Kutti (The Little One)

I have never had a pet before and so I was very hesitant about getting one seven months ago. But once I finally got myself to do it, we came home from the Humane Society with a Labrador Retriever - Jack Russel mix. We named her (after much deliberation) Kutti (which means "little one" in Tamil). And without further ado, I present Kutti to you.

The first few days were very different as I was not used to such an energetic creature in the house. She likes to bite everything - she even bites her own bed. A few days after we got her, she ran out the door to chase a squirrel and we had to run after her and bring her back. But in those few minutes, I realized how much I like her. The thought of losing her was so overwhelming that it changed my perception of dogs.

Dogs are amazing creatures. How can a dog be so satisfied with just a belly rub? There is a spot next to Kutti's ears that if we rub for a few minutes, she seems hyptonized. How can she get so excited to see us that she has to jump up and down, even though we were there with her two hours ago? There is a lot human beings can learn from dogs. Kutti does not hold a grudge. If I had scolded just a minute ago for not letting me type, she forgets that, and comes and interrupts me once again. Loyalty is another thing that we could learn from dogs.

Kutti seems to like all kinds of food - even spicy Indian food. She likes buttermilk rice with very spicy pickle - so she fits right in our household. I speak to her both in english and tamil - so we have a bilingual dog now! As I am driving back from work, I think of what she has been doing all day (I have no idea what she does while we are not there) and about playing with her. Every day when I leave, she comes standing by the gate to say goodbye. Yesterday, I forgot to wave her goodbye and so came back to do that, but she was not around (must be busy looking for a squirrel).

Our neighbors have two chihuahas and Kutti likes to race with them all the time (it is so fun to watch all three dogs go back and forth by the fence). There is another dog across the street that gets so mad that he can't participate. Someone said that when dogs bark they are actually talking to one another. I thought that if that is the case, they are saying the same thing again and again (isn't that funny?!).

I could go on and on about Kutti but I will stop here now. But I can assure you that there will be more entries about her. Also, she will not be the last dog we have. I am already thinking of having about 10 dogs when I retire. Many thanks to the person who brought Kutti into my life.

Nithya