It was really early in the morning, you see, when the dogs informed us that they needed to go out. My turn to let them out, unfortunately, but afterwards the three of us agreed the hike back upstairs was too long, so we settled on the couch for a nap until the sun was properly up. Well, Kajol – a total snugglebunny – and I settled on the couch, and Panda slept on the cool floor next to us.
Panda Bear is the latest addition to our family, and, as an Alaskan Malamute, he tends to be a bit too warm to snuggle comfortably for that long indoors. He’s about two and a half years old, and another rescue dog – poor pup spent most of his life tied in a field with grass so high he couldn’t see out of it before Animal Cruelty rescued him. When he came to us he was twenty pounds underweight and didn’t know what a treat was or how to play with another dog. He’s still a bit of a failure with treats – he’s excited to get one, but just drops it afterwards for Kajol to eat. Kajol, however, has taught him to play like a champion at the only game she knows: wrestling. We often look out onto the deck to see Kajol’s head disappearing into Panda’s massive jaw, or him just calmly sitting on Kajol while she struggles to get free.
They’re a well-matched pair, despite being from such different breeds – and I suppose there’s a semi-corny lesson in there for all of us in an intercultural relationship, or, really, any mixed relationship where looks or personalities or abilities differ.
Panda’s main weakness – a general shyness and fear of new things and people, due to his poor socialization as a young dog – has never been a problem for Kajol. The first few times I went hiking with them poor Panda was scared silly of water crossings and rock scrambles, while Kajol is fearlessness personified while on the trail. He follows her lead there, and also when we go shopping at some of the dog-friendly stores in the area. It’d be hilarious to see a Malamute quaking in fear of a shopping cart at Petco, if it weren’t a sad reminder of of his history.
Panda’s strengths, though, are one’s we wouldn’t mind seeing Kajol emulate. He’s an incredibly chill dog – very easy-going and relaxed when he’s in familar surroundings. Kajol, on the other hand, still has puppy-brain, and has been known to clear the sofa and coffee table in one bound when excited. She’s starting to take her cues from him, though. Recently she jumped on Aditya in excitement and Panda growled in disapproval – and Kajol didn’t jump on Aditya for the following week. She also likes to stick close by him when out on walks.
As far as how our mixed relationship affects the dogs – well, it doesn’t, much. Aditya claims that they know more Bengali than I, which is patently false – I’m sure they’re just responding to the tone of his voice, not the words. *grin* We’re both on the same page as far as training is concerned, and we share the responsibilities of care and upkeep, like any modern couple with their pups.
I’ll admit to being a bit worried about training when Aditya’s parents came for a long visit – this was pre-Panda. But that’s another post.
6. January 2009 at 9:53 am
What an adorable post. My primary* childhood dogs were a Cairn Terrier (the same breed as Toto from the Wizard of Oz) and an Alaskan Malamute. They were BEST friends.
We are looking to get a dog in the next few years and I will be really upset if we do not get a husky. Manoj wants a lab. Bleh.
*Primary meaning the ones that we had the longest. My dad is a freak about dogs, so we have had just about everything, including more huskies and terriers.
7. January 2009 at 11:55 pm
What a great pic, Gori! And it’s awesome that you rescued Panda – he seems like a great dog, despite his understandable neuroses. It’s really good that you guys have Kajol to help him get socialized and learn what being a dog is really all about. I’m kind of hooked on watching The Dog Whisperer, and as Cesar says, it’s all about being a calm, assertive pack leader!
Ricky and I have talked about getting a dog one of these days, though I think we have somewhat different ideas about what constitutes a “real dog.” Me, I’m kind of a small girl, so I’d rather not have a dog that could potentially jump up on me and knock me over, thank you very much. My ideal dog would be either a Norfolk Terrier (soooooooo cute!) or a bulldog (I’ve known a couple in my day and they’re the sweetest dogs ever). But I have a feeling we might end up with some sort of German Shepherd-y kind of dog, if Ricky has his way.
8. January 2009 at 8:59 am
Cagey, my father has a golden lab, who is sweet – but they’re so high energy the first two years, and then they get fat really easily. Panda is our first venture into the northern breeds – combining a Husky with Kajol, whirlwind that she is, would probably result in house looking like it’d been destroyed by WWF fighters.
mocroidh, he’s not at the level of neurotic, thank goodness, just really, really unsocialized. If he was seriously troubled, or was fearful-aggressive, rather than just fearful, I don’t think we could handle him. As it is, the two dogs together easily outweigh me (I’m small too), and they’re pure muscle while I, well, am not.
If you’re looking to get the first dog that either of you have owned, I’d highly suggest looking for a three or four year old dog from a breed rescue organization in your area. By that age they tend to be a bit mellower, although they still have plenty of healthy years of life. Breed rescue organizations will be able to tell you whether that particular breed, with its particular needs & personality, will be suited for your lifestyle. Since the organizations tend to foster the dogs in households, rather than keeping them in kennels, they can normally tell you a great deal about the dog you’re looking to adopt.
As far as a big dog vs. a little dog goes, well, Aditya and I are partial to big dogs (obviously), but that’s because we like to go hiking and backpacking, and want our dogs to carry their fair share of the weight! I do think larger dogs are a little bit chiller though – as long as they’re trained, you wouldn’t need to have any worries about them jumping up on you.
Kajol at 60 pounds is a good size – I can still pick her up when she refuses to go into the car, for instance.
9. January 2009 at 8:09 am
You’re a good momma to these doggies. Bless your heart! I hope you live a long and happy, healthy, safe, comfortable, content, successful and satisfying life!! You deserve it all!
-Lee Harless
Blacksburg, Virginia
28. January 2009 at 3:57 pm
I'm not commeting on who knows more Bengali : ), but just smiling at remembering that animals too speak different languages, which we often forget as humans. On a trip to Brazil once we were at my sister-in-law's farm and she asked if I wanted to go horseback riding. I got on the horse, they handed me Lucca (my then 2 or 3 year old son who wanted to go too) and then left! In the US you would always be on a trail or with a leader or something, but here I was in the middle of Brazil, saying 'nice horsey' out loud to myself, only to remember that the horse doesn't speak English! Of course we were fine and enjoyed our adventure, but it's interesting how when you don't have language available (I do speak Portuguese, but have idea of proper “horse back riding language”) how easily body language and posture and things like that can come to the rescue to help with communication. I think we have a lot of tools available in cross-cultural communicaiton, but sometimes people get caught up in language and difference and forget. Animal instinct and a willingness to get along can sometimes trump all that.
28. January 2009 at 5:38 pm
My Indian father-in-law really liked watching the Dog Whisperer while he was visiting us in the States, despite the fact that he found Ceaser's accent difficult to understand. I think it was because the techniques of dealing with animals – and the way we communicate with them – is the same throughout the world. He thought Ceaser was brilliant, even when he didn't know what the heck he was saying. And, of course, the main point you're making is completely correct – a smile, for instance, gets the message across the world 'round.