Welcome to Nepal's Day of the Dog 2017

Nepal is the only country in the world to celebrate a day dedicated to dogs.

 Kukor Tihar is a day of Dog blessings.   

A Spitz and a Boxer on Nepal's Day of the Dog

This young (very well-trained) Spitz and his brindle Boxer puppy friend are awaiting their Kukor Puja treats.

A brindle Boxer puppy and her first Day of the Dog

The 5 and a half month old Boxer is about to enjoy her first Day of the Dog.

The ceremony is complicated and took about 3 minutes.  That Spitz has the patience of a saint and the young Boxer has that unique Boxer wiggle...   They are garlanded with marigolds, red tikas (blessings) are applied to their foreheads and paws.   Coins are placed on their heads and then, they are very well fed with meat and rice.  Flower petals and rice kernels are also part of the process.

The Kukor Puja ceremony begins

The ceremony has just begun and the Boxer pup is already digging in.

The Spitz does his Namaste while awaiting his treats

He must have held that Namaste pose for 4 minutes, before he got antsy.   He also shakes hands...

Nepal's Day of the Dog ceremony deserves a selfie.

The Spitz' owner is understandably proud... 

A big and handsome St. Bernard dog on Nepal's Day of the Dog

 This big St Bernard is very good at his job.   He did not stop barking at me!

A young Spitz just wants to have her ears rubbed.

 

This dog was so pretty and friendly...

 

Two Nepali street dogs near my hotel in Boudha

 Even the street dogs near my hotel got the full Day of the Dog treatment and they are sleeping it off!

Lucky the Dachshund roaming the streets of Boudha

Also known as Kukor Puja or Kukor Tihar, it is part of a 5 day festival which also has a special day for crows and cows.   Tihar is part of the festival of lights where the locals invite Laxmi into their homes with colorful powders and lights so that they can have wealth in the coming year.

India also celebrates a version of this holiday, but they do not honor dogs as part of their Diwali (Dipawali) festival.

 

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Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   

I am in Kathmandu right now and taking orders until the November 25, 2017 cut off date.  I will be back in plenty of time to mail your holiday orders.

How to order your custom pet portrait from NepalDog.com

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected]  
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $20 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

Let's keep these artists painting.

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!