GPR: Tell me about this handsome dog of yours! 

Mark: I got Justice six years ago on February 14th. We went all the way down to San Diego to get him.

GPR: So, he really is a Valentine's Day gift?

Mark: He sure is. When we showed up to the to the house, the breeder had a big pen out in the front yard. When I went over to the pen, all of the puppies were at the other end. Justice had noticed me, ran over to me, and I was playing with him. I thought, "you know, it almost seemed like he chose me!" I put him back into the crowd of other puppies, and I walked back over to the other end. I looked to see if he was going to come back towards me, and saw that he was looking around for me, found me, and was making his way right back to me. I actually did that a couple times just to make sure it wasn't a coincidence. It was pretty amazing because he definitely chose me!  

GPR: Does he have a lot of energy? 

Mark: Yes, and he constantly needs a "job" to do. We walk him a few times a day, and he goes for a 3 to 4 mile walk with us every weekend. We like to do all kinds of tasks with him to keep his brain stimulated, and he loves going to the beach! 

GPR: What things does he do that are unique?

Mark: In the mornings, he wakes us up before our alarm goes off, jumps on the bed, and lays on my wife from head to toe as he buries his face in her neck and shoulder. Then at night, when we go upstairs for bed, he barrels up the stairs just so he can beat our daughter and be the first one up to the top. He also likes to take ice cubes and play "kickback" with them. He’ll fling the ice cube up with his nose, and then you kick it back to him. He would do that for hours!  

GPR: Tell me about his breed. 

Mark: He is a Belgian Malinois Shepherd. They are truly a wonderful breed, but you have to know that they are a big responsibility. A lot of people get them because they see posts on social media of all the cool things they do, but then they realize that there’s a lot of work involved. 

GPR: Does he know how much he is loved?

Mark: Oh, he is treated as a member of our family, and he truly is. I went through some stuff in life where it caused me big bouts of depression, and I can say that having Justice as a companion has allowed me to come a very long way. He’s something special and unlike any dog that I have ever had in my entire life. Justice is definitely my best friend. I’m lucky that he chose me.