Geoje Island resident faces chaotic reality of raising two puppies

Uk-jun, a resident of Geoje Island, struggled to manage the daily mischief of two 5-month-old puppies, Yun-dol and Yun-sun, during a recent episode of SBS 'TV Animal Farm' that reached a peak viewership rating of 6.1%. Despite attempting training and a backpacking trip to Maemuldo, the resident found the reality of solo parenting the energetic dogs far different from his romanticized vision of rural life.

Uk-jun, a resident of Geoje Island, questioned where his romanticized vision of country life went as he faces the reality of solo parenting two 5-month-old puppies, Yun-dol and Yun-sun.

On the 18th, SBS 'TV Animal Farm' aired the chaotic daily lives of Uk-jun, who has lived in the countryside on Geoje Island for 20 years, and his two puppies, Yun-dol and Yun-sun, who are not yet five months old. The episode recorded a 4.8% viewership rating, reaching a peak of 6.1% (based on Nielsen Korea metropolitan area households), ranking first in its time slot.

While Uk-jun dreamed of a relaxing rural life with Yun-dol and Yun-sun while enjoying the beautiful sea of Geoje Island as his front yard, the reality is a constant battle of childcare. The puppies hide in the bathroom despite having a large yard, run away with flags larger than their bodies, and even stole fish. Having had high expectations because they were said to be an intelligent breed, Uk-jun sighed at the reality, stating, "It is different from the romance."

However, the puppies seemed to fulfill their own romantic vision as they ran freely on the picturesque beach right in front of them, full of energy. Yun-dol jumped into the seawater, while Yun-sun played by digging in the sand. The task of washing the two, who were soaked and covered in sand, fell entirely to Uk-jun. After he finally managed to catch Yun-dol and wash away the salt, the puppy immediately began rubbing its body on the grass.

The atmosphere changed, however, once they were on the sea. When Uk-jun placed the two puppies on a paddleboard, they remained calm and stayed in their places, unlike their restless behavior at home. Uk-jun looked out at the calm sea and urged them, "Let's live calmly like this without causing trouble," but as soon as they returned to land, their mischief resumed.

Frustrated, Uk-jun visited his in-laws, who run a local pet grooming salon, to share his concerns. When he complained that the puppies do not come when called and are not properly trained, the salon director advised him to be understanding of their young age, saying, "They are babies, so it is natural. Later on, you won't be able to help yourself because they will be so pretty." Following advice to first practice having them come when called and to provide "storm-like praise" when they do well, Uk-jun began training in what he called the "room of truth." However, even basic training like "hand" and "down" was difficult. The puppies were only interested in treats, leaving Uk-jun feeling overwhelmed as he noted, "It is not easy." Ultimately, the training session ended without results, and he postponed the next session for a month.

Uk-jun then attempted backpacking on Maemuldo with Yun-dol and Yun-sun. Trekking with his dogs had been a long-held dream. The two puppies, experiencing a boat ride for the first time in their lives, seemed briefly tense in the unfamiliar environment and clung to Uk-jun, but they soon adapted and arrived at Maemuldo after a 30-minute voyage.

Upon arriving at Maemuldo, Yun-dol and Yun-sun walked in step with Uk-jun, unlike their behavior at home. After walking for more than two hours, they reached a beach where Uk-jun prepared a special meal for the two dogs. While also working as a fisherman, Uk-jun went into the sea to hand-gather horned turbot and catch a large wild common octopus. After preparing the boiled octopus into bite-sized pieces, the scent caused Yun-dol to snap awake from sleep to eat heartily, while Yun-sun, seemingly unaware of her father's heart, showed little interest and preferred to keep sleeping, drawing laughter.

Uk-jun shared his thoughts on life with the two puppies, saying, "Is happiness anything special? If I spend time like this, taking care of them while they cause trouble and having fun, good things will happen, won't they?" Meanwhile, SBS 'TV Animal Farm' airs every Sunday at 9:30 AM.

Read the original (Korean)