Menoculayshunal; Self Defence

Whelp envy.

Radha was blooming, like any new and expectant mother.

Winkie was less than pleased.  Sauntering up to Blackie, with one of her own latest batch bringing up the rear, she muttered to her side-runner, "Listen up, we must do something about the little upstart.  She's nesting-in, and our Dog is head over heels besotted with her."

"But she never gives him a look in; I don't think she's really a problem."

Winkie looked askance at the all-black bitch.  "You have got to harden up, girl!  I was prepared to share with you, but two's company and all that..."

Blackie blinked.  She had a feeling she ought to know what that meant - one thing she was sure of was that she wanted to be part of the 'two' equation and if that meant getting rough with the black and white model, so be it.  Blackie didn't want to risk B1, the alpha bitch, turning on her.  She had puppies of her own on the way and needed to be sure they were not pestered by her harem partner.

Mostly B1 and B2 waited till dark, then when they thought they had Radha on her own, they'd set to shouting all sorts of abuse at her.  A couple of times, Winkie ran in and took a nip at Radha's tail.

The little mother-in-waiting had smarts. After only a couple of such run-ins, she kept herself out of sight and found ways to slink around unpestered.  Mostly that meant staying by the K-dogs on the quadrangle.  As well as her hidey-hole.  Only the rats knew where that was.  Possibly the gardener's cat.  She was sure that the B-pack had not yet figured it out.

Radha understood that the alpha bitch was not at all pleased with her for mating Daddy Dog.  She also knew that BA did not like that Radha had made her niche on the ashram grounds, accepted more by the humans than B1, B2, or Daddy-dog were.

Worse still, she was sure that Winkie, at least, and probably Blackie because she was a sheep, would attack and kill any pups that she had.  They would not be tolerant of her brood in competition with their own.  Had Radha been of the frame of mind that her sister had been, she would have attempted to become a member of the pack.  It would mean compromise but would more likely ensure her safety and that of her pups.  However, she was not.  Radha was a dog of class and intelligence.  A dog who was walking her own path.

She had a memory of Blackie when they first met, trying to teach her remaining pups how not to tangle with snakes or keep walking on red-hot coals of the garbage fires.  She felt for that other mother.  She also knew that bitch had made many compromises.

Indeed, B1 and B2 were definitely to be avoided.  She also had to find a way to get Daddy Dog off her tail.  He kept sniffing around, and that only stirred up Winkie.

Radha decided for once to be forward.  She approached the senior ashram dog.

"Krishna-ji, could I take your advice?"  She waited for the nod of acknowledgement.  "That outside dog keeps coming behind me, and I no longer want to know him.  What is it I must do to get him to leave me alone?"

Krishna stretched his ageing and aching frame.  "well, little one, you are in whelp, are you not?  Yes, so simply turn on him and repeat this mantra…"  The old dog leaned over and breathed into Radha's ear.  She sat back after and looked at him.  "Thank you, sir."  Walking away, she wasn't quite sure she had heard him correctly.  

Within minutes of her leaving the quadrangle, Daddy-dog appeared at her tail. Spinning round full force, Radha barked out, "Winkie's mine!  Winkie's mine!"

Amazingly it worked.  Daddy-dog stopped with mouth and eyes agape, turned and ran to find his first love.  Radha shook her head.  The old sage dog was right.  Clearly, threatening the alpha bitch caused the male to become defensive, which left Radha free to continue preparing for her big event.

Who said mantras had to be in ancient tongues?  Unidog carries its own strength.

© Yamini Ali MacLean