer in 4065.

Originally of a German descent, she can also trace her roots to the English Bulldog  family– so famous for their peaceful nature and love for kids. Her ancestors came along with the British and decided to settle here.

Zoey is an active member of the Kennel club of India and she regularly takes part in speciality shows held regularly in Bangalore Goa and Mumbai. She also loves to socialise and party hard and can clean wipe a 1 litre vanilla ice cream tub in one-minute flat!

Bhageera hails for the genetic line of the formidable black panther family that rule the foothills of the Himalayas. 

Legend has it that Lord Bhageerath, who was the eldest son of the local deity, was dispatched from the heavens in the form of a black panther to protect the hilly regions of Kumaon from man eating tigers. And our little one inherits that famous name, as well as the sleek jet black form from that great panther king!

And if you concentrate carefully, every time when Bhageera barks, you can clearly hear the echoes from the thick forested hills and the deep gorges of the Kumaon valley!

Krish..

Ps:  PDA = Public Display of Affection.