Visit to the doc

This was her second visit to the doc, first was immeditely after she was picked. Since that day she had vomitted and looked sick and dull, she wasn't given any injections. I was asked to bring her after a week and so I left office early one day reached home, fed the puppy with egg and biscuits (and not milk fearing that she might vomit on travel)and chose to drive down instead of taking a cab. My place to Bandra hill road normally takes 45min - 1hr in the evening traffic. I took puppy's basket-bucket and held it with the seat belt next to driver's seat. Then held the puppy in hand, sat on my seat and made her sit on her basket.

Needless to say that it was the most challenging drives of my life till date ( though I haven't really driven much). Though intially she sat quietly trying to understand what was happening around her. Then she started looking outside the window with her 2 legs raised. Most of the times she raised 2 legs facing me and seeing what I was doing to the wheel. I had to pat her on all traffic signals and sometimes drive with one hand holding her with the other. After sometime she even started whining and shivering. I stopped the car twice on the way and made her walk on the street side for sometime.

It was taking me more time than I had expected and I was running late. When I had just 10 min left, I parked the car somewhere in Bandra and rushed in an auto with my puppy and bag. I called the doc to ask for directions and reached just 2-3 min before his closing. Asked him a few doubts and held the puppy while the injection was being given. Fortunately she did not even realise when the injection was given and was quite active even after. The anti rabies injection was for one yr and a certificate to the same effect was given by doc. I had to bring her after 15 days again to give a 6 in 1 distemper doze and worm killers.

Now that I had come all the way to Bandra, I took her for a walk on Carter Road promenade. Everyone found her really cute. She was happy to see so many people and dogs and was actively walking around in the area. I met a friend there, we walked around, sat on the bench ate samosas and patties. Puppy seemed to be happy and full of energy. I think i should take her out regularly to make her a socially active, outgoing and confident pup.We took a rick till the car and came back home and inspite of the late night, she was till playful and was jumping around a lot till i forcefully put her to sleep by lying her down on her bed and massaging her stomach.

My first week at work after puppy

Monday mornings are difficult and more so when you are a single mom without maternity leave for the first time (well almost!). I woke up really early I think around 5ish. It was all dark outside. Puppy had been sleeping next to me and by now she was awake and playful. Though it took me some time to organise the morning activities, this was soon to become my daily morning drill, a joyful drill because I had a companion following my every move, the puppy.

After freshning up a bit and folding my beddings and locking it in a separate room, my first focus was on her food. After experimenting with several food items like cerelac, milk, biscuits, roti, egg, bread I realised that she eats little bit of biscuit/roti but enjoys egg and ofcourse meat. So I mash one roti/bread with half boiled egg and she seems to like the egg flavoured bread. Same is the menu for evening. Apart from that she does lick a bit of milk and cerelac. Whenever she does not drink water, I force few drops down with a syringe.

After that I do my own things like making morning tea, sandwitch and packing the lunch, fruits for office. After bathing and getting ready (I mean me) is the time to go for a walk for about 30-45 minutes. She doesn't like the leash much, no dog does I suppose. Initially, when I took the puppy to the park in my society she would freeze, she just wouldn't move. In the evenings, all the kids would come to her and she would wag her tail at them.

Gradually she started exploring the backyard but mostly towards the garbage and leftover bones lying there. It was almost impossible to stop her from munching on the bones. Looks like there is a need to put a mouth mesh. She is a superstar among the colony kids. They all come running to her, wanting to touch her, shake hands with her, walk her, pick her but I need to control that much exposure of my puppy. Kids have even started coming to my apartment to see her. Everyone finds her really cute. I need to put kajal on her I guess.

The christmas morning

It was the most beautiful christmas/weekend morning with the most precious tiny little playful gift. She looked comfortable and cozy in her makeshift bed. I brought her bucket-bed near mine and we dozed off again till afternoon.It was now time for a bath! I used my shampoo (also planned to use my conditioner but did not) on her. She did not revolt much. Gave her some good mugfuls of bath and she got a cute wet look with sticky hair. She was shivering and so I dried her hair with my blowdrier and patted well with tissues. Her hair was now silky and whitish. She looked so cute.

Evening plan was to shop for the new baby. She needed food, clothing(leash) and shelter (bedding). Looked around for pet store in my vicinity and after circling around a bit, found Pet's Pal. Baby also came along in her basket. I selected a red leash and a red collar for the baby girl. The shop was full of colorful leashes, toys and every imaginable item for the pup and dogs. For the time being I purchased leash, food and toys (a bone to chew and a chicface which made noise on pressing)

The shopowners even arranged for dog sitting, dog shelter and dog walking. I could leave my puppy for a week if I were going on a vacation and charges were not too bad, Rs 400 per day. I placed an order for a bigger sitting area which I would pick up next week. The remaining weekend was spent catering to baby's food, cleaning after her, massaging her, talking to her and taking her out on walks and also dreading the monday morning when I will have to leave behind baby for the entire day. I still refer to her as baby though some call her bobo and some mishi.

The first step

She was first spotted on 24th December morning in Chembur and within 12 hours she belonged to me and became my baby. She was described as 'a frail cream colored puppy' by a friend who spotted it. We were not sure of its sex but 'he/ she was sad and cute'. I had almost made up my mind to call up WSD and adopt a pup but when heard about this one, I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted him/her and today itself. So in the evening I went to Chembur and found it sitting in a cold corner. Kids playing there told us that it was a he. His mom-dad were also around, mom was brownish and dad whitish with furry hair. He had colors of both but looked very quiet and unwell.

I tipped the security guards and put him in a cardboard box and looked around for a taxi to bandra vet. On the way he sat in the box and sometimes on my lap looking at the view from the car window. Just then he pottied and vomitted. It was a long tiring journey in the evening traffic from Chembur to Bandra and he was already unwell. The doc had been waiting for us and I put him on the table and then realised that it was actually a she! Doc examined her and prescribed some injections after one week after she settles down a bit. For her food, doc suggested giving warm milk with water and no solids initially.

We took another taxi and brought her home to Lokhandwala. I had a small 1mx1m carpet on which I made her sit. She was v quiet and still. I also brought the cloth washing shallow bucket from bathroom covered it with a bedsheet and made it into a cozy home for her. After a few minutes, she started roaming around in the house sniffing everything just as the doc had described. I gave her milk and sponged her clean and put her in the bucket-bedding. She cozily sat curled inside it and looked sleepy. She slept quietly till morning and when I went to see her she started playing with me and her eyes were open but lazy. She was a bundle of joy!