Pepper likes staying indoors, getting baths

We had a dog named Chelsea for about 12 years, but she passed away in 2017. So my parents wanted to wait a while to get the next dog, but the wait felt like an eternity.
Pepper, our Shih Tzu puppy, came into our lives in May 2018 when my uncle got him for us.

Pepper

Pepper’s first few days with us at home in Vellore were not very exciting. He took some time to adjust to the house and all of us; he was only two months old when brought home. But soon he became quite fond of the big space he had to run around in and grew very attached to our family.

Just like all puppies, Pepper is a sweet, playful and an adorable bundle of joy. We spoilt him quite a bit by pampering him. Everyone ends up laughing at his behaviour, whether he runs out of the house unleashed or starts chewing on the furniture.

Pepper acts differently around each member of the family. With my four-year-old niece Sanjana, who loves to play with him, I’ve noticed that Pepper is very gentle and seems to be aware that she’s a child. He’s like a younger brother to Sanjana. Pepper is most happy to see my mom because he knows she is the one who gives him food. They are like best friends because they keep each other company when no one else is at home.

When anyone he’s familiar with enters the house — especially when it’s my parents, my brother and frequent visitors — Pepper can never control his excitement. He wags his tail profusely and jumps on us until we give him the due attention.

It’s only been a few months since we’ve had Pepper in our lives, but we’ve definitely noticed some of his unique attributes. For instance, Pepper loves baths; he sits calmly like he is at a spa. Similarly, when my dad gives him a haircut (which is very often), he would sit on the chair without fussing and wait patiently. Pepper also loves watching TV, barks at anyone who sneezes, likes to be indoors more than outdoors and makes for a great watchdog, even though he’s very small.

It gets very hard for me to leave Pepper in Vellore and come to Bengaluru for college; I miss him a lot. He is fun and a great company. Pepper has definitely fitted well into our family and has brought us joy.