And now for a warm and affectionate look at Italian dog owners and their tiny charges…there are many more tiny dogs than there are large dogs…this is obviously the case when you think of the small apartments and the narrow streets. Not to mention the price of gourmet dog food and the mess of washing (and cleaning up after) the larger breeds. And where are you going to run them to give them their daily exercise… not everyone lives close to the Circus Maximus.
It seems a truism that at least in the bigger cities the cats get all the attention, the photo opps and calendar pages… yes, even the feedings by the devoted “cat women”. But when it comes to home pets the smaller dogs have the upper paw. And not just tolerated; oh no, Italians treasure their small doggies whether furry or hairless!
This photos series began as a joke; most of the dogs were being walked, not in arms; but upon being told that this was to be a photo essay for friends in the US, the owners were thrilled to participate by cuddling their companions. One even left her email address and begged to receive the photo!
No problem finding enough men with the tiny terrors to balance the collection either…
- – Contributed by Gary and Connie Hoffman, IN readers and intrepid scooter and cycling Italy travelers. Many thanks!
Love this article, so cute! Though I understand the preference for small dogs for the reasons you listed, I’m a big dog owner and wonder if my 60 pound Husky mix would be welcome?
Sooooo cute! Thanks for a fun couple of minutes. Woof!!
One of my fondest memories of Southern Italy is a group of “street-looking” teenage boys playing with a stray dog. Their gentleness and kindness was remarkable for their age group.
Loved it…. in New York City the apartments are very small but there are so many large dogs! I can never imagine why. It is not fair to the dog who must always be under foot!!
I live in a small town in Tuscany and there are Yorkies all over the place!
Although i have a huge bernese mountain dog, i still love the little guys too!
Really cute….you should do a photo book for bookstores…
Best,
Now, what about equal time for farm dogs in Italy? I heard a few on a recent trip when we stayed outside Lucignano. I bet there are a few Labs and Alsatians around.
Mississippi, USA
Great article and photos to start off the day!!!… It all reminds me of an Italian friend here in California who named his dog Arf, a name that caused some concern at the public parks when he would call to the dog in a loud voice, people would look at him as if he should be locked up (I would run away). I suppose there is a dog out there called Bow Wow, now imagine its owner in a park calling for it!!… or at the same park for Arf and Bow Wow’s owners calling for them at the same time… o(‘_’)o Thank you
Dogs are a great way of getting in contact with the local Italians. Take one with you in a bar, restaurant or whatever and people will begin to talk to you … about the dog.
Ahh…too true. When in Rome for three weeks with my children in 2008, my son (then 8) became “bored” walking everywhere. He began to count pigeons and dogs to pass the time, and wondered at the end of our visit which would have the largest number. He stopped counting the dogs first! Too many. And it was much more fun to pet the dogs, always to the owners delight, and ignore the pigeons.
What a fun article. Wish I could travel with my dog so she (Lucy) could meet some Italian doggies. :)
Oh I just loved this article! It is shows yet another warm side of Italians. I have a husky and a Chihuahua, too.