French Bulldogs are a mix of stubbornness, kindness and endless charm, and Juja proves it to the letter. She can be queen of the sofa and a restless street explorer. At home she behaves like a lady, but as soon as we go out for a walk she turns into a bold pioneer.
Juja's favourite activity, of course, is playing. We have a whole collection of her toys at home: soft ones, squeaky ones, funny ones. She drags a red plush heart everywhere, as if telling everyone: "This is mine!" There's also a donkey with curly fur and a crocodile that is always smiling. Sometimes I come home from work and she is sitting in the middle of the room with three toys at once, as if waiting to see which one I'll pick first.
Her walks are a chapter of their own. We might be on a beach, where she runs on the sand and then spends ages digging through shells like a real treasure hunter. Or on the shore, where the water almost touches her paws: there she likes to freeze and gaze at the horizon. And once we found ourselves in a huge field of sunflowers. I'll never forget that picture: Juja looking into the distance, with a yellow sea of flowers all around her.
At home Juja is a master of cosiness. She has her own "sunny corner" by the sofa, where the morning sunlight falls. She stretches out, turns her tummy to the warmth and sleeps so soundly that she doesn't even react to my footsteps. Sometimes I hear her snoring, and it's the most soothing sound in the world.
French Bulldogs have a reputation for being headstrong, and Juja excels at it. If she decides we're going right, no amount of persuasion will help. But I love her for that stubbornness: she has character. And there's a lot of tenderness in that character too. She always greets me at the door, brings me a toy, and sometimes sits on my lap and just looks into my eyes, as if to make sure I'm really there.
Life with Juja is more colourful. She has taught me to enjoy the little things: warm morning sunshine, the sound of footsteps on the beach, a chase round the sitting room. She isn't just a dog. She's a member of the family, my friend and a little creature with a big heart.
I often think: maybe I chose her. But when I look into her eyes, I understand that she chose me.
