The Dogs Who Shaped My Life: From Jimmy to Choco and Cookie
The Dogs Who Shaped My Life: From Jimmy to Choco and Cookie
The Beginning: A Midnight Surprise
I was just a child in 5th or 6th grade when my life changed in the middle of the night.
My brother and I were fast asleep when my dad quietly entered our room, carrying something small and warm. He placed it gently on our bed, and I woke up to the most wonderful surprise—a fluffy German Shepherd puppy, barely 45-50 days old, looking up at us with curious eyes.
I was instantly, completely, overwhelmingly excited.
This wasn't my dad's first experience with dogs. He'd had many pets from his early college days onward, and dogs had always been part of our extended family story. But this was different. This was my first dog.
We named her Jimmy.
Jimmy: The First Love
Jimmy was a female GSD with an appetite that seemed endless. She was always eager to eat, always ready for the next meal. Her favorite? Yellow lentils and rice—what we call Khichidi. She'd devour it with pure joy.
She grew quickly, transforming from that tiny ball of fluff into a big, friendly, sweet companion. I still remember the routine that became sacred to me: coming home from school and immediately searching for her. "Where's Jimmy?" would be my first question as I walked through the door.
We had a big garden at that house, and she spent most of her time there, exploring, lounging in the sun, or waiting for me to come play. I never missed a chance to bring my school friends home just to introduce them to her. Looking back now, it feels like time moved at lightning speed through those days. Moments that felt endless then now seem to have passed in the blink of an eye.
A Lifetime of Companions
My dad's love for dogs continued throughout his life, and it became woven into mine. Let me try to recall all the beautiful souls who have shared my journey—the ones I'll meet again someday in the clouds when my time here is done. I know they'll all be waiting for me.
Jimmy - My first GSD, the one who started it all (with family)
July - An adopted GSD who brought her own special energy (with family)
Tapi - An adopted Pomeranian, small but mighty (with family)
Cooper - The companion my dad got me when I was alone in Ahmedabad, running my first startup, Cat Technologies. He kept me company during those uncertain, exciting times.
Choco - Mili's first dog after our marriage. As of 2025, he's five years old—a golden retriever who's basically a mini cow with his big, fluffy presence.
Cookie - We brought her home when Choco was 2.5 years old. She's now 2.5 years old herself, a female GSD who is, without exaggeration, the loveliest dog in this entire world.
Life with Choco and Cookie
As of 2025, my days revolve around these two incredible beings.
Choco is super protective and possessive of me. He's a big, golden, gentle giant who thinks he's my personal bodyguard. His size is comical—he really does look like a mini cow, this massive golden retriever taking up half the couch, half the bed, half my life in the best possible way.
Cookie is something else entirely. She's super sensitive, sharp, kind, and remarkably large and tall for a female GSD. Her strength is matched only by her gentleness. She's intelligent in a way that sometimes startles me—understanding emotions, reading the room, knowing exactly when I need her close.
The House They Built
The house I currently live in? I only rent it because of them.
If I were alone, I'd happily live in a 1BHK close to my office. Simple, efficient, practical. But that's not an option when you have a mini cow and a sensitive, large GSD who need space to breathe, run, and simply be.
This house is an independent building—the whole structure to ourselves—with a terrace where they can enjoy the open air and have room to live happily. It's near my office, which was practical for me, but the real reason I chose it was for them. Their happiness, their comfort, their quality of life.
It's not even a question in my mind. They deserve this space.
Adventures Together
I've carried Choco to so many places over the years. When he was small, we drove to Varkala beach, where he experienced the ocean for the first time. We've been to Goa, climbed hills, explored mountains, splashed in rivers, and wandered through forests—all with me behind the wheel, driving us to our next adventure.
Cookie has joined those journeys too. The same roads, the same sense of exploration, the same joy of having them by my side as the landscape changes outside the window.
There's something profound about traveling with your dogs. They don't care about the destination. They're just happy to be with you, watching the world go by, trusting you to take them somewhere good.
The Thread That Runs Through Everything
From that midnight surprise in 5th grade to the present day, dogs have been the constant thread running through my life. Through childhood, through college, through starting businesses, through marriage, through every pivot and change and challenge—there's always been a dog nearby, offering unconditional love without asking for anything in return except food, space, and presence.
Jimmy taught me what it meant to have a companion who was always excited to see me.
Cooper taught me I was never truly alone, even when I felt isolated in a new city chasing uncertain dreams.
Choco and Cookie teach me every single day what it means to be responsible for lives that depend on you, trust you, love you without condition.
The Promise
When my time comes and I've done my part in this life, I know where I'll go first.
I'll find Jimmy waiting in that big garden in the sky. July and Tapi will be there too, along with Cooper, who kept me company during those lonely startup days. They'll all be there, young and healthy and perfect, tails wagging, ready to greet me like I just came home from school.
Until then, I have Choco and Cookie. I have early mornings letting them out to the terrace, late evenings sitting with them as the sun sets, and every moment in between where they remind me that some of the best parts of life have four legs and fur.
I love them. Deeply, completely, and without reservation.
Some bonds transcend words. Some companions ask for nothing but give everything. And some of the most important relationships in our lives will be waiting for us in the clouds, tails wagging, ready to pick up right where we left off.