Unleash in Mumbai: A unique dog carnival

In conversation with canine behaviourist Shirin Merchant about her offbeat brain child of the dog carnival, writes Ketaki Latkar

When the dog has its day

A glimpse at the sprawling Balkrishna lawns of Pune at the time of the recent dog carnival Unleash, almost felt like the Animal Farm from George Orwell’s eponymous classic had come to life. The four-legged furry beings looked like they were ambling around merrily in their kingdom, having overthrown the tyranny of humans and cages. Canine behaviourist Shirin Merchant, who has conceptualised Unleash, speaks about what sparked off the idea in the first place, “Dog shows and pageants used to make think about the element of one-upmanship that the dog owners and breeders kept eyeing.

As a consequence, the dogs used to end up as their pawns. I felt there was a dire need for something all-embracing; something where every dog would feel like a winner and return home happier.” Owing to her empathy for the canines, Merchant flagged off Unleash in Mumbai, more than a decade back. At that point in time however, the event, which is her brainchild, was also single-handedly organised by her, and was carried out as a pilot, informal stint. Over the years, she fine-tuned her idea, and about five years back, Unleash was reinstated as a grand and well-organised mega dog carnival. So far, the day-long event has marked its presence in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune.

For Merchant, Unleash has been her second tale of triumph pertaining to the world of canines; the first being her pioneering work as a dog behaviourist in a country like ours that largely objectifies pets, and also refuses to take cognisance of animal psychology. “When I started my career as a canine behaviourist more than two decades back, there was absolutely no awareness of such a vocation. Also, conventional dog trainers were men, and a woman standing up to do similar work did not go down well with the prevailing patriarchal sentiment,” explains Merchant, who is a zoology and biochemistry graduate. Subsequently, she studied canine behaviour in England under the guidance and hands-on training from the acclaimed canine behaviourist John Rogerson, who is also the founder of the Northern Centre for Animal Behaviour.

On a roll

Unleash, in its most fundamental essence, is all about creating an all-encompassing space for dogs, as also for pet parents. At the event in Pune, the lawn was demarcated into different zones, for activities and play, dog products and shopping stalls, and also for interaction with Merchant, and other dog experts, including vets and trainers.

“I walked in with my three-year old Golden Retriever Simba, and we spent almost four hours at the event. Simba enjoyed the agility ring the most, especially because the tasks were mentally and physically challenging for him. We were required to crawl, jump and twist through the tunnels and obstacles. It was a great bonding exercise for us,” informs Neil Kulkarni, who added that the entry fee of Rs 500 was an absolute “paisa vasool”.

In addition to the agility ring, there were also splash pools, to help the furry ones beat the heat; there was a health ring, to get the pets examined medically and to engage in a dialogue with vets; and also a ring dedicated to pet-child interaction. Neha Nageshkar, puppy specialist, trainer and behaviourist, was helming the kids and dogs ring at Unleash. “It is very important to nurture a great bond between pets and the children at home. There are some thumb rules, and it is important that pet parents encourage their children in developing an informed approach while dealing with pets. For example: it’s a good idea to initiate your child into grooming your pet, or teaching him to be calm and embracing towards the pet,” says Nageshkar, emphasising how small lessons in better pet-child interaction can go a long way. For Nageshkar, Unleash worked as an ideal forum to meet more people and to create awareness about determining the dynamics between children and the pet dogs.

Not a smooth ride

And simultaneously as the dogs were having fun with a range of activities in the multiple rings, Merchant had positioned herself at the last zone of the lawns. For most of the time, she was found standing on an elevated platform, engaging in an elaborate question-and-answer session with the inquisitive pet parents, suggesting solutions to their problems and also debunking some myths. Ask her about the most common queries at Unleash, and she is quick to inform, “People usually have issues with disciplining the dogs. What they don’t realise is that they need to choose a rewarding, positive reinforcement pattern to deal with their pets. Choke chains and aggression techniques are cruel and passé.” Merchant stresses, with a chuckle, as to how, on quite a few occasions, it is easier to deal with dogs than with the pet parents.

In a larger sense, Unleash has been designed to work as a forum that’s not only recreational, but also educational for the pet owners, as also enthusiasts, who are considering getting a pet. “The greatest merit of the event is that it not just gives dogs a breather, but also connects the pet parents as a community. That helps a lot, especially in discussing common problems, organising meet-ups and also in helping the dogs socialising and meeting others of their kind,” smiles Merchant.