Junior, my christmas present from Noah's Ark

I am always surrounded by dog lover friends who always talk about the pitiful state of an abandoned dog. When a chance came to look for a dog, my first instinct was to adopt one! When he first looked at me with those big black eyes, I immediately fell in love with him. That was my first encounter with Junior, a 1 year old male German shepherd mixed breed. Eventually, we did decide to adopt him from Noah's Ark.

Love at first sight?

When Junior first arrived at our house, he seemed to settle down immediately. Like a parent with a newborn baby, we fussed over him quite alot. We grew worried when he scratches too much or when he becomes too quiet. When he started his teething and chewing of items around the house, he also received his first scolding. Slowly but surely, he adapted to the rules and regulations of living in our house.


Junior, the new addition to our family

As a young and newly rehomed dog, he initially did not seem to be very sociable with other dogs. When he first came to live with us, he could go crazy, constantly barking with at the surrounding neighborhood dogs when they went past. Previously, there was a period of time that when we walked him, it was quite a dreadful task as we had to keep having to pull him back when he got into his usual "argument" with the other dogs. Thankfully as time went by, he gradually managed to find peace and establish his place within the neighborhood.

Meeting and greeting the family
Since then, Junior has easily fallen into the routine of the daily morning and evening walks. During the day, he amuses himself with chasing bees, playing with his toys, sleeping or amusing himself with whatever that catches his fancy. Once in a while, he will insist on his playing ball with us. I guess that is what life should be like for any dog out there. To have a nice, warm home to live in and people to love him for who he is.

Learning to accept a dog unconditionally is equivalent to accepting your partner as who he/she is. I have had my fair share of challenges especially with such a playful and young dog. I remember Junior’s foster parent once told us that we are his best Christmas present. However, I would like to think that the truth is that Junior, is the best Christmas Present that my family has ever had.


*Story and photos contributed by Christine Liew, Junior's Mommy