Dehradun, Aug. 17 -- authour's collection peg.

The phone rang. It's a youngster, Gauri Uniyal, a family friend, who, without much ado, blindsides me by announcing, 'Sir! We have voted you the best dog parent in town.'

'We've got the perfect dog for you!' he gushes; without stopping, he adds, 'A Gaddi from Himachal!'

'I need a dog like a bald man needs a comb!' I protest. 'I don't want to hear about a dog. I've had it with dogs, and I don't want another dog.'

'Trouble was, our last dog, an inbred Gurgaon retriever, had epilepsy! For twelve long years, whenever she was unwell (which was pretty frequently) it meant walking her around the yard, even in the freeze of winter,' I tried to explain, adding, 'One had to make special arrangement...