Pablo Escobark: Don of the dogs

It was in 2012 that Arjun Ravindhar’s dream of being a pet parent came true, when he adopted Tofu — a cross-bred Indian dog. Last year, a new member joined the pack in the most unexpected ways and he narrates the heart-warming tale of how the puppy occupied a massive place in the family, quite literally. 

Nine-month-old Pablo is an American Akita who Arjun got from a friend. “I was looking to get a second dog for a long time but my mother, Nithiyaa, was hesitant because Tofu is very pampered. She didn’t want him to feel left out,” says Arjun. The debate went on for two-three years but as Tofu was getting older, he noticed he was becoming slow — “Once Tofu turned five, he wasn’t as hyper-active as he was when he was a puppy. So I thought it would be nice to get him a companion,” says the caring papa.

From a litter of three, pictures of which Arjun’s friend sent him, he picked Pablo because of his attractive appearance. “I really liked his half-black and half-white coat so I asked for this pup. He was flown to Chennai from Karnataka and right when I saw him, I knew he’d grown since how he looked in the pictures — I was sure he’d be at least half Tofu’s size,” laughs Arjun. Initially, the older dog got really mad and nearly bit Pablo but as time passed, they grew to like each other. He tells us, “Pablo loves Tofu and is literally like his shadow, though the latter keeps him at a distance.” 

It’s evident just how much Arjun adores both his dogs in the amount of time he’s spent researching about them. He’s planned their meals and grooming schedules well and says it’s actually not that hard to have exotic breeds in Chennai. “Akitas are used to tropical and colder climates because their coat acts as insulation when it gets colder and allows the skin to breathe when it’s warm. As for their diet, both the dogs eat pretty much the same food, which is eggs and bread in the morning, home-cooked food at noon and dog kibble at night,” he explains adding, “Tofu was a really poor eater but I guess survival instincts kicked in with another dog around, so he’s started eating better.”

Each day, Arjun notices just how different the dogs’ personalities are and he finds it quite amusing. “Pablo is extremely smart — he got toilet-trained in just a day. Unlike Tofu, he doesn’t demand attention or belly scratches as he’s not too social; he’s more of a cat, I feel.” He doesn’t get along well with other dogs either, but Arjun hopes to change that by socializing him with other pets frequently.