Little girl and Pintu

Last Friday in the Little Rann of Kutch:

My friends and I were on a three-day birding trip, and one evening we sat by this lake under trees filled with chattering parakeets. Cattle and their herders were hurrying home because it looked about to rain, and peacocks were calling loudly from across the water.

This little girl was standing on the grassy slope near us, telling us about owls she had seen in the neighbourhood. Her handsome red dog was sitting on the grass. His name was Pintu, and she told me she had two more dogs, Moti and Siddhu. Typically, I forgot to ask the child's name though I had a long chat with her!

She called Pintu to come home, but he wanted to play! Their interaction was so amusing I couldn't decide which pictures to post, so I've posted them all as a slideshow.

Most of the dogs in this region are some shade of brown, though some have patches. A few are brindled. Most are not very INDog-looking; they are taller, with longer legs and a more tucked-up "greyhound" build than INDogs. Many have dropped ears. That's a look quite common in grassland areas. Pintu looked more INDog than most.

Little Rann of Kutch
Gujarat