We have a new dog, Lady Piccolina from Canil Montréal in Rio de Janeiro. How did it happen? Well, let me explain: you might remember Max “El Argentino”.

We met a year ago in Salar de Uyuni, in Bolivia and for 4 months we drove close together, sometimes very close. In the Paraguayan Chaco our Lollipop stopped. As we were in the middle of a thick and dangerous jungle, Max had to toe us for no less than 565 kilometers all the way to Asuncion, in the yard of a mechanic, the friend of a friend of his.

It was a real help.

In the 4 months spent together we shared our lives, experiences, dreams and memories. Among his memories I find myself drawn to a dog of a breed I had never heard of: Italian Greyhound.

I loved it.

As the dog didn’t leave my mind running and running through my head, I said to myself that I had to take him out of my head and bring him to reality, for him to run on the beach instead of my mind.

Done deal! After a few weeks of research we find the sweet and little Lady Piccolina, all the way in Rio, 600 km away from us.

Precious, speaking both of her value to us and to our bank account. Absolutely beautiful and precious as gold. Quite as a princess. Now, with our budget of permanent travelers, we can’t really afford dogs of a royalty. As there are no problems, only solutions, we concentrated on this and what do you know?

I start describing the owner the situation: that we are no regular tourists come in vacation, we are proud of our statute of travelers and with 3 kids, a dog big as a cow, a cat that won’t stop getting pregnant, we can’t afford to buy the dog all at once. Could we pay installments?

At first he thought I was mad. I try to explain that I am not mad, I just don’t have all the money. He says that he doesn’t know me… I say: you breed dogs, you like animals, right? Dogs sense people, people don’t sense anything? Can’t you sense that I won’t trick you? You could’t think that I would raise my kids as frauds?

And a miracle happens and the guy says: ok, give me your address and I’ll send you the dog!

What? Yes, indeed, it seems that people have this… sense also.

We were all so very happy, we didn’t sleep well for a week until she arrived. When we picked her up at Florianopolis airport she was all shaken up, Lavinia held her to calm her down.

The dog, strong personality, won’t let herself be touched by anyone. No – one! We let her a few days to adapt, to feel comfortable… without any success.

I start reading about the breed. It is one of the oldest breeds on Earth. If you know the dogs of the pharaohs, that with the sharp long nose that is watching by the side of Tutankamon, this is it. The bad part is that this breed has a long adaptation period and connects only with the person he considers to be his partner, not master. She is like Olaf of Frozen. Cold and melts if touched.

What I mean is that, a month later, no one can touch her. The situation is a little awkward, I told Lavinia that we should think of it as if we had an autistic person living with us. Not being able to touch her.

If she is sleeping and you touch her she starts yelping as if you had thrown boiled water on her.

She is a little softer right now. At night she tucks herself under the blanket, she plays with Oscar so things are going the right direction. She’s not autistic, it’s just the way she is.

The catch: love should set you free, not get you stuck in the net of attachment. It was a little hard at first to accept I can’t control my dog, but instead I chose to love her.

Thank you, Leandro Martins from Canil Montréal and thank you, Max, for showing me this dog, the first step in making him a  reality for our family.

Ne-am luat un nou caine. Lady Piccolina de la Casa Montreal din Rio de Janeiro. Cum s-a intamplat? Pai sa va explic; nu stiu daca va mai amintiti de Max “El Argentino”. Ne-am intalnit acum un an in Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia si 4 luni am calatorit impreuna la “stanga”. Si la propiu si la figurat. In Chaco-ul Paraguayan, Lollipop a noastra si-a dat duhul. Cum eram in mijocul unei jungle joase, deasa si periculoasa, de voie de nevoie Max ne-a tractat nu mai mult nici mai putin de 565Km pana in Assuncion in curtea mecanicului, prieten al unui vechi prieten de-al lui. Ce sa mai, serviciu de ajutor total.

In cele 4 luni petrecute impreuna, ne-am impartasit vietile, experientele, visele si amintirile. Printre amintirile lui, mi-a facut cu ochiul un caine de o rasa necunoscuta: Ogar Pitic Italian (Italian Greyhound). Mi-a placut rau.

Cum nu mi-a iesit cainele din cap si mi-a alergat prin minte intruna, am zis ca trebuie sa mi-l scot din cap si sa-l aduc in realitate, sa fuga pe plaja nu prin mintea mea.

Zis si facut! Dupa cateva saptamani de cautari, o descoperim pe scumpa si micuta Lady Piccolina, tocmai in Rio, la 600km deistanta de noi.

Scumpa si la propriu si la figurat, din nou! Nu stiu ce am cu expresia asta, am folosit-o deja de doua ori si nici n-am apucat sa zic nimic.

Frumoasa foc si scumpa precum aurul. Ce sa mai, o adevarata printesa.  Acum cu bugetul nostru de calatori permanenti, nu ne prea permitem caine de regi. Cum nu exista probleme doar solutii, ne-am concentrat pe solutie si ce crezi?!

Ma apuc si-i scriu patronului firmei situatia. Ca nu suntem turisti clasici veniti in concediu, ne mandrim cu un statut inedit de calatori permanenti si cu 3 copii, caine mare cat o vaca, o pisica ce naste pe banda rulanta si alte cele nu ne permitem sa cumparam tot cainele dintr-o data. N-am putea sa-l platim in rate?

Omu’ a zis ca sunt nebun. Eu incerc sa-i explic ca nu sunt nebun doar ca nu am toti banii. El, logic, raspunde ca nu ma cunoaste si…

Eu: Tu cresti caini, stai cu animalele ca-ti plac, nu?! Cainii simt oamenii, oamenii nu simt? Nu simti ca nu o sa te insel? Chiar crezi ca o sa-mi educ copiii pe format de sarlatan?

Si ca printr-o minune, imi spune omu’ : bun, da-mi adresa ca-ti trimit cainele!

Ce?!?! Da frate, jos palaria, se pare ca si oamenii simt oamenii.

Super fericire pe capul nostru, n-am mai dormit bine nici unul o saptamana pana ne-a ajuns cainele. L-am ridicat de pe aeroportul din Florianopolis. Piccolina noastra era speriata moarta. Asa ca Lavinia a luat-o in brate sa o linisteasca si sa inceapa sa ne iubeasca.

Cainele, cu super personalitate, nu se lasa atins de catre nimeni. Nimeni, nimeni, nimeni. O lasam noi cateva zile sa se adapteze, sa se acomodeze, ea… nimic.

Incep sa ma documentez despre aceasta rasa si ce crezi! Rasa asta este una dintre cele mai vechi rase de pe pamant. Daca stiti cainii faraonilor, aia cu botul lung ca o ascutitoare, ce stau si acum impietriti de-l pazesc pe Tutancamon? Ei, ala e!

Partea proasta este ca acesti caini au o perioada fooooarte lunga de adaptabilitate si nu se conecteaza decat cu o persoana pe care-o considera partener nu stapan. In rest, este ca Olaf din Frozen, rece si daca-l atingi se topeste.

Ce vreau sa spun este ca dupa o luna, inca nu reuseste sa puna nimeni mana pe ea.

E un pic ciudata treaba. I-am zis Laviniei ca din punctul meu de vedere trebuie sa consideram ca avem un autist in casa. Pai cum frate sa nu poti sa pui mana pe ea?

Daca doarme si o atingi, sare si schelalaie de zici ca ai aruncat cu apa oparita pe ea.

Bine, acum s-a mai inmuiat. Vine noaptea si se baga sub patura, se joaca cu Oscar, deci e bine.

Nu e autista, asa e ea.

Morala:

Dragostea ar trebui sa te elibereze, nu sa te blocheze in mrejele atasamentului. Mi-a fost greu un pic la inceput sa inteleg ca nu-mi pot controla cainele, dar am ales sa o iubesc!

Multumesc, Leo Della Casa Montreal si multumesc, Max, ca mi-ai bagat cainele in cap si a devenit realitate.