Dogs have always been a part of my life, including the one I am married to. Heheheh. On a serious note, dogs are truly wonderful companions. My dog went missing on Saturday and we went all over our estate to look for him. We have had him for only 4 months. He is a miniature long-haired Dachshund. I did not realise how much he meant to me until he went missing. I have an in-built system to bottle up my feelings. So you can imagine the shock my husband went through when he asked me if I was alright and I burst out crying in reply.

I could not sleep that night and was sure that he was gone forever as he is a rare breed in Singapore and is simply adorable. Thankfully, he is microchipped and we managed to track him down the next night when the person who caught him tried to sell him at the pet shop. Needless to say, I am smiling once again. This temporary loss has made me think of all the dogs in my life, excluding my ex-boyfriends ;)  This is my tribute to them.

My first dog (actually my grandfather's) was a male mongrel called Raji. He followed my grandfather everywhere. The first and only time I saw a dog cry was when my grandfather passed away. I was 7 years old then. Raji just slouched against the wall with tears rolling down his face when the hearse was taken away. He did not eat after that and died a week later. That was when I realised what wonderful creatures dogs are.

Shortly after Raji's death, we had a female mixed breed called Lady. She was super-intelligent and could open doors and gates. When my uncle had a stroke and could not talk, she sensed that he was ill and watched out after him. One day, when my uncle limped out of the house in anger after a quarrel with my grandmother, Lady followed him and only returned the next day when he came home. Lady passed on when I was 17.

The next time I owned a dog, truly mine, was when I got married. It was a long-haired Dachshund too. Roy. Handsome bugger :) He was my protector. No one could speak to me in harsh tones when he was around. Sadly, he left us 3 years later and till today, my heart pines for him.

Subsequently, we have looked after 3 cocker spaniels(crazy wild and absolutely hyper), a schnauzer and a Labrador. We have had wild times with them especially when swimming. But we have also had very trying times like furniture being chewed up, TV broken, etc. However, nothing beats their presence.

Dogs can sense your emotions and react accordingly. When I am down, he lies down beside me, like a friend giving a shoulder to cry on. When I am happy, he is playful. I can talk to him and he looks at me with such adoring eyes no matter how bad I look

Tonight, I am going to celebrate his return with a book, some lovely white wine and him snuggled close to me. Hmmmmm.....