The Little Puppy Who Chose Us

We weren't looking for another puppy

I had absolutely no intention of getting another puppy. We had two Scottish Terriers and a cat, and we were a happy, close-knit little family. Our world revolved around them, and we couldn't imagine adding anyone else to our pack.

Then life had other plans.

Our little Scottish Terrier boy, Dante, was diagnosed with bladder cancer. At the time, our vet felt he could still have a few more years with us, so although we were worried, we kept enjoying life together.

Love at first sight with a one-day-old Frenchie

Then, quite unexpectedly, something rather magical happened. I accepted a friend request from Frenchies South Africa on Facebook, and suddenly French Bulldogs were everywhere in my feeds. A few weeks later a French Bulldog breeder popped up on Instagram, and purely out of curiosity, I gave her a call to learn more about the breed.

I asked whether she had a waiting list. Her answer changed everything: two puppies had been born the day before. She sent me a photo of the boy, and it was quite simply love at first sight.

I can't really explain it. It felt as though this tiny, one-day-old puppy was looking right at me and saying, "I want to live with you and your family." I genuinely felt he had chosen us, and I booked him that very same day.

A puppy who watched everything

As I followed the breeder's videos, I noticed something special about the way Bohdi interacted with the world. He was incredibly observant. Even while eating or playing with his favorite toy, he would pause and look up, watching every little movement around him.

His awareness and curiosity fascinated me, and it got me thinking about how to give him the best possible life — not just physically, but mentally too.

How Chaser led us to Dognition

One day I came across a YouTube video about Chaser, the remarkable dog who learned the names of more than 1,000 objects. It included an interview with Dr. Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods, the scientists behind Dognition, and I wanted to know more. That's how I found the Dognition website and app.

I wanted to understand how dogs think, learn and experience the world. With such an alert, curious puppy, I felt mental stimulation would matter a lot for Bohdi — chances to explore his abilities, challenge his mind and satisfy his natural need to discover. Keeping his mind engaged felt like an important part of giving him a happy, enriched life.

Saying goodbye to Dante

Bohdi joined us about two months ago, and the timing turned out to be more special than we could have imagined.

During that time Dante's condition declined quickly. He lost the ability to walk, and for the last few weeks of his life we carried him everywhere, making sure he was comfortable, loved and surrounded by his family. It was incredibly hard, but having Bohdi with us meant we could treasure those final weeks with Dante while slowly welcoming a new little soul.

In a way, Bohdi arrived at exactly the right time. We got to say goodbye to our beloved Dante while opening our hearts to a new beginning.

Best friends with a cat named Mouse

Bohdi has settled into family life beautifully. He has a lovely bond with our female Scottish Terrier, Sienna, but his most unexpected friendship is with our cat, Mouse. She absolutely adores him! They play together every day, and she even goes looking for him when he isn't around. Watching them together is priceless.

Seeing the world through his eyes

The biggest gift Bohdi has brought us is his personality: curiosity, character, affection and an infectious enthusiasm for absolutely everything. He makes us slow down, be present and appreciate the little things.

We spend so much more time in the garden, going for walks and simply watching him discover the world. He has even inspired me to pick up my photography again — I love capturing his expressions, his little adventures and all the funny moments that make him who he is. My life has honestly changed 100% since this little guy arrived.

Our family is complete again with Bohdi, our sweet Sienna and our very special cat, Mouse. He arrived unexpectedly, at a time when we needed him more than we realized. He chose us, and we feel incredibly lucky that he did.

“Sometimes the little ones we never planned for turn out to be exactly the ones we needed.”