The nicest thing is that those two blue eyes that waited for me at home as a surprise gift that one December day are exactly described by all of the meanings I have chosen.
The ideal present from the lady who would eventually become my wife was Yuki. She was aware of my affection for huskies and my desire for a dog, but I didn’t think I was mature enough to own one at the time.
My life changed forever when I spotted Yuki, a little ball of fur with two blue, inquisitive eyes and an olive for a nose. She ended up becoming perhaps my best buddy ever.
YUKI’S NAME ORIGINATION
We spent the first several days as new huskie owners learning about the breed, its name, and how to improve the quality of our life together. We read about their “stubbornness,” but we decided it didn’t matter because we are also like that. We also read about how hard they are and how much activity they need, yet we were just as hardy as they were. Fortunately, we could undertake the necessary research and come up with the ideal name for him because we live in the internet age.
And despite having many choices, we chose Yuki, the Japanese adaptation of “Snow.” Given that snow was his favorite habitat, we felt that this would be the ideal name for a Siberian husky. The nicest aspect of our small excursion was that it strengthened our bonds, which made it quite satisfying.
The Explorer Yuki
Everyone is aware that huskies are draught dogs; regardless of the season, they can trek hundreds of kilometers and occasionally even carry objects. For all of us, this clearly meant a lot of exercise. We used to climb up to the closest peak every day because the mountains were close by. We would simply pack our bags and begin climbing regardless of the weather—whether it was bright, windy, or snowing. Yuki enjoyed to explore the neighborhood and was becoming bigger every day.
His favorite spots were the uncharted forests, most likely because he had to follow the tracks of sporadic creatures and sniff and dig every centimeter of the ground. Even while we were first a little afraid, it turned out that letting him go would ultimately be highly advantageous because we were powerless to stop him from acting on his hunting instinct. Here’s how his intuition came to our rescue a few times.
YUKI AND THE BEAR
We were residing in a city in the mountainous region, as I already stated. The bears were known to visit our neighborhood every day, particularly during the summer months when they were searching for food in the city’s trash cans or fruit from the trees. We got as near as we could to a brown bear on one of these occasions. Regretfully, one evening we went out for our regular stroll. Yuki suddenly felt incredibly nervous. Before we noticed him sprinting in the direction of a tiny orchard, we had no idea what was going on. We began yelling after him, but to no avail.
Though he kept his distance, he approached the bear and began to run swiftly around him, changing his course frequently. All that taunting was making the bear anxious. Even though we were attempting to keep our distance, we continued to yell and beg for him to return to us. We were unaware in all that stress that his actions were a result of his innate instincts, which were ingrained in Yuki’s DNA, to exhaust and ultimately drive the bear away. And he was absolutely correct in his intuition. The bear eventually grew weary of following Yuki’s constant movements, turned around, and began to go in the direction of the woods.
I couldn’t speak, and neither could my girlfriend. The expression on Yuki’s face when he returned to us is something I will always remember. He seemed perfectly calm, as if nothing had occurred. We realized then that he was the greatest companion anybody could ask for, particularly in the woods.
YUKI AND THE SNAKE
Yuki’s story of bravery continues with this chapter. Since the country was so dry and the weather was so hot, all the animals were drawn out to find water. We were out for a stroll in the afternoon. The grass was knee-high and really tall. A few minutes later, Yuki began to bark. It sounded more like a warning than a fun “let’s run” yelp. He would have most likely said “stop” if he had been able to speak. He moved in front of me to prevent me from getting to a location where you could view some mountain rocks after realizing that I was utterly ignoring him.
Then, as if to ensure that they could no longer hurt me, he seized both pieces and began shaking them. There aren’t many venomous snakes in that region, so I’m not sure whether that one was, but that didn’t matter to him. But he had a protective instinct, and his first responsibility was to keep me and his pack safe.
Yuki and the city
We finally relocated to Bucharest. Romania’s capital is an asphalt jungle with countless automobiles. For a dog accustomed to regular hikes in the forest, that was a huge shift. He was feeling the effects of the mountain, the springs, and the absence of trees.
He was only content on hot summer days when we were heading to the park early in the morning or in the winter when the snow was starting to settle. However, he adjusted rather nicely. He had learnt about all the green areas from the neighborhood, which shocked us. He was even able to identify our destination from the automobile. He would pull us along the way to the closest location where he could connect with nature.
The unconditional love of Husky Yuki
He always found my mornings in front of the laptop difficult. Even though he was no longer a puppy, he would stop at nothing to gain my attention and would invariably wind up in my lap. Regardless of what I was doing, he simply wanted to be close to me because he was a sucker for love and affection. Even though he didn’t go out much, he understood that he was spending valuable time with his family. He really adjusted to the new circumstances. He loved everyone he came into contact with. Being one of the most understanding dogs I’ve ever seen, he was maybe the exception to his challenging breed.
He gave me valuable life and self-discovery insights that I could not have learned from any book. I could confide in him about things I would never have told anybody else, and he was always there for me when I was hurting or laughing. He showed me what to value in life, protected me, made me happy, made me laugh and weep, and taught me that true ties endure beyond time and adversity.
Having a dog is the only way to truly comprehend what unconditional love is, and that is what I am bringing with me and what I wish to teach my kids. That’s something no buddy in the world can do. I shall always have those olive-like nose, those pointed ears, and those two sky-blue eyes in my heart. Rest in peace, dear friend!