Dog With Blog: Dog Adoption, Rescue and Care in India

Watchful, aloof, imposing, and intimidating: The ancient Tibetan Mastiff (Bhutia dog/Himalayan mastiff) is the guardian dog supreme. These densely coated giants are found in the Himalayan foothills. Travel writer Shikha Tripathi who lives in Almora, Uttarakhand with two of such gentle giants shares what it truly means eventually share a life with the rescued Himalayan mastiff dogs. 

The Indian postal department also commemorated the native Indian dog breeds in a special stamp.

In 1993 Mumbai (erstwhile Bombay) was rattled by a series of bomb blasts. Whilst the ghosts of the tragedy are yet to be exorcised with justice, there remains a protagonist of the heroic team – police dog Zanjeer who helped save ‘human’ lives in the line of fire.

Working with the bomb squad, the heroic canine detected over 3329 kg of RDX explosives, 600 detonators, 249 hand grenades, and more than 6000 rounds of live ammunition. He also helped avert three more bombs in the days following the blasts, thus saving countless lives.

Read more: Zanjeer - the hero dog of Mumbai Police

India is home to a number of exotic Native Indian dog breeds - from pariah dog to Rajapalayam, Himalayan Sheepdog (Bhutia kukur) or Tibetan mastiff. Many of them were bred exclusively for specialised tasks like sighthounds, guard dogs, livestock guardian dog and sheepdogs. 

While multiple breeds of dogs that were native to India have ceased to exist or are on the brink of extinction due to ignorance and sheer neglect, in this episode we dig deeper into the amazing dogs that call the subcontinent home. 

Please #AdoptDontShop 

Is your dog scratching his eye or is bumping into things?

Have you ever wondered if that thing under your dog’s eyes is tear stains, an eye infection, or an injury? Are they normal or do you need to visit the vet?

The best way to ensure dog eye care is to catch vision disorders early and consult a veterinarian right away.

Our friendship with dogs and wolves goes back thousands of years more than previously believed. But did you know the origin of the phrase 'Dogs are a man's best friend'? In this episode, we explore the court case that led to this legendary saying. 

Also read: How dogs became man's best friend? and Dogs are a girl's best friend too! 

Since 2004, Turkey implemented a humane no-kill, no-capture policy towards all its stray animals. Over 100k dogs call the streets of Istanbul home. Stray shows daily life through their eyes as they roam the streets, in search of food and kind strangers.

Filmed between 2017 and 2019, Stray is a calming and thought-provocative journey that pauses but doesn’t prod the sociopolitical scenes that are true not only for Istanbul but the world at large.

The sense and sensibility so often showed by animals have always amused humans. The smartness displayed by animals under stressing conditions and emergencies reveal a side of them that both, bemuses and bewitches readers. This anecdote shows how the genius who discovered gravity, Sir Isaac Newton was also a philosophic dog lover, just like Einstein. 

Read more about Sir Isaac Newton's dog 

Hachiko, the legendary Japanese dog whose loyalty has inspired an entire nation, the cultural landscape - movies, monuments and books, waited over ten years for his long-dead master. Hachiko and his story were awe-inspiring that after he died, Tokyo residents voted to build a statue of him.

Read more about Hachiko, the loyal Japanese dog who waited 10+ years for his master 

‘Loyalty’ to most of us, conjures up an image of the dog. Histories inked with their unflinching courage, companionship, and love.  Researchers would tell you that the smartest of dogs have a vocabulary of 300 words. But anyone who has ever loved a dog knows differently. In this episode, we discuss the amazing dogs who waited for their humans despite the death coming in between...

Read more on the unflinching loyalty of dogs for their dead masters

Albert Einstein, perhaps one of the wisest men of the past century (and the ones before), was a well-known pet lover. For starters, he had a dog named Chico Marx. In this episode, we delve deeper into the famed genius and his anecdotes featuring pets.  

Read about Einstein and his love for dogs

Also, see Sir Isaac Newton and his doggo Diamond.