We called him Bhuntey or Annochh (doggie talk for "handsome") or an even shorter version, Anna. I even called him my 'ullu number waan kukur'. But all we can do now is refer to him in past tense.
He was the dark and slow son of 'Boo' and 'Myau' (or Chunu as she was also known). Dark, because he had a black snout, ears and lots of black hair sprinkled all over his tan coat. Of course as he grew older the black hair turned white, and he literally became 'fair & handsome' !! And slow, because he was a simple pup. He was not sharp like his siblings.
He was the dark and slow son of 'Boo' and 'Myau' (or Chunu as she was also known). Dark, because he had a black snout, ears and lots of black hair sprinkled all over his tan coat. Of course as he grew older the black hair turned white, and he literally became 'fair & handsome' !! And slow, because he was a simple pup. He was not sharp like his siblings.
this is how he metamorphosed from a dark pup to a fair budho kukur
with his sibling luri, who was slightly disabled and who died early
The most memorable image of him as a pup is one where while sit on his hunches on the wooden floor, he would slowly doze off, and his front legs would slide underneath him and go in a perfect split! This gave his legs a flexibility that other dogs did not have, and he could swing his front legs sideways. This would come in very handy for him as he grew older, when he could not only push open the door with his paws, but also hold the door open too with his legs askance! Other dogs took advantage of this fact too. When we were at the dining table, it would be Annochh who'd open the door open for the other dogs to peek their heads in and let us know that they were waiting outside for treats!
Annochh's flexibility with his legs evident here even in old age
He was a handsome dog. With a snout shaped like 'Dakota' airplane, taller than his siblings and parents, and with a really bushy tail, that looked like the flowing mane from the helmet of the King's cavalry! He also had the mane and the posture of a lion king, especially when he reclined on the stairs with his head resting on the wall and his legs cascading down the steps!
he loved to curl up into a perfect circle when he slept...
Annochh's parents Boo and Myau in the foreground, and Kuku, the grandmom the black and white one at the back
the whole family... that's priya with the scratched out face.. it seems as a child she did not think the camera did her justice!
He was one noisy dog. Once he started barking, there was no stopping him! He barked when he was hungry, when he was angry, and more so if he wanted to go out of the house to chase a bitch on heat! He was most irritating during the latter phase, when he would bark nonstop, pining for a mate until his voice ran hoarse, and his barks turned to croaks! But even then he croaked nonstop!
This fact caused quite a bit of tension between Mami and Muwa. Those who got nicked by the dog used to tell Mami that they would not come to the house until the dog had been tied up, and that was one thing that Muwa hated to do with all her might! A constant source of quarrel between the two would be Mami suggesting new ways of curbing Annochh's independence and Muwa blatantly refusing them. Mami dubbed all of the dogs as her dewars and nandas (brothers and sisters in law)! Muwa, of course, irritated at Annochh's antics would in the quiet curse the dog saying 'mori jaa, rakshyas moro!' (die you infidel). We used to joke that each of Muwa's curse added a day to Annochh's life. No wonder he lived to a ripe old age of 14!
When we had a special function, much to Muwa's dislike the dog would be tied up, or let loose with a muzzle on his snout. When he was tied, Annochh would do his 'non stop barking' routine that used to drive Muwa up the wall and make her order that he be released. If he was muzzled, he sulked at the indignity of having his snout covered, his pride in shackles… and he looked with imploring eyes at all of us.. hoping that he would be able to win the heart of some one of us and be gifted his freedom!
He also barked incessantly when he used to be locked in a cage or put on a leash. This had to be done when we used to have Mami's (mother in law) guests visiting. There was a weird relationship between Annochh and Mami and her guests. Mami does not like dogs and Annochh, who had also been kicked by her once, seemed to take his vengeance out not on her, but on her guests! He bit people very selectively, mostly people who came to visit Mami! These included her near and dear ones, including her brother and uncle! Annochh used to quietly come in from behind and nick their calves. If the same person first visited Muwa, and then went out of her room to climb upto Mami's room, Annochh would ignore the guests as long as they were in Muwa's room. If they went out and went down, he would still ignore them, but if they turned right and went towards to steps that led up to Mami's apartment, he would slink in behind them and try to sink his canines into their calves/ankles, or whatever he could get hold of!
This fact caused quite a bit of tension between Mami and Muwa. Those who got nicked by the dog used to tell Mami that they would not come to the house until the dog had been tied up, and that was one thing that Muwa hated to do with all her might! A constant source of quarrel between the two would be Mami suggesting new ways of curbing Annochh's independence and Muwa blatantly refusing them. Mami dubbed all of the dogs as her dewars and nandas (brothers and sisters in law)! Muwa, of course, irritated at Annochh's antics would in the quiet curse the dog saying 'mori jaa, rakshyas moro!' (die you infidel). We used to joke that each of Muwa's curse added a day to Annochh's life. No wonder he lived to a ripe old age of 14!
When we had a special function, much to Muwa's dislike the dog would be tied up, or let loose with a muzzle on his snout. When he was tied, Annochh would do his 'non stop barking' routine that used to drive Muwa up the wall and make her order that he be released. If he was muzzled, he sulked at the indignity of having his snout covered, his pride in shackles… and he looked with imploring eyes at all of us.. hoping that he would be able to win the heart of some one of us and be gifted his freedom!
Annochh seemed to have been born with an extra dose of virility and would try his best to find 'hot' bitches way beyond the neighbourhood. Of course when he wanted to go for his amorous trips he would bark nonstop near the main gates. Whenever anyone left the gates open, he would make his bid for adventure. .he would run out of the door. Once, a year and a half ago, he disappeared for two days. We searched everywhere for him, including numerous rounds around the neighbourhood in our car, but could not find him. And then, on what we termed as the last search for him, we widened our circle of search and I took my car out near Singha Darbar. In front of the Baggikhana, my headlights picked up a pack of dogs following a bitch. Tagging at the end of the hopeful clump of male dogs, almost as if he would be satisfied with crumbs, was Annochh! The headlight beams reflected white on his aging hoary face!
Another couple of years before that when he was trying to vie for the bitch in our lane, a monster dog in our gully caught him by the neck, and shook him like a rag doll and tossed him aside. When he was brought home, he was muddy and limp like a rag doll, and his tongue was hanging out four inches . He was moaning and wheezing, with deep punctures in his neck. I thought he was gone, but he survived! That is what always made me murmur to him how he 'jhannai moleko' (nearly died).
He had distinct likes and dislikes regarding food. He loved biscuits, boiled potatoes, popcorn, sukkha roti and of course meat of all kind, with momos and sausages topping the list. Biscuits, he adored. But unlike other dogs, he would not eat the biscuit unless you teased him with it, especially with the foot, taking the biscuits this way and that. Then he would pounce on the biscuit and eat it with relish.
Any food he did not like, he would still eat when I would inch my foot towards the food, my toes flexed on an attacking position. I think he viewed each of my curled toes as competition, would growl at them and grudgingly eat the food! His grandma and mom also had the same habit.
Any food he did not like, he would still eat when I would inch my foot towards the food, my toes flexed on an attacking position. I think he viewed each of my curled toes as competition, would growl at them and grudgingly eat the food! His grandma and mom also had the same habit.
Another trait that he inherited from them was to swarm around Deviji (my mom) when she came to visit Muwa. They would bark in excitement and expectation for the treat she used to bring.. usually sweets or biscuits. Annochh would jump up and down barking until she gave him the treat. Later , as Alzheimer's took hold of Deviji's mind, and she forgot to bring treats and turned up empty handed, he would bark and shuffle around her as if to say.. where's my treat?. Then when the disease curtailed Deviji's movement and only Dada turned up to visit Muwa, Annochh would still bark and complain as if to say.. 'Khoi? What about you? You could have brought something for me too!'
dasain ko tika for annochh
.. and tihar treats too
.. and tihar treats too
Annochh had a strange way of greeting people he liked. He used to come and sniff in the visitor's ear, as if whispering sweet nothings! Later when his faculties were failing him, one way he showed his closeness to people, was to come and wipe his eyes and chipra on their clothes!
welcome home excitment for the joshi sistras
his favourite male 'hero' after ujwal left for studies, was adit
As he grew older he started getting hungry at odd times of the night.. and it was not surprising when he would come scratching on the door and barking for tidbits! In the last couple of years Annochh had lost his front teeth, and without the guard rails his tongue would peep out of his mouth in a cute way! 
Age also made his paws slippery and they lost their grip, as a result, it was getting more and more difficult for him to navigate the stairs in a hurry, or even stay still on a smooth floor. His legs would start doing the split, just as it did when he was a pup!
Age also made his paws slippery and they lost their grip, as a result, it was getting more and more difficult for him to navigate the stairs in a hurry, or even stay still on a smooth floor. His legs would start doing the split, just as it did when he was a pup!
With old age Annochh started taking liberties like never before. Failing hearing meant he never heard admonishments and 'No!'. He took full advantage of this fact when he pushed open the door and wandered into our apartment. It was useless saying 'baahira jaa! No!' and the best one could do was use sign language and point to the door.. but that too he pretended not to understand! The most hilarious would be when he took the same liberties when he came to seek us inside Mami's quarters too!
a month before he died, annochh was looking more handsome than ever in his tartan jacket!
That was Annochh, the last of what we call the 'Baghbajaar' breed. And to think that he was half way out of BaghBajaar as a pup! He was in Patan for a night's stayover before going to someone else's home. But everyone missed him so badly, we brought him back! So that was how Annochh stayed on and lived to become the longest living dogs we ever had.
That was Annochh, the last of what we call the 'Baghbajaar' breed. And to think that he was half way out of BaghBajaar as a pup! He was in Patan for a night's stayover before going to someone else's home. But everyone missed him so badly, we brought him back! So that was how Annochh stayed on and lived to become the longest living dogs we ever had.
a couple of hours before he died, Kripa gets ready to go to the airport.. and bid a last goodbye
just before his suffering ended
Annochh died on 5th January after suffering for a couple of days. He must have been in pain and was thus barking all the time. He is buried in our garden under the Parijat tree.
'melo ullu number waan, annochh ho ni, timi! hagi?'
