Having a pet dog in one’s life is quite similar to being the parent of a child, says Manas Ranjan Behera, the proud owner of Harley, a 16-month-old female English Pointer. With scores of prizes to her credit, Harley is a celebrity in her own right and the centre of attention wherever she travels, he adds.
So far, Harley has participated in nine kennel shows across the country and won 14 awards in the Best of Breed category and 11 in the Challenge Certificate category.
Manas, who claims to be the only one to own an English Pointer in Odisha, says, “I brought Harley from Umesh G Kashid of Kolhapur, known as the lone breeder of English Pointers in India. Harley was only three-and-half-months old when I brought her here from Kolhapur. I did thorough research on the Internet before buying Harley for Rs 62,000. What fascinated me most about Pointers was that other pets are safe with this breed, though they are known to be a bit reserved with strangers.”
Though English Pointers are not watch dogs, they warn their masters if strangers approach. So, if you are looking for a loyal, high energy dog, an English Pointer may be what you need. Besides their innate hunting ability, they are smart dogs and can be easily trained, said Manas.
Many masters raise English Pointers to take part in dog shows. But these dogs can make great family pets as they are patient with children, good with other animals, and calm within the home, observed Manas.
Listing Harley’s achievements, Manas said that she had won three prizes in her maiden appearance in Visakhapatnam at an event organised by Visakha Kennel Association. The show was judged by K.K.Trivedi. Apart from winning an award in the Best of Breed category, Harley was also adjudged Best Puppy in the show. The Kennel Club of Mahakausal organised the 13th & 14th Championship Dog Shows where all breeds could participate. Here, Harley won Breed of the Box and Challenge Certificate twice. She participated in the 7th and 8th Championship Dog Show organised by Kennel Club of Bhopal and won in the Best of Breed and Certificate Challenge categories. At the show organised by Chhattisgarh Kennel Club, judged by CV Sudarsan and T Preetham, Harley again bagged awards twice in Best of Breed and Certificate Challenge categories. Similarly, she won laurels in competitions organised by the Jamshedpur Kennel Club, Hyderabad Kennel Club, Odisha Kennel Club and Jharsuguda Kennel Club, said her owner, proudly.
Manas, who also owned a male English Pointer Leemo, added, “I took Harley to Visakhapatnam for her first show. It was a 12-hour-long journey and she remained in standing position all through. By the time we reached Vizag, she was weak. I was scared and wondered whether I should take her to participate in the show. I then whispered in her ear ‘Don’t let me down.’ It seemed Harley heard my words because she gave it her best shot. To my surprise, she won in the Best of Breed category, apart from winning the Best Puppy award. In fact, she wins prizes at every show making me a proud dad.”
Manas, a banker by profession, said, “She is my best companion. When I feel low, she is always there to give me company. She sleeps in my lap and lets me know that she is there to look after me. When I fail to spend time with her, she makes it clear that she wants my attention and care, and even the expression on her face seems to change. Amazingly, she never sleeps before I come home. She waits eagerly for me so she can cuddle up. She loves me unconditionally.”
Recently, Manas set up an institution called Kennel’z Doggie Style at Bargarh with the help of his friend Biswaranjan Tripathy.
He explained that English pointers are known as gun dogs because of the characteristic pose they assume when they catch the scent of game. They stand motionless with head lowered and the nose pointed towards the game, the tail held horizontally, in line with the head and back. One leg is raised and bent. The direction the dog points towards guides the hunter to the game.
Pointers were used in Europe in the 16th century to spot hares, which were then chased by greyhounds. By the next century, Pointers were among the most sought-after dogs by hunters for their exceptional skill of pointing and tracking. Pointers are known for being hard workers with great speed, endurance as well as scenting ability. Their exact ancestry is not really known. Their life expectancy is 12 to 15 years, Manas said.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP