Juno was a stray dog that Norman Bates found and adopted as his own.
Biography
Season 1
As Norman removed the boarding under the porch of the house, he saw a stray dog barking at him. Seeing the hammer, the dog snarled at him until Norman coaxed him out of his hiding place with a piece of bread. However, the dog ran past him. When Emma Decody called to the house to see Norman, she noticed a bowl of food on the porch and asked Norma Bates about it. Norma wasn't aware that they had a dog and asked Norman about it when she went upstairs to tell him Emma was there.
As Norman later hung the sign to the motel office, he stopped to eat a cookie and turned to see the dog barking at him. He threw pieces of cookie to the dog, which were eaten and held out his hand, before the dog, initially apprehensive, ate from it. The dog ran off when Norma returned.
As Norman and Norma washed up after dinner and even though Norma said that they couldn't afford a dog, Norman said the dog was lonely and that he always wanted one. Norma gave in and said that she wouldn't be taking care of it.
After being rejected by Bradley Martin, a sad Norman returned home to find the dog waiting for him. Calling it 'Juno', he told her to come to him but she ran out on the road at the wrong moment and was killed by a car, leaving Norman devastated. (The Man in Number 9)
Norman brought Juno to Will Decody, Emma's father, and he made her into taxidermy. He brought the dog home and showed it to Norma, who tried to take an interest in his new hobby. (A Boy and His Dog)
When Dylan saw the dog he questioned Norman about it. Juno was among the items Norman wrapped up and checked off a list he made before he took the gun from Norma's room. (Midnight)
Season 3
As Norman worked on his taxidermy in the basement, he hallucinated the pigeon suddenly coming to life and told a deceased Juno to stop barking as she was scaring the bird. Juno then disappeared as Norman snapped the bird's neck. (Norma Louise)
After Norman hallucinated Norma in her blue and white floral dress, he hallucinated Juno and ran after the dog as it fled the house and ran down the road only to disappear. (The Pit)
Season 4
During an art session at Pineview, Norman made a papier-maché model of Juno and left it behind as he returned home. (There's No Place Like Home)
After Norma's death, Norman was alone in the house and hallucinated Juno being there. When he brought her corpse home, Juno was there to greet them. After Norman realized Norma was dead, he attempted to commit suicide by putting a gun in his mouth but stopped when he heard the piano playing. He also saw Juno on the stairs and found Norma playing the piano and the house decorated for Christmas. (Norman)
Season 5
As Norman awoke in his mother's bed Juno was there to greet him as he got up for breakfast. (Dark Paradise)
Trivia
- Juno is the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth. It is possible the name was selected for the dog as an allusion to the intensely close relationship between Norma Bates and Norman Bates.
- The original "Juno" was played by a dog named Boomer. Boomer had a long career in film. He was featured in the Rock's "Tooth Fairy". Boomer also appeared in "The Chris Isaak Show" where he was trained to hump on cue.
- The taxidermy Juno was created by a real taxidermist. It was fabricated from all synthetic materials. 3 Juno prop dogs were built as well as two stunt versions that got run over in the show. Both stunt dogs and one of the Juno props will be auctioned off online via Screenbid.
