This is a long due post on Coco. He is more than 3 years old now and despite all his quirks, the little fellow (he is not that little anymore) brings us immense joy. You give him anything to nibble on like a piece of vegetable or a fruit and he rushes to his favorite mat to eat. He loves to sit on that mat so in effect it is a plate cum bed for him. Imagine if we were to do that. How hilarious would that be!
He is the best reason to look forward to getting home. He gives you the hero’s welcome who is back after shooting down the enemy at the border every single time no matter how short the duration of your absence is. He will show you his happiness in every manner possible. He does a delightful dance which is a cross between a prancing deer and tribal dance. All you need to do is to stand rooted in one spot till he finishes his merry dance. And yes, he will have a go at trying to lick you. The boy is really tall when he stands on his hind legs.
Yes, he is fluent in Hindi (understanding that is). He still speaks dog but in such a wonderful manner that you can actually comprehend his conversation that comprises of a number of different sounds. He also has the funny habit of interjecting noises when you are having a conversation. So, for example, the husband and I are having a conversation. Just when I ask for an opinion on a serious matter, this guy grunts suggesting, “ho hum!” That never fails to make us smile.
The gentle guy rarely barks. But, let a stray dog come anywhere near his territory (read house) and his deep-throated roar would give the lion a complex. Once I dropped a container when he barked. I could not quite figure out that it was Coco barking. More than stray dogs, he hates cats. We have many stray cats in our community (Yes, it is a zoo and not only because of the animals). And it was amusing to see Coco all angry and fidgety when he sees any.
Coco’s only aim in life is to eat. He can eat anything you give him: fruits, vegetables, rice, ragi, rotis, meat and whatever else you can think of. We don’t give him anything sweet. His plate is always clean after his meal. And he will be anxiously hanging around outside the kitchen when he feels it is his meal time. Yes, I have a rule that he is not allowed in the kitchen. He, of course, sneaks in when we are not around. And if you are not paying him attention then his orchestra starts with different forms of huffs, woofs and grunts thrown your way along with a very worried expression complete with frown and worry lines. Boy, this guy can emotionally blackmail.
For some strange reason, he does not like staying upstairs. So, when he is told to go upstairs (like a timeout), he makes a show of climbing the steps and then stealthily comes down and goes and hides inside the room.
And this guy is really scared of dad. He is the disciplinarian and the person he listens to without a murmur. The funny thing is that I know when G has reached home even before I can hear the car because Coco comes bounding down the stairs and waits expectantly at the door. In the same vein, as soon as he can sense dad coming downstairs, he moves away from his mat and disperses. It is so much fun seeing all this. And when dad is away from home, he is seen in his element. He becomes the protector, watchful for any strangers. It is amazing to see this transformation in him.
When we brought Coco home, it was an online advertisement that helped us. These days you can easily post free ads and just about buy and sell anything that you want. Our search had taken us to a breeder who had a Labrador pup just like we wanted. The rest is history!
So this is just another day with Coco in the Parmar household. This fun chap is the center of our Universe. It indeed was a beautiful day when he came home. And I’ve realized that no matter how much the hard work, having a pet is a great stress buster and your lifelong supply of selfless love. Pets are God’s gift to humans.
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