Don’t let Basha’s cute-as-a-button face or petite frame fool you into thinking walking up to him and petting his head is permissible. This five-year-old Rottweiler mix is “scary fierce”, says his owner Priya Tharusini.
“He absolutely does not get along with humans or other animals due to his older brother’s influence. He has major mood swings and despite his pretty face, he will not hesitate to bite back, bark back, talk back, whine back. Such a brat,” Priya says.
Basha was adopted as a puppy by Priya’s sister, who met him at her lecturer’s home. “She fell in love the moment she saw that fluffy, bear-like, short-legged puppy come running to ‘attack’ her when she was there,” Priya says.
He may have been “playfully attacking” Priya’s sister as a pup, but Basha pretty much grew up owning that personality trait and losing a bottom canine as proof of it.
It was a simple game of “pull the rag”, Priya says, but Basha took the game too far and pulled a tooth instead.
“When he bites, he really bites. But once he is used to you, he can be really sweet. But don’t ever disturb him during his beauty sleep.
As a teething pup, Basha chomped on all the legs of the furniture in Priya’s home – something most dog owners are familiar with.
As fierce as he is, one thing scares him like no other – fireworks. “He barks, pants, cries and whines and will only calm down if we talk gently to him, tell him we are here for him and that he is safe. Basically we have to be with him till he calms down and falls asleep.”
Basha loves his food and eats everything and anything you give him – even his water. “He does not know how to drink water like a normal dog, he ‘eats’ the water so basically when he ‘drinks’, he makes a mess of the place,” Priya says, laughing.
Clumsy drinker he may be but Basha is super intelligent and obedient. “He knows how to ‘sit’, ‘shake hand’, put his paws up in the air when we say ‘up’, ‘lay down’, and ‘roll’ on command.
“He’s learning how to high-5′ now. He’s obedient as long as he’s rewarded with a treat,” Priya says, adding however that kisses are for free as Basha will happily lick your face when asked.
Young at heart, Basha loves his toys, especially playing with hard rubber balls. “He also loves to run in circles around us and because of those short legs, he thinks he’s as fast as lighting. But he has a hard time with his ‘brakes’ and often slams into us as he tries to stop,” Priya says.
Basha does not like the sun or getting his feet wet and dirty. And although he likes going for walks, he prefers that it is kept short and sweet.
He’d give up a long walk anytime for a long snooze in a shady spot – but not before he carries out his ritual of earnestly scratching the floor tiles and even the walls as he “digs” a hole in which to settle down in, Priya says.
A loving dog, Basha likes to have his ears and head caressed and will “ask” for scratches by using his paws to rub his ears when he lays down.
“He’s also ticklish when we scratch under his arms and loves when we comb his super soft fur. He’s a total clean freak. We have to wipe his paws after going out, if not he wipes it himself on our carpet,” Priya says.
“His fur is seriously like human hair and sooooo soft. And when it’s wet, it takes on a different texture – like fine ‘Maggie noodles’.”
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