Peter Krylov's labrador Timur is a guy who knows what he wants (2023)

Timur is your fifth dog. How did he come to you?

Before Timur, I had a labrador, Douglas, who lived for fourteen and a half years. When he passed away, I took a break because I thought I would never get a dog again. But then I finally broke up - now or never. I am already old. I believe that the owner should not die before the dog. This is very bad. The daughter found out that there is a Labrador retriever kennel near JēkabpilsPixies. There, almost on the very bank of the Daugava, is a beautiful country house. We went there and saw a very small puppy. After a month, we were already driving. Well, Timur is a teenager. He is almost two years old.

Why Labrador? Why not another breed or a shelter dog?

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Because the previous onesunsDouglas was also a light labrador. We got along very well with him... This breed is very good, labradors are communicative and friendly, even too friendly, because they do not consider any unknown person as a stranger. Before Douglas, I also had a very wonderful little girl, Margery.

Douglas was given to you by the students on the 50th anniversary. It is already said that animals should not be given as gifts. Were you ready for such a surprise?

I wasn't ready. When the students came up with the idea of giving a dog, they first talked to my wife and daughter at the time. Four years before Douglas came into our family, our Margery had passed away. My wife knew that her death was a very painful moment for me. And realized that I need a dog. It seems natural to me that a person has a dog.

How is Timur different from Douglas?

Douglas was different. Perhaps this was influenced by his childhood. Timur comes from a kennel, but Douglas was born to the family's labrador puppy Greta. The owners – an old lady and her husband – loved Greta very much, who in turn treated her puppies very warmly. So Douglas was a real sweetheart. Maybe even too cute sometimes. On the other hand, Timur is such a self-made man and very independent. He is already showing me that he knows what needs to be done. So that we get to relax a little. I used to tell Timur that not everything will be as he planned!

Do you attend a dog school with your dog or try to train yourself?

We have not gone to dog school with Timur. We were very unlucky because there was covid when Timur was supposed to go to school. One dog school had been arranged, but it was a long way to get there. Another one was available in the spring, but the classes were at very inconvenient times. I realized that I have to deal with it myself. I'm not saying I'm a perfect teacher, but I'm pretty much getting by.

Are you a strict host?

I think not. I didn't leave Timur alone for a moment, so he got used to walking with me. When I was forced to leave the dog alone in the middle of the work day, he might chew on a newspaper or a rag. However, Timur learned very quickly not to bite anything. For example, he does not eat from the cat bowl, even though it is standing on the road. Timur knows very well that this should not be done. I talk to him a lot, just like with a person. Apparently, by intonations, he himself deduces what he can and can't do.

Timur allowed to sleep on sofas?

He has two couches that are officially allowed to sleep on. One is in the study and the other is in the living room.

Sleeping in a bed is exclusive! He can only jump there if the cat allows him.

This happens very rarely. Most often, he sleeps on the sofa in the computer room where I used to work until two in the morning.

You have a huge library. Has Timur read any book?

It had been a long time since he had devoured a book. Once he crushed the bill too. I realized that such things should not be left unattended, so when I leave for a longer period of time, I close both cabinet doors. At such moments, Timur does not hide his indignation, because he understands that he will have to stay alone for a long time. But unlike other dogs, he has never chewed on furniture, doors or tools.

Why did you name the dog Timur? Or in honor of Arkady Gaidar's bookTimur and his team?

I knew there was such a book. I am very surprised that in Latvia, despite the great distaste for the Soviet Union, this book is well known by both young and old. Gaidar is the most absolute Soviet author. But apparently it has become so popular that both old and young people ask me: where is his team? But that's not why Timur got such a name. We should have chosen a name that starts with Tburt. It was determined by pedigree. I moved different words. I could not name him Teodora, because some friends have children named after him. When I studied in Moscow, one of my classmates was a Mongolian, with whom we often talked about history. I knew that the Mongols had such a famous warlord, Timur. So Timur is a simple Mongolian name.

What is Timur like as a person?

Independent. He's a dude who knows what he wants. When we walk down the street and Timur suddenly lags behind, it is clear that he wants to go somewhere else, not where I had planned. Then you can see that there is a dialogue between us. But Timur counts on me and knows that I am a master who must be listened to.

What qualities do you admire the most about him?

Timur understands my mood very well. Animals have very good intuition. Timur is not the kind of sentimental dog who goes and cuddles. He is a real old man! But if I'm in a bad mood, I know that sooner or later he'll come and say, "What's the matter? Everything will be fine!"

Timur's star hour was when you took him with you to Kristaps the Great's award ceremony. Why did you decide to go together then?

At that time, Timur was still very small, he was not even a year old. I was very worried how he would handle it all. But it passed! I was invited to Leilo Kristaps by its organizer Mārtiņš Ķiberis. I told him that I don't want to go, because the dog is more important to me than the ceremony. And Mārtiņš said that I can come with the whole dog.

How did Timur behave behind the scenes of Kristaps the Great?

During the ceremony, we went outside from time to time. I did notice one puddle, but Timur said that it was not his work.

No one said that Krylov was completely exhausted, coming to the event with such a big dog?

At first, the security did not want to let us in. I told them that I had an invitation. To which they said to me: «Then who invited you? Which persons?" Then the organizers confirmed to them that I was indeed invited to the ceremony with the whole dog. And everything was solved! Now you can even go into shops with your dog, which was completely impossible before. We live near the Ågenskalns market, where dogs are almost forcibly dragged inside. (Laughs.) When I go to the market without Timur, the saleswomen ask me: "Well, where is the puppy?"

Is Timur also taken to the theater?

Yes, he participates in rehearsals. If during the performance there is a quarrel between the actors on stage, Timur immediately pays attention and wants to intervene. It seems wrong to him that people start fighting neither from this nor from that. Timur knows very well that he is not allowed to go on stage. He runs in the grass. If he runs too far, I whistle and he immediately understands what I mean. Timur listens to me. I can take him with me without worry because he is well behaved and good to people. We can even walk on the street in Pārdaugava without a leash. You wouldn't dare to do that in the center.

What are your favorite walking routes?

To have a big and cool walk, we have to go far. We usually go to the Mara pond, we also often go to the Daugava. However, it seems that dogs are gradually being deprived of all the nice places to walk. Douglas and I used to have a favorite place to walk where Spice is now. There used to be a green area with small gardens. There was a very beautiful birch grove behind the Pleskodale cemetery. However, the block behind the birch grove was given to the American embassy, which built it. It was one of the nicest walking places where you could run around. Now this birch grove has been taken away from Timur. During the time of Douglas, there was a beautiful and sandy beach with water lilies near Ķipsala, but then the Swedbank brick was built there and everything was asphalted.

Are you going to the center by car or public transport?

We drive by car only if our daughter drives us, because I don't have a car myself. We use public transport more. Timur behaves well there because he is already used to it. You don't want to ride public transport only in winter, because then the floors are dirty and wet and the dog is forced to sit in the mud.

Labradors are prone to being overweight. How do you deal with it?

I did not feed Timur according to the instructions in the books. I do it by feeling. Just like an alchemist, I take a bowl in my hands and then, according to my feelings, I put together what he needs. I know roughly how much dry food he needs, how much meat, roots, cartilage, etc. I have been doing this for some time now and I can see that he is in good shape. It's been a long time since I've turned the menu over to animals. Māsa the cat likes fish, and Timur likes meat. I, on the other hand, like both fish and meat, so I combine the menu in such a way that there is enough for everyone.

How did the kitten Maasa come to you?

When we were walking with Douglas in the winter 17 years ago, we noticed that there were very small kittens near the trash cans in the neighbor's house. There were many of them - six or seven. Douglas and I started feeding them - we gave them warm milk and cat food. It was the winter of 2006, which was very cold.

I noticed that the kittens were sleeping in our woodshed, so I put a haystack there to keep them warm.

One of them was a guy the neighbors called Dominic. The rest were kittens. Dominik died quickly, and Maasa became the barmaid. I named her that because she was Dominic's sister.

She had known Douglas since childhood, who was always with me. When he was 12 years old, he had an operation, after which he felt very tired. And Maas and two other kittens that had remained alive walked with him. I can't explain it. The cats must have had such compassion and empathy for him. When I walked across the street with Douglas and the three kitties following him, it was pretty extreme. I'm just worried that those cats don't drive like that! After a year, two black cats died and only Maas remained. Soon Douglas also went to other hunting grounds. After that, the neighbor asked me: "Why don't you take that Sister upstairs?" Then I decided: "Really? Why haven't I done it yet!" That's how Maasa started living with me. At one point she was my only pet.

How did she perceive Timur's appearance at home?

Very normal. Sister already had experience with Douglas, and Timur seemed the same. The sister was a little annoyed that he was young and was not doing what he was supposed to do around the rooms. She is old, knows how to live, but he doesn't. But there were never fights. Sometimes I hear that they are both in the kitchen. If Timur jumps, I understand that Maasa has kicked him in the face or is about to do so.

Magazine many years agoTailsvisited you when Tipa the crow still lived with you. How old was she when she went to other hunting grounds?

We don't know how old she really was, but she lived with us for 15 years. For a moment, it seemed that the crow would outlive me and would have to be left to someone as an inheritance. Already when she came to us, we realized that she was not a young sparrow because she was not used to us. Tipa never took matters into her own hands. No lovemaking was possible. The daughter found the type all in one blood in the winter. The vet said the wing was so broken that it was unlikely to heal. There was no point in letting him back into the wild. She had been shot and had a bullet in one wing for life, the other wing was normal. She could fly a little - she flew from one piece of furniture to another. However, it was always a bit extreme. That's why I asked a friend to make a huge cage that could hold even a cougar. Then, when Tippa died, she had tried to fly again, but crashed very hard…

Back to Timur, what are the biggest challenges of living with a large dog in the city? What to expect?

You can live with a dog both in a hut and in a one-room apartment. I once knew people who lived with several dogs in a small Khrushchev-style apartment. And lived very well! The most important thing is the walks, which should be commensurate with the dog's age. Timur and I go for a walk three or four times a day. One walk should be so thorough that you can feel that your legs are being used. Therefore, I must not get sick.

The relationship with the animal is such that you have to submit your lifestyle to him.

I haven't gone to many places because I reckon I shouldn't be away for more than two or three days.

Do you have a love for animals since childhood?

It just is! When we lived in the Jūrmala house, where Margerija also came from, I also dealt with other animals, the owners had cows and a horse. I even learned how to give injections to cows. One spring, the horse was overfed with grass. When the vets arrived, they said that the horse should not be taken outside and that only soaked hay with punishment should be given. After a few days, coming from Riga, I see that the horse is standing outside and eating green grass. I understood that it should not be, because he is not yet healthy and he is sick. I pulled the chain out of the ground and led it to the stable, but the horse lurched. I realized if he falls, I won't pick him up and the vet will have to be called. At that time, you had to walk three or four kilometers to call a doctor.

But then the horse put its head on my shoulder, and I realized that if I hold it, the fainting will pass.

He passed and we were able to go to the barn. When he got dizzy again, I already knew what to do.

It is said that a person who loves animals cannot be evil. Do you agree?

I think not. There are many stories of cruel people loving dogs. For example, Hitler has had German Shepherds. If you believe BulgakovIn Master and Margarita, Pontius Pilate also loved his dog the most. So it's not quite a law.

Are you a dog or cat person?

More dogs, of course, but I have nothing against cats. Cats seem to me a bit like actors who stutter and pretend. My sister sometimes engages in such cat antics, but I don't take it to heart. It seems that she has realized that it will not go through with me. Dogs are live actors. Real. Although dogs also tend to realize their desires with multi-step actions, if they know that they cannot directly. Then they tend to pretend to be sick and weak. But Timur is a very direct and specific actor without any antics. He immediately tells what he likes or dislikes. He doesn't have that multi-level fit.

If Timur suddenly gained the ability to speak for an hour? What would you like to talk to him about?

Oh! For many things. I think that Timur would tell me about his friends and girlfriends. That he would really like to find himself a bride. But we are completely insane in this regard. In our area, all Labrador puppies are mostly sterilized. So it's a big problem for us right now. It is to be hoped that Timur's wishes will come true.