Column by Winston Prabhu -

“There is no sincerer love than the love of food”, said George Bernard Shaw. Hmm, I guess great minds think alike! I don’t know what- but the smell of food: there is something magical about it; makes me feel on seventh heaven. Most humans seldom understand our supreme love for food and therefore, many domesticated fellows of my community are forced to food-abuse. Well, that is the term I use – when I intend to express how unkind pet owners can be; feeding their dogs all kinds of table scraps. Did anyone inscribe in their holy readables for us to be subjected to feeding over non-consumables? I doubt. Thankfully, my mom and dad are very different. Right from the day I was picked from the horrifying dungeon called “pet shop”, my choice was always given a priority. When I was just one month old, I did not like milk. So, my mom and dad use to give me Cerelac to eat. They come in vivid flavors like “wheat and apple”, “wheat apple and cherry”, “rice”, “rice-dal and vegetables (my personal favorite)”, and I got an opportunity or rather many opportunities to add variety to my most relished temptation in life! Despite being favored by unkind remarks from her friends about me being fed with something that many human babies are deprived of (alluding to Cerelac); she continued my timely feeds. My dad was supportive of me been given good food too. I understand he too is a foodie. My mom’s way to my dad’s heart mostly (certainly) goes through his stomach. It works in my favor; so, I would love to believe that (chuckles.)!

When I was two months old, my mom and dad had called a vet doctor to know more about vaccinations and my feed. Oh! This doctor was infinitely nice unlike the recent one with Bluetooth in his ear (huh!). People brush their teeth with multiple kinds of pastes to have their tooth shining white; and this one had a “blue” tooth with a smug, and that too in his ears!. Yes, yes, I know: Bluetooth is some kind of a sophisticated device for communication. But I am just making fun of him. Now, before you think I am mean – I would like to remind you how bereft of compassion he held me by my neck – while my eyes almost popped out; and my mouth was probably, one step behind surpassing its young’s modulus. Anyway, let bygones be bygones; the old doctor prescribed medicines for my de-worming and advised increase in the number of my meal intakes.

I was delighted to hear those golden words. Happy times seemed to have glided together along with his entry to our home and landed over me in profusion. Meanwhile, I continued to lick Cerelac for my meals; sometimes slowly enjoying each of its viscous drop and other times pacing my licks to check on my maximum licking speed limits. Life was a fairy tale, until one mean day when the “Rice, Dal and vegetable” flavor ran out of stock. I felt terrible. My mom replaced it with “Wheat, apple and Cherry” flavor and sometimes bread and milk, but those didn’t satisfy my taste buds as much as the other one did. Hmm these retailer shop owners- I must say- are mean, money mongers. So, after a lot of mix and match, my dad suggested I be given pedigree. Pedigree serves more to my canine. I liked it from day one, didn’t have any issues switching over. And since, then for my major meals, I eat pedigree. I also eat little from my mom’s plate; out of mere (oozing) curiosity and try to coax my dad to pass on little from his share. Most of the times, my persuasive, persistent and reiterating pleas to latter go ignored. Never mind! Dad is possessive about his food but is very generous to provide me mine. So, I have no grievances whatsoever. Recently, they got me packet full of chews and bone shaped biscuits. It made me happy, too happy!

Life has been treating me just great! My column today is dedicated to all food-lovers! Enjoy your meals ladies and gentlemen.  For me its time to take a chew!

 Columnist, Winston Prabhu, is a Labrador-retriever adopted by Mrs. & Mr. U. Mahesh Prabhu (founder of Folks Magazine).