A dog can always turn a frown upside down, now imagine what 12 more could do! Fashion designer Abhishek Dutta’s St. Bernard, Bosky, gave birth to 12 bundles of joy a few months ago. When t2 met the little pups at Abhishek’s Ballygunge home some time back, they were carried into the living room by his wife Jayashree and sons Aaryansh and Aakarsh, and upon release the puppies started running around and biting each other playfully. We couldn’t help but cuddle the cuties before chatting with Abhishek about the tiny ones. Now that most of the babies have left the family, Abhishek tells us about how he chose new homes for the pets.

Maintaining a St. Bernard is quite a tough task. How did you manage Bosky?

When I got her in 2016, I went through the entire list of dos and don’ts on the Internet. She is actually a rescued dog and not an easy one to keep. It is a difficult task keeping a St. Bernard, especially in this kind of a climate. She needs almost 18 hours of air-conditioning during summer and she drools a lot too, all St. Bernards do. Her grooming session is almost an hour every day because you have to untangle her long fur. It is quite a job. I don’t even take her out for a walk on the streets; I bundle her in the car and take her to a park or I play with her on the terrace. 

This breed is one of the most abundant breeds. People desert them very easily because of their high maintenance. As puppies they look very cute, but they grow very big. Bosky is almost 62kg. But they are very homely and friendly dogs and they love affection and want a human touch.

Is she attached to you a lot? 

She is very attached to me. She gets upset when I am travelling; you should see the way she greets me once I’m back from the airport. She can sense once I’m done packing for a trip on the previous day and she sits in a corner. I adopted her when she was nine months old, which is almost full-grown, so it wasn’t easy for her at the beginning but she adjusted.

She is like my daughter (smiles). Whenever I scream out “Who is my baby?” she comes running to me. She wouldn’t allow the pups to come near me. 

Where did you get her mated?

We got her mated with one of the dogs at Champion Dogs Kennel in Lake Gardens. It is a must to get the dogs mated... if you don’t get them mated at least once in their lifetime, they get cranky and their temperament changes. 

Tell us about the day Bosky gave birth.

Bosky is a little difficult with new people. We called the vet but she didn’t like him, so I actually ended up delivering eight of them. But then I had an appointment, so the last four were delivered by the vet after he gave her saline. She was so tired by then that she didn’t have the energy to create a fuss. As long as I was there, I kept sitting with her throughout, because they tend to move around when they are giving birth, which could lead to problems. The entire process went from 10am to 7pm.

How did you go about choosing homes for the puppies?

We kept one back, Alexa, and she is the naughtiest of the lot. The rest we gave to close friends and families, so that it is easier for us to keep in touch. Many of them post the puppies’ pictures on social media, so we know what they are up to. Many of them have gone out of Calcutta, too, to the Northeast and since the weather there is much cooler compared to Calcutta, it works out a little better.

How did Bosky react to them leaving?

We gave away our last puppy around three weeks ago and Bosky was so upset that she didn’t eat for half the day. But she has Alexa, so she is not alone. They love playing with each other. They’re always jumping on each other, biting each other’s ears. Alexa is three months old now and already weighs about 16 pounds.

Abhishek’s tips to take care of a St. Bernard pup:

♦ Keep them in air-conditioned rooms at least 10 to 12 hours every day. 

♦ Keep them hydrated all the time. A daily bath is a must. 

♦ As they grow, they start teething, so keep your shoes and clothes away or they will chew it all up. It’s best to get them some chewable toys. 

♦ They must be given enough calcium, because as they grow up they may suffer from hip problems and dislocations. 

♦ It is also important to potty-train them while they’re young.

Urvashi Bhattacharya
Pictures: Pabitra Das