Ciao Michaela, why don’t you tell us about you and your dogs?
Sure! My husband and I are lawyers, living in Berlin. Daudi, a 5-year-old German shepherd with long curly hair, came into my life on our 24th wedding anniversary. My husband Jörg, who was travelling a lot at the time, thought I could use some company while he was gone. He was right, 
I immediately fell madly in love with this cute little boy, who was hardly bigger than his food bowl. His name was chosen carefully: Daudi means  “the beloved” in Swahili. Just 3 months old, Daudi was hit by a car and had to get surgery. Thank God he survived! That tied us together even more, nothing can come between us.
In November 2022 another dog joined the family, Clyde, 11, a blonde shepherd mix. Clyde was my brother´s dog, originally. He had lived with my brother´s family in the south of France. After a separation my brother accepted an assignment on a cruise ship and couldn’t take Clyde with him. We offered to take him and Daudi and Clyde are now inseparable: the best buddies you can imagine! They sleep together and share food, even pass bones between each other. 

What´s so amazing about Daudi?
Daudi is incredibly energetic. He never gets tired and needs to be constantly challenged. He is super punctual and precise, a “little policeman”. He barks at everything which isn´t in order, especially at parking offenders. And he hates to be left alone. Clyde on the other hand imitates everything Daudi does. And Daudi is a great teacher! Clyde knew barely anything when he came into our house. Treats make things easier of course, they both love them!  

How would you describe your relationship?
Daudi is my personal bodyguard. He looks after me and my husband, wants to protect us from any harm. He would give his life for us, no doubt about that.

What do you know about his secret passions?
Daudi loves running free, swimming, retrieving, and digging big holes. He also loves his dog training and wants to be the best in class. He goes crazy when he sees a squirrel and tries to climb the tree on all fours. But I think the best thing ever for him is to sit between us on the couch, watch TV with us and be cuddled. Not to forget: He is a gourmet dog that loves likes asparagus, mussels, shrimps and cheese.

How do you understand each other? Do you have a secret code?
I think Daudi knows and understands everything. And he communicates just as easily what he wants or doesn’t want.

What makes him obey no matter what?
Put your shoes on and go to the entrance door.

If your dog was a person: Who would he be?
A policeman who keeps everything in order.

Why do you love him?
Because Daudi is a very special character. Not easy, very demanding, but with the purest soul.

What was the loveliest thing your dog ever did?
Some time ago my husband was sick and had to stay in bed for a while. Daudi sat next to him most of the time and tried to convince him to get up again. 

Did your dog change your relationship to other people?
Well, our friends love Daudi and he thinks that our guests only come to visit him. Other people are either afraid or admire him. 

Where do you leave him when you have to go away for a couple of days?
We have a good friend, not just a sitter, who comes to our appartement and looks after the dogs. They love him.

Is there anything that annoys you about him?
He is a hooligan when he´s on a leash.

What are your favourite things to do with him?
Go for a walk, throw his Kong into the water, cuddle him. Work and train with him on new things.

Any dreams you´d like to come true with your dog?
To live in the south of Italy near the beach because he loves swimming so much.

Is he allowed on your bed?
Yes he is, and he loves it. So does Clyde. So we have very little space left for ourselves.

Any suggestions for future dog lovers?
A dog changes your life completely. It is a great responsibility, not just for a couple of days or weeks. No, it´s for the lifetime of the dog. Sometimes 14 or 16 years! You have to be prepared to invest a lot of time, nerves and money. Your daily routine will change, holidays have to be planned differently as does the free time. But … Your dog will pay you back with his unconditional love.

Aleksandro, you and your french bulldog Monet seem inseparable. How did that come about?  
Well, our story is a bit bizarre. Monet came into my life by chance. One summer I was in Salento with a friend. On the beach we heard people lying next to us talk about a family who had taken in a french bulldog as birthday gift for their kids. Those two, however, after playing with it for no more than two days, immediately got tired of it. So the poor dog had gotten locked up in a closet because the twins’ mother was afraid of dogs. I didn’t think twice, found out where the dog lived and drove the 20 km from Santa Cesarea Terme to adopt him. We’ve been together from that day on.  

What’s so amazing about your dog?
His cute little face! Just kidding. His character I would say. Monet is very sociable and playful, especially with children.

How would you describe your relationship? 
We complete each other: Wherever I go he’ll come with me.

Do you know about his secret passions? 
Taking naps on the veranda in the sun or hunting for lizards.

How do you “understand” each other? 
It was super easy to train him. Monet is very intelligent and seems to understand everything I say.

What makes him listen no matter what? 
Food!

If your dog were a person – who would he be? 
An artist (Monet) – or a comedian!

Why do you love him? 
He manages to make me smile even when I’m having a bad day.

Where do you leave him when you have to go away for a couple of days? 
When I have to leave Monet stays with my parents (his “grandparents”) and he is very happy to be with them, especially with my father… He always has extra treats for him!

Is there anything that annoys you about him? 
Sometimes he can be very stubborn, especially when we go out. He wants to decide where we go – that’s so annoying!

What are your favourite things to do with him?
Lying on the sofa, watching TV series, as close to each other as possible.

Any dreams you’d like to come true with your dog? 
One day I would like to take him in the snow.

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
A dog needs its space, its time and its considerations. It is a responsibility and not a game. But if you’re sure about what you’re doing and manage to create a feeling between you and the animal during the first, most important, couple of months, you’ll have a friend for life. 

How nice to see you after so many years, Sabine! Would you mind telling our readers a bit about you?  
Sure, I’m Sabine Motschmann, I’m living in Munich with my husband Michael and our son Marlon, who currently lives London, where he has been studying for a week. I used to be the art buyer and booker for the german women’s magazine Madame. When my son Marlon was born I started to work freelance as a booker. Our dog Julie is a Cockapoo, she is 2.5 years old. 

Why a dog?
Our son Marlon came up with the idea and tried to convince us for weeks. His main argument was that, being 18 at the time, he would soon be moving out and we would be all alone. A dog could be the perfect solution for everyone. I gave in because I’m an animal lover. My husband, reluctant at first, was outvoted 2 to 1. 

How did you connect?
Finding a dog during Covid restrictions was the most difficult thing! Due to the pandemic one could only leave his house to walk the dog or to go grocery shopping. As a result, the demand for dogs was extremely high and there were hardly any available. We knew we wanted a puppy and it had to be a poodle or a poodle mix because I suffer from an allergy to animal hair. So I spread the word: told a friend, who told her dog trainer, who knew a breeder who had just had six puppies. To cut a long story short: That was a sign! We had to decide quickly and blind, because of the contact restrictions. But when we showed up in front of the breeder’s home and he came out to put Julie into my hands (this is how tiny she was!) we were overwhelmed.  

How do you understand each other?
Julie seems to understand everything, really. “Sit”, “down” and “stay” are easy for her, always have been. Then she knows how to distinguish all her toys: there’s toy, there’s rat, there’s beetle or ball. She knows them all and runs looking for them until she finds them. Funny how she behaves like a “real” hunting dog, following a scent. Maybe all dogs do it this way, I actually don’t know. 

Who likes her most?
My relationship with her is particularly close because I’m always there to feed her, go for walkies etc., while my husband and son work or study. Julie is always by my side or lying next to my feet, sleeping. She understands if I just get something to drink or if I’ll leave the house from how I get up from the sofa.

What is her greatest passion?
Julie loves to play, especially when you throw a ball. She is a poodle/cocker spaniel mix, both of which are hunting dogs, as we learned. Julie, too, loves to hunt and chase a ball. A situation that quickly gets out of hand because with a ball involved she’ll ignore everything else, someone has to throw it continously  for hours etc. That’s why we prefer playing other things with her. 

What are the funniest things she does?
When she sees squirrels on our terrace she almost goes mad. If the door is open she runs out and barks like hell. She also understands the word “squirrel”. Whoever says it in whatever situation, she’d look up, run around like crazy and and bark wildly. And she almost caught a rooster in Mallorca once! She probably chased him for 400 meters and didn’t listen to any signals from my side. Luckily the rooster managed to escape on a roof closeby. 

When your’re travelling, who looks after her?
When I travel alone, my husband or my son look after Julie. My husband, funny enough, loves Julie madly now. He was the one who couldn’t convince himself to get a dog at first. When they’re home alone he’d always send me photos and videos of her, telling me about her latest adventures.  

My favorite thing to do with Julie?
Cuddling!  

Anything annoying?
Well, she growls at my husband or son when she’s lying next to me. She is very territorial and always seems to be trying to protect me. Sometimes she also growls when she is tired. That really just means “leave me alone.” Something to get used to, nothing else.

Anything you’d like to share?
If I had known how enriching a dog is for our lives, we would have welcomed one into our family sooner. A dog is always there for you, no matter how you feel. Dogs sense when you are not feeling well and love you unconditionally. They make your life better in so many ways. I’ve never laughed as much!

Where did you meet the dogs that changed your life, Nina and Tito?
I met Nina on the beach of Pozzallo, in Sicily, on January 1, 2020. All alone and eager to cuddle, this big puppy started playing with my son Giacomo and spent the rest of the morning by our side. Even though Giacomo insisted, we couldn’t take her home with us, first of all because we were on the island for the Christmas holidays, second because in our hotel in Ragusa dogs were not allowed. Last but not least we didn’t even know if she belonged to somebody (even though a her severe dermatitis suggested she didn’t). Reluctantly, we left her on the beach to play with another dog she had met in the meantime.
The next day, we went back to the beach to look for her, we simply couldn’t forget about her. We arrived fairly late and there was no trace of the little dog, so there was nothing left to do but to go for dinner. Leaving the restaurant and just about to hop in the car we finally saw her: She was waiting for us right there! The message was clear: This dog had chosen us and we certainly couldn’t leave her there. So we called a vet who left his family dinner to join us, examine the dog for any serious health problems and to check her for a microchip. Nina (the name we had chosen for her) was in good health, luckily, didn’t have a chip and was supposedly 6 or 7 months old. Unforgettable, the advice the vet gave us on the way: “Wait for her first heat and have her sterilized…”
Within a few hours we threw away our plane tickets, rented a car, booked the ferry and left for Milan. But the surprises weren’t over. After about twenty days Nina began to change. She seemed to be suffering, was very lethargic and anything but herself. Fairly worried about her, we had her examined again and found out our puppy wasn’t only healthy but was expecting no less than nine puppies! The first heat we had been waiting for was doomed.
By the time she was about to give birth, Covid struck. And even though she was lucky to be in the clinic, only four out of nine puppies survived, due to the strong medicines she had taken to combat her dermatitis.
We called the little ones Tito, Kobe, Cookie and Belle. Thanks to lockdown, they grew up in the warmth of our house, with the adventures that the garden of our condominium had to offer. The people of the house, especially the kids, were happy about the distraction, to have someone to play with etc. By the time the puppies turned 3 months, we had found families for our puppies and, two of them found a home just a few kilometers from our house, the other two didn’t even change the adress: Tito stayed with me and Kobe, his sweet little brother, lives upstairs and spends most of his days with his mom and brother.

In what way did the dogs change your life?
In Milan there are many dog ​​areas to let the dogs run free and socialize. Thanks to Nina and Tito I have met many people and some of them have became true friends. But the real revolution in my life is the small artisan company that produces tailored garments for dogs: I couldn’t find good-quality raincoats at acceptable prices, so I bought some fabric and had two raincoats made. Wearing them in the dog area and on the streets of Milan, many people asked me to make one for their dogs too. My company was born! Not only a new thing to do in a completetely different and quite inspiring sector, but also some kind of therapy at the time: While I was getting separated, my new business gave me the stability I needed and helped to reorganize my life. Nowadays I attend all the important fairs of the sector, I get to meet many new and interesting people. A whole new life in a whole new world. Without Tito and Nina this would never have happened.

If your dogs were people – who would they be? 
Nina is a petulant spinster aunt, who scolds the little as well as the big ones but who melts into an embrace of the people she loves. Tito would be the funny, nice, good cousin, always ready to go out for drinks with friends and have a great time.

Do you have a “trick” that always works? That makes them listen no matter what?
The sentence “Let’s go to the pastry shop for breakfast!” works wonders. That goes for everyone in the family by the way!

Why do you love them?
Because they are my dogs and they are full members of my family.

Where do you leave them when you go away for a couple of days? 
Nina and Tito have a dog sitter who loves them and who I chose extremely carefully watching him “at work” for a few months. They go for walkies every morning. I usually take them out very early in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening. They have never gone to a boarding house or slept alone.

Do they sleep in your bed?
Yes, they do. Luckily I have a kingsize…

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
Think about it very carefully. The dog is not a toy, it is an important and constant and sometimes heavy commitment. It is the choice to take in a child who will never grow up and who you will have to take care of for its entire life. Don’t get a dog for the children! They will soon get tired of it and you will have an extra child. But if, after thinking about it really well, considering the many changes and commitments you will have to face, you still decide to get a dog, then (unless you are in love with a particular breed) go to a kennel or shelter and choose your friend for life there. You will recognize him among thousands and its love for life will be the best reward.

PS: Want to know more about Marcella Magliucci’s artisan company and her taylormade products for animals? Check it out on Instagram @zampaly_pet_shop

Akitas seem to have a bit of a reputation. What is your Mitch like?
They may not be the best dog for beginners. Even I wasn’t quite sure if he wouldn’t be too much of a challenge. But Mitch is a very affectionate and calm dog, he loves being with his family and stay home. Sometimes we can’t even tell where he is in the house, because he’s so quiet, always sleeping somewhere! Then when you go find and cuddle him he rolls on his back and kicks his feet like a newborn.
However, he is a very proud, independent, touchy dog. And he always has been from the very first day. Maybe because there was a special feeling between us from when we first met. He was a puppy, and from all of his brothers and sisters he was the only one who immediately came to me to say Hi. They say
‘a dog chooses his master’ and not the other way round. In my case it’s true. Maybe we became his “therapy family”: All his worries seem to remain outside when we’re all together.

Is there anything you learned from him?
Sure there is! To love unconditionally without asking for anything or very little in return. To settle for the small things in life – if shared with the one you love.

Who would he be if he wasn’t a dog?
Good question. I don’t want to be sentimental but probably my father. They’ve got the same meek and affectionate character. And, of course, because they were born on the same day: December 13th

Anything about Mitch that annoys you sometimes?
Waking up at dawn with his big paw on my face. Like saying: ‘Take me for a walk please!’ I give in and off we go, for a run on the beach. There’s no better way to start the day.

What do you tell people who are scared of Mitch just because he is so big?
I often meet people who at first seem scared of him. With his 55 kilos he is just overwhelming! It’s mostly adults who are a bit cautious, the kids usually love him, want to embrace him, kiss him all over. Mitch has never done any harm to anyone but … any other dog could get annoied by those things. So I often find myself explaining dogs’ behaviour to kids which for me is nice and for them it’s important. Mitch takes it all with the greatest calm and lets his eyes speak. This way he kills all the tension that there may have been.