In Thinking of Winter, Shantanu Naidu writes of a dog unlike any other

Have you ever heard of a ‘bad dog’? According to Shantanu Naidu, general manager at Tata Motors, bad dogs do not exist. In fact, when he speaks of Winter — the golden retriever who has kept Shantanu company since his college days at Cornell — he finds himself at a loss for words.

Shantanu Naidu bares it all about his dog Winter in new book

“A few million times during this story [in the book, Thinking of Winter (Penguin)] I will remind you, with sweet frustration, that I simply do not know what it was: genetics, soul, character, or maybe something beyond our limited understanding of the world. But I do not know what was wrong with Winter,” Shantanu writes in Thinking of Winter. The “wrong,” as readers later learn, is not a flaw at all but a rare and extraordinary sense of empathy, which is something seldom seen in a dog.

Over the years, Naidu says he has noticed a pattern. Whenever Winter comes across an animal in distress — be it a pigeon, a squirrel, or even a stray kitten — he instinctively springs into action. “He has this compulsive need to rescue,” Naidu adds. “I have never seen that in another dog.”

Winter’s extraordinary empathy, including his uncanny ability to sense human emotions (of which Naidu mentions in the book), inspired the author to write about their special bond. Another reason behind the book, he admits, was the realisation that dogs have heartbreakingly short lives. Although Winter will always live on in Naidu’s heart and memories, the author points out, he also wanted him to be immortal in the world. Writing the book was a way of telling Winter’s story so that others would know him too.

Journey with Winter begins

In 2016, when Naidu was a student at Cornell University in Ithaca, he came across a tiny dog on a trip to Europe and decided to bring him home. In the opening chapter Naidu reflects on the initial uncertainty about taking responsibility for “another life”. However, these doubts didn’t hold on for long.

When Naidu was moving back to Mumbai from the United States, Winter travelled in the cargo hold — the trip was extremely stressful and terrifying. When they finally landed, he remembers thinking: “I knew this was it — the moment after which I would never look back. I had made him (Winter) move worlds and countries, from where he was born to a new life in Bombay. If he could follow me through such a change, there was no way I could go back.”

Thinking of Winter recollects moments from Naidu’s walks with Winter, who nudged him into conversations as the pup made new friends along the way; his first Ithacan autumn with the golden beauty rustling through yellow and brown leaves; spontaneous rescue missions; snowy evening walks; among many more instances.

The book also features various colourful illustrations by Sumouli Dutta, painted in soft tones that give them a fresh, watercolour-like appeal.

Unconditional love and care

Naidu's perception on loneliness and stress has altered as a result of living with Winter. “Ninety-nine per cent of our stress comes from the past or the future,” he remarks. “Winter only cares about what’s happening now. He’s just happy that I came home.” 

Being around Winter keeps Naidu grounded. There is also comfort in unconditional love. “The world can be on fire, but you come home and hug Winter and everything’s okay,” he says.

The golden retriever is not the first pet Naidu has had. He grew up with an Indian stray named Brownie, whom he adopted after a student of his mother brought him along. The dog was a strong, sharp character, and formed a “core part” of the author’s childhood. 

On the other hand, Sir Charles is the cat who became a cherished companion in Mumbai. Though the cat came with deep trauma from being abandoned, he eventually healed over time. Today, Sir Charles moves around the house radiating his regal charm, with utmost confidence. 

Lessons in animal care 

Naidu says, relationships with animals are unlike any human companionship. “Animals give us unconditional love,” he adds. They do not judge whether someone deserves their love. They give it freely, without conditions, unlike humans who constantly measure who is worthy of affection, passing people through mental filters to decide whether they have earned our love.

Additionally, speaking of his understanding of responsibility toward animal welfare, he observes that it exists on two levels. The first type of animal welfare concerns private pets; and responsibility often falls short when many are abandoned, abused, and treated as objects or status symbols. While the awareness is slowly rising, Naidu emphasises that there is a long road ahead. Pets are sentient beings, deserving care and love — to be treated as part of life rather than subordinated to human superiority.

The second aspect is responsibility toward community or street animals, which have long been part of society. “These animals have always existed in society as community members,” he tells us. “Yet some voices in society argue that they shouldn’t even be on the streets. Our judicial system, however, under Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, recognises that humans have a fundamental duty to protect and show kindness to animals”  — he refers to the Article, according to which, it is the fundamental duty of every citizen “to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.”

India has traditionally valued compassion toward animals. However, Naidu notes that the sentiment is changing. Today, street dogs face increasing neglect and abuse from parts of society that see them as unwanted, making it more important than ever to protect and care for these animals.

(Written by Pankil Jhajhria(

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