This is the story of Snowy and my sudden leap into puppy parenthood. After months of deliberation and the occasional emotional coaxing and cajoling, my dad finally agreed to indulge my wish of getting a puppy. I will never forget my first glimpse of Snowy at the shelter – he was so small and scared, curled up in a little fluffy ball when we approached his cage. A few minutes later, he was curled up in my lap in the car, heading to his new forever home.
Snowy was a Maltese puppy that we got from a family friend who bred puppies. His black, beady little eyes gazed curiously around at the cars and streets as we drove home. We thought ‘Snowy’ was a fitting name based on his snow-white and fluffy coat. However, my extreme joy transformed into a total meltdown upon reaching home. For the first 24 hours, Snowy kept barking and crying. He refused to eat anything we put in front of him and couldn’t sleep properly. His sad little mewls and slight jumps broke my heart in two when I approached him. I wanted to shower Snowy with love but it seemed he didn’t like me enough just yet.
But after a few days, Snowy started to slowly adapt to the new environment. He explored his new home – sniffing the furniture, yapping at birds in the yard, and occasionally chasing his tail round and round across the living room. Needless to say, his antics kept us entertained for hours and none of us could concentrate on anything else.
Over the next few weeks, I started picking up on Snowy’s habits – his likes, dislikes, and adorable quirks. For instance, he loved to eat milk and cheese! In fact, his favorite food is soft baked cheese. He would lap that stuff up in seconds! Snowy’s biggest pet peeve is bathing. He can always sense bath time and refuses to get into the tub, howling and barking when we tried to put him in the water. His hatred for water almost borders on the feline! Snowy loves following my dad around – sniffing around at his ankles and yapping excitedly every time my dad steps out of the house in the hope of going for a walk. My father is always gentle with Snowy, taking him out for walks, feeding him snacks, and playing with him. It seemed as if Snowy had given him his youth back!
One day, while shopping at a local mall, Snowy expressed deep pleasure, in the form of excited yaps and vigorous tail wags, at seeing the colorful clothes stacked neatly in piles. Noticing his good mood, we carried him in his basket around the mall, letting him feast on all the glitz that consumerism has to offer. He was delighted! Who would have thought that Snowy had a fashionable side? He loves to accompany us on shopping trips and try out different doggo tees. He loves playing dress up for various occasions and admires himself in the mirror. What can I say? Snowy is a bit of a diva and a very Insta-worthy doggo.
Snowy had his first birthday party on a crisp, sunny winter day. We had invited 15-20 other pups and their families to celebrate this special day with us. We had a giant birthday cake with the cutest little fondant pup on top. Everyone gathered around and sang ‘happy birthday’ to Snowy. The pups played with toys and ate special snacks made for the occasion. To commemorate the moment, a photographer was commissioned to capture the best moments of that day.
Snowy and I are inseparable companions. I take Snowy everywhere. He even gels well with my friends. I’ve often seen him sitting by the window, waiting for me to come home from school. He would run toward me and jump excitedly while wagging his tail. His expressions of boundless love for me always warmed my heart. Snowy has embedded himself so deeply in my heart that I can’t imagine ever having lived without him.
Life with Snowy is always an adventure. We love exploring new places, trying out new fun stuff together, and playing silly games. Snowy is a great travel companion and we take him everywhere with us. His favorite destination is Bombay because he loves the dog parks there. As social as Snowy is, he has made a lot of dog friends in Bombay and always looks forward to meeting them and playing with them in the dog parks. Snowy is joy, warmth, and love all bundled into a white fluffball. He is my biggest cheerleader and a source of constant, unconditional love. I’m incredibly lucky to have Snowy in my life and will treasure each moment I spend with him.
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