Our Dogs

Hugo (black hound/lab) and Lupo (gold pyrenean shepherd/collie) - our dogs. (Photo is clickable). Hugo is actually my dog, and Lupo is devoted to my wife. Hugo and Lupo, regardless of commitment to which human, are an inseparable pair. With due deference to those that prefer the term "steward" vice "owner" - these two characters are quite sure that myself, my wife and our kids are just bigger examples of what they are - in short - these two are treated in a princely fashion.

Fair warning, if you don't happen to be a "Dog person," then this post has nothing for you! But I'll admit right now, they sleep on the foot of our bed - and we don't have a problem with that. In fact, before we adopted our children, these two were our constant companions - and remain so today. They both have fascinating (at least to us) backgrounds.

In 1997, as I was reaching a bottom in life, my wife suggested I needed a dog, to love me unconditionally, as her ability to do so was severely strained at that point. (I don't need to go any further with those details other than to say that this subsequent 9 years of grace have restored us to a loving family beyond our imagination.) In any event, in March of 1997 we went to a local pound in Middletown, RI to see the dogs possibly facing a euthanasia sentence. Hugo - which was his given name before we met him - practically came through the chainlink fence to get to me. He was 8 months old at that point, competely incorrigable, and had been returned by an older gentleman that had attempted to adopt him from the pound. Hugo apparently could not be controlled by the elderly man. Hugo was not vicious or a biter - he was just 60 lbs of 8-month old puppy filled with physical exuberence!

We completed the paper work and waited the mandatory three days, then returned for him. The day I went to get him a volunteer had him out in a field on a short lead - and Hugo dragged her through the mud to get to me when he saw me coming. There was indeed an immediate bond. Hugo did require a real commitment to get him somewhat trained early on. Fortunately, I grew up around dogs and my dad insisted that I learn how to train them in the fundamentals. As far as Hugo was concerned, though, - the perfect world was "a man and his dog," he took to finding my wife's shoes, bathrobe, etc - anything that had her scent to it - pillows - you name it - he tore 'em all up. Never touched a thing of mine. We spent some challenging moments getting him to figure out that he was number 3 in the pack - not the alpha or 2nd. (Not that I really view my wife as the 2nd either - I don't - but he certainly didn't appreciate any position of authority she held!). Eventually he did settle into his role - though he remained indifferent to Leslie for quite some time.

In 1998 we moved to Naples, Italy for a three-year tour at the Naval Hospital. We took Hugo with us, of course, and he learned to speak Italian with the rest of the Italian dogs. As it turns out, Italy does not have anything resembling an Humane Society or any kind of vigorous animal control agency. Naples was (and is) teaming with stray dogs - 90% of which contract Distemper, with a large percentage of them not surviving the initial disease process. After a year of settling into my job, getting to know the people and doing the obligatory first-year sightseeing of Rome, Florence and Venice - I was ready for some kind of community service other than the military. A nonprofit organization - "Caring for Animals in Naples" (CAN) was looking for an executive director (read "the guy all the problems get referred to"). I took the job - inherited 40 volunteers, 100 dogs we were trying to place into homes, no money - and 3 Italian vets willing to work with us in getting the dogs spayed/neutered, immunized and treated for whatever else they had - while we paid them as we could.

I knew I was a good organizer - but as it turns out, I'm horrid at volunteer organizations!! I really wanted to work with the animals - but my job, as I discovered, was to stroke and affirm the volunteers. This, I'm not good at - the fundamental reward, in my mind, was in taking care of the dogs - but I did manage to put together a "volunteer of the month" program, selected by the volunteers themselves - find Italian restaurants willing to host free meals for volunteer gatherings, etc.

During this time Leslie and I housed transient dogs on their way to permanent homes - at one point we had 9 dogs consisting of a litter of shepherds (three with Distemper that we nursed through the disease and to survival) and 4 adults. Hugo, being duly immunized against everything - took these dogs into his "pack" and really cared for them.

It was then that Lupo came to us - he had been living on the street around our parco (neighborhood), running with other stray dogs - and just having a difficult time of it. A friend of ours who had been feeding him brought him to us. Lupo must have been beaten by a man because he would not let me near him - but he ran and jumped into Leslie's lap. That was that - he was her dog! Hugo and Lupo took to each other immediately - Lupo deferred to Hugo's size and age - and Hugo accepted Lupo as if they had been in the same litter.

In October of 2000, we brought Tyler and Yana home from their Ukranian orphanage - worried that the dogs would have a problem with these two 2 and 1/2-year old humans. There was no problem - in fact, Hugo and Lupo more than happily (and unfortunately on more than one occasion), shared their dry dog food with both Tyler and Yana!! I have a photo of Yana grabbing a handful of One-Step out of Hugo's bowl as he stands over his bowl eating undeterred and unconcerned.

In May of 2001 we returned to the States with all four - and were graced with finding and purchasing our current home on two fenced acres - ample room for the dogs to be dogs, the kids to be kids - and the house to be quiet periodically!

Yes - the dogs get presents at Christmas, we celebrate their birthdays (kind of) - I go out and roll in the grass (or snow) with them, their favorite pasttime - and the kids are learning to put them through their paces, though I suspect there is more training happening from the dogs to the kids than the reverse.

Occasionally in philosophy and/or psychology one runs into arguments and dialogues regarding the nature of consciousness and of free will. Often, as a means of comparison or contrast to make a point, an author will hold forth on the capacities of the domesticated dog - the dog always gets the short shrift in these exercises. "Dogs aren't rational - they act from habit or instinct, they aren't decision makers, they aren't self-reflective," etc.

That most likely is all well and true. But here's a few things I know to be true as well - dogs don't create drama the way humans are all too prone to doing. Neither of our dogs has ever lied to us - they pretty much own up to everything they do - often attempting to eat the bologne right in front of us - unlike most humans I know - including myself. Dogs don't ever act contrary to their nature - they are unconcerned with image - even in my best moments I'm not certain I can say that about myself.

And finally - Hugo and Lupo do, in fact, love this family unconditionally, Hugo in particular at a time in our life when it seems that was precisely what we needed - and that's a trait I'd certainly like to see deeply emulated in society.

So - those are our dogs.

Ciao'