Tuesday, August 28, 2012

How(l) do you do?

Pampered pooches ‘howl out aloud’ and ask for a life that they truly deserve. It’s time to train the trainers!

Ayesha was down in the dumps when she lost Toggle, her 5-month-old black Labrador puppy. To cheer her up, like a true dog enthusiast and a concerned friend, I got her Ginger, a female German shepherd puppy. Ayesha’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she hugged me and Ginger simultaneously! I felt she might go overboard with joy, and pamper her pooch to no end, so I gave her a few tips to raise a perfect puppy. Lost in the joyous moment and completely involved in Ginger, she nodded to whatever I blabbered and probably forgot everything as soon as I left.

Today, Ginger is a year old and has the right to climb-up on the couch, cuddle-up in bed and snatch anything she feels like from any of the members’ hands. She definitely is the pack leader. According to Ayesha, Ginger is the lady of the house and she commands/demands respect. “She need not go for a walk, because it’s too hot and we stay on the second floor. She needs a pedicure every month and has to visit the spa for her massage and hair grooming. I recently got these incredibly cute shoes for her from the pet shop and I can’t wait to order the organic towels for her, which I saw on the net the other day!” said Ayesha. Ayesha supposedly can’t get enough of Ginger, but has forgotten that Ginger is an animal, and probably deserves a life not as girlish!

Several dog owners’ never-ending whims and fancies lead to pooches being pampered silly. A booming industry is now tapping into the true potential of pet lovers in India. A certain few might stall at ‘Windsor’, Khan Market for picking up a mint chewy or a designer leash. Be it a relaxing aroma bath at ‘Scooby Scrub’ or a nice pool party at ‘Kennel 1’, people in most metros are splurging non-stop for their furry companions. All around the world this scenario persists. In China, dogs are being groomed to sport fashionable bright red or green fur on their tail or around the neck. Not only that, some people are shelling out extra bucks to give their pooches a panda-like look! Meanwhile, some insecure pet owners in the U.S. are happily paying-up a whopping $30000 insurance policy for their canine buddies!