Meet Butter, the Indian indie dog who conquered Annapurna Base Camp

Butter ‘madam’ (as she is fondly called) has just pilfered chunks of chicken from a neighbour’s house. Her pet parent, Yati Gaur, is visibly upset. When he reprimands the five-year-old indie dog (whom he adopted during one of his walks in Rajasthan five years ago), she responds with the kind of innocent expression only dogs can master that makes staying angry almost like squaring the circle. Mischievous at home and fearless on the trail, Butter is no ordinary dog.

Indian indie dog Butter climbs Annapurna Base Camp

She is said to be the first indie dog to complete the trek to Annapurna Base Camp in Nepal. And that’s not her only feat. With Yati, a Noida-based entrepreneur, she has walked more than 15,000 kms across India, scaling mountains, crossing forests, and proving that India’s indigenous dogs are every bit as resilient as any other adventure breed.

For Butter, Annapurna was like a walk in the park. “She’s already done many treks, and she is used to different climates and terrains, from the Himalayas in Uttarakhand to parts of the North East. Altitude isn’t really a problem for her because she’s experienced it many times. Annapurna is considered a high-altitude trek mainly for beginners. For experienced hikers, it’s quite manageable.”

Fuel for the mountains

Yati says Butter’s endurance is the result of years of hiking and meticulous preparation. Her diet changes depending on where she is. “You can feed an indie dog almost anything. When we’re in Delhi, I keep her meals light, usually curd rice or something similar. But in the mountains, she needs calorie-dense food. Chicken and mutton help keep her warm and provide her the energy she needs. I usually carry around 10 kgs of food just for her. She also gets a full health check every three months,” he says.

When Butter finally hit the hay

Despite her enduring stamina, the trek did leave Butter knackered. “When we reached Base Camp on the third day, I pitched the tent and tried to sleep. But from two in the morning, I couldn’t sleep because Butter was snoring like a human being. It was unbelievably loud. I couldn’t even complain to her. That’s when I realised just how exhausted she actually was.”

Crossing borders with a dog

Taking Butter to a foreign country was not as simple as grabbing a backpack and hitting the road. “Indians can enter Nepal easily, but pets still need proper documentation. We needed a medical certificate issued within 72 hours of crossing the border. Even though Butter had already been vaccinated two months earlier, I had her vaccinated again. We completed every medical requirement, including vaccinations, health checks and PCR tests.”

Built for the wild

Butter has spent years learning the ropes. “She’s comfortable around other dogs and knows how to behave in different terrains. Luckily, she’s never had any serious injuries. She usually barks, sorts things out herself and carries on.”

That independence is something Yati has consciously encouraged. “I treat her like a child. However, children eventually need to grow up. Most of the time, Butter walks without a leash. I don’t want her to become dependent on me for everything. If there is a stream nearby, I merely point toward it. I’ll tell her to go and drink. Even if I’m carrying water, I won’t necessarily give it to her unless there isn’t a natural source. In the jungle, you never know when food or water might run out. I don’t want her relying entirely on me.”

More than a trek

For Yati, Annapurna Base Camp was never about chasing a record. “People often want dogs to be perfect, beautiful, well-groomed and almost like trophies. Butter isn’t that. She’s an indie dog. Taking her to Annapurna Base Camp was about showing people what these dogs are capable of. Indigenous dogs rarely get their day in the sun. Dogs like Aloka become popular because they have greater visibility or international attention. They often have support, including veterinarians, multiple handlers, climate management and sometimes even vehicle support. Butter never had any of that.”

He adds, “I wanted people to see that indie dogs can cope with temperatures of minus five degrees as well as forty-five degrees. They’re incredibly adaptable. That was always the message.” As Yati speaks to us, Butter is sprawled beside him, fast asleep. “She’s literally snoring in front of me while I’m talking about her,” he laughs.

When Butter stopped following and started exploring

Yati says he realised Butter genuinely loved the journey long before Annapurna. “During our early training, I tested her constantly. Sometimes I delayed giving her food or water, not because I wanted to be harsh, but because I needed to understand how she’d cope if we couldn’t find supplies on the road. I had to know her limits.” The results surprised him. “I realised she handled difficult conditions even better than I did. She’s brilliant at finding water. If there’s a river, a lake or even a beach, she’ll find it.”

What fascinates him most is not Butter’s endurance and her curiosity. “Sometimes I simply watch her. Especially in Annapurna, she wasn’t just walking. She was taking everything in. She would stop, gaze at the mountains, wander off to explore and then come back. It felt like she was genuinely soaking it all in.” Yati believes that trekking feeds Butter’s mind as much as her body. “It felt like she was genuinely experiencing the place. She gets to smell new things, make her own decisions and explore independently. I honestly think these journeys are mentally and emotionally healing for her.”

A fan following

Butter’s adventures have earned her quite the fan club.“Even soldiers in the Nepali Army recognise her now. Whenever they see her, they say, ‘Oh, Butter Madam is here.’”

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