Every dog has its party

It’s your typical party, really. There’s the anti-social type, sulking in a corner over a drink. Right in the middle are three hyper attendees, practically shaking with the excitement of making new friends. Two others are having a screaming match at the end of the corridor, and there’s that one sleazy guy who’s just interested in checking out womens’ asses.

There’s a small difference, though. All the attendees are dogs — specifically, Indian breeds. The anti-social type is a tiny brown dog sitting next to a water bowl, shaking with the terror of encountering so many of his own species in one go. The hyper attendees are careening around, setting leash booby-traps for unsuspecting owners. The sleazy one introduces himself to other dogs via a quick sniff at their asses, and the squabbling pair, now separated by their owners, are pointedly ignoring each other.

The party is one of the many events planned on a monthly basis by Party Barky Hai, the canine entertainment specialists, a group that launched in May 2011. This is one of their breed-specific parties; other events include anything from a birthday party to a weekend camp. Shivani Mathur, the manager for the group, is currently the ringmaster of this canine circus. Owners are explaining their dog’s routines. “We live in a large co-op society, so we take her for rounds,” says one middle-aged woman. “I hang out with him in the morning, then he chills with his girlfriend,” says one 20-something man. This is followed by some dog-walking advice from Shivani. “Always walk with your dog behind you. You’re the leader of the pack, don’t forget that,” she says, as one owner stumbles after his dog.

An English woman sits in the corner with her two dogs. “I had Border Collies before these scoundrels,” she says, rubbing one behind his ears. “Indian breeds are better. Border Collies are too hyper.”

One dog, a heavy-set white dog, is refusing to play ball with the obstacle course. He’s sliding under chairs, standing dead-still randomly, and the direction to ‘sit’ results in his curling up on the floor and licking himself between the legs. “He’s usually more obedient, I think the crowds are making him nervous,” says his abashed owner. Shivani is encouraging. “That’s the point. They can’t get nervous around other dogs.” Ultimately, a treat cajoles him into finishing the obstacle course.

For other dogs, and their owners, the obstacle course is bringing out competitive sides. Weaving around chairs and holding glasses of water with their leash hand, more than one owner and their dog is drenched by the end of it. But Spottu, the anti-social dog, is still quivering behind his owner, a middle-aged woman. “I found him in a pile of garbage,” she says. “He was small and sick. His eyes were infected and he had stomach problems. When we couldn’t find a home for Spottu, we took him in.” Now, Spottu is a pampered pup who just can’t stomach his own species. “This kind of event is specially useful for dogs like him,” says Shivani. “They need to to not panic and still obey their owner’s orders.”

@apoorva_dutt