Our Dogs
Our five much-loved yogi dogs are a very big part of the Ashiyana Family, and firm favourites with everyone who comes to stay with us. They have each been with us since puppies and are very safe to be around. They are very friendly and love to welcome our guests into their home.
You will most likely meet the dogs in the yoga shalas, as they are just as dedicated to a regular yoga practice as we are – their favourite asana of course being savasana!
Nasha
Our eldest and wisest female dog, who was given to Chris as a 3 month old puppy in November 2007. Mother to Checker and Churby (who sadly died a few years ago, along with his Dad, during a particularly harsh monsoon); she is, in our opinion, the most intelligent, provocative and independent dog that ever lived.
Checker
Born to Nasha and Jake (a 65kg rottweiller gentle giant who sadly is no longer with us) on 14th December 2009 at Ashiyana. He is the King of Mandrem – he roams freely and is respected by all of the local dogs in the area. Blind in one eye; full of love; fiercely loyal and guardian of all of our guests on the beach.
Khushi
Khushi walked across the field behind our restaurant as a 2 month old puppy in December 2010, and lay down outside Chandra (our GM at the time)’s room – clearly asking if she could be adopted. She is our resident oddball, who makes the most incredible sounds when wound up – like Chewbacca from ‘Star Wars’ – as she sprints freakishly through the restaurant! Devoted to one of our teachers, Alicia, Khushi is guaranteed to never be far away from her!
Jake
November 2012 - August 2019
Part Alsatian, part lion, part bear – Jake came to us as a gorgeous puppy in January 2013 from a local breeder. Perhaps not the brightest member of our pack (yet we still love him just as dearly!), we loved to watch him as he stuck his whole face into the sacred flower vases around the centre to drink the water! We fondly watched him grow and develop as he took on the role of big brother to our late rescue pup, Goji – teaching him all that it is to be an Ashiyana Dog :-) Jake sadly passed away in August 2019 from a suspected intestinal tumour. We miss him dearly.
Goji
Goji (the 1st) joined the family in October 2015. A stray pup with no mother, living in a rubbish dump under a bridge, Goji was sat patiently by the side of the road waiting for one of our teachers, Lalita, to pass by and rescue him. Under the loving guidance of adopted big brother, Jake, Goji very quickly settled in to Ashiyana life and it didn’t take him long to steal everyone’s hearts…and also the occasional flip flop too (when he was very young)!
A loveable vagabond through and through, Goji moved out of his Ashiyana home when he was a teenager...having made new friends with the beach dogs that he would play with at sunset. We would often see him on the beach towards Arambol, and he would come back and visit us at Ashiyana a handful of times each season. Unfortunately we have not seen him since 2018 and have had to presume that he has either moved further on, or more likely, did not survive the particularly harsh monsoon of 2018.
He will always have a place in our hearts.
