Alberta, you organize events, your future husband Disonysos organizes photoshoots. There’s also your toddler son Fabrizio.
When do you ever have time for Ettore?
Alberta: I don’t need to make time for him. Ettore is my shadow, he has always been. I take him everywhere, even to the beautician!

Tell me about your particular relationship.
Alberta: Our relationship? Ettore understands me in everything. We don’t have a “language”, commands don’t exist. I talk to him as if he were a human, a person. And I feel he talks to me, too. He “asks” me when he wants to go to the bar, or if he can eat. He shows me where he wants to drink etc. We got to be quite symbiotic over the years! When I’m sad he is sad, if I get angry he gets scared. He’s my mirror in everything. Ettore really and truly is like a son to me, he is unique.
Dionysos: We take him with us everywhere we go, unless we have to fly. A couple of days ago we took him to one our most special events ever: We tried all the dishes of our wedding this summer. Ettore simply had to share the moment with us!

What do you enjoy doing together the most?
Dionysos: I love when we’re at the beach and he saves us. Every time you swim out a bit he comes and grabs you with his mouth and pulls you to the shore. He will scratch you all over but that’s a Labrador!
Alberta: We used to go for endless walks, seaside, countryside, everywhere. We still do, but getting older his paws started to hurt. But Ettore never gives up, he makes the extra effort. He’s always there for me, with me. He is even allowed in bed, but usually he jumps down at some point, looking for a cooler place to rest.

Any advice you’d like to share?
Alberta: Well, taking in a dog is quite a decision. You must be ready for it, because it ‘s going to be a lot more than a hobby. A dog is not a toy, it needs attention and care. For the sake of the dog you must be ready to step back.. But to those who are ready I can only suggest to get one! I don’t know what my life would be without a dog. I’ve had one since I was 11, went out in my pijama to take the dog for a run early in the morning, then took him with me to university. A dog adds rhythm to your life, it establishes rules and while it helps you feel good it also teaches you responsibility. You can’t get distracted while you’re driving, for example, because your dog is always there. A child, your pet. That’s what it is: Having a dog is like having a child.
Dionysos: Alberta is right. Don’t get a dog to show off! A dog is like a child. You need to give him the same attention you’d give to a family member. Too many people get dogs and then leave them locked away in the house or behind a fence. But they are animals that need not only care but also a lot of affection. You want a dog to make “bella figura” every friday night, walk him for two hours and then leave him with your 70-year-old mother all week? Forget it and get yourself a motorbike.

Two Abruzzese Sheepdogs – that’s not for everyone…
And they were three! Unfortunately we lost one to cancer. His name was Ago, our very first dog in the family. Someone had told us about a litter close to our home, just out of Martina Franca in Puglia. We showed up, immediately decided to take one of them home and instantly fell in love with our little big Ago. A great dog, beautiful, strong, to good to be true! Sadly, he got sick and died of Leukemia within months. Just enough time to educate our second Abruzzese Sheepdog, a female that we called Tea. When Ago got worse and died, my husband and I suffered with him and grieved for him as if it was a child. Unbelievable how close we had become, how hard it was to let him go. We eventually found another male and called him Ugo. So even if it’s not three but only two of them now, we’re as close as any family can be. The dogs live outside,  yet they are like kids for us. We’ve created a perfect harmony, understanding each other without words. I actually think the dogs are getting more and more similar to us, but that’s what they say about dogs and masters, don’t they? 

What’s so amazing/special about your dogs?
They are extraordinary in every way! We are family, no more no less. And we love spending time together, being outdoors together, go hiking, playing, fighting with them on the floor like children, for hours. And they consider us their parents, calling us, barking, howling… as if we were two of them.

What did they teach you that nobody else would?
They taught us to be good. Because a dog would never leave you no matter what. He is always there, by your side, come rain or come shine. Looking at you, looking after you, caring about you. They want to be like us and we want to be like them, we learn from them.  

Is there anything that annoys you about them? 
Not at all. Humans can be annoying sometimes! But dogs? At least OUR dogs are just sweet, always. Even though it’s a breed that’s known to be very territorial and highly protective. 

What are your favourite things to do with them?
Playing and having fun. Only when it’s time to eat, they forget everything. As if they celebrated every single feast. Pure instinct. 

Are your dogs part of the household? Do they sleep in your bed?
No way. Our dogs are too big to keep them inside. They’ve got their outdoor space, their dog beds, and the entire estate to run and have fun. They seem to be more than happy with it. 

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
Go and get one, immediately. Because he will change your life and will make you happy. A dog helps you to be yourself, to forget about your sorrows. You’ll find that negativity disappears. It doesn’t take much: Just look him in the eyes and you’ll see his soul. 

PS: If you’d like to learn more about flower designer Michele Zaurino, check out his Instagram account @michele_zaurino

Where did you meet? How did you connect?
I was keen to have a toy poodle delivered on my youngest daughter’s birthday. Since the date was important, yet specific, I went through desperate measures to purchase him online, eventually to discover it was a scam. Tsunami arrived by train, there was a charge of 300 Dollars to have him delivered, in addition to the fortune that I had paid in advance. The man who delivered Tsunami didn’t look very healthy, he carried adult dog food with this puppy that was not even the size of my hand. I made several attempts to track down the person who sold it to me, but he had disappeared. The person who had brought me the puppy had no contact either. A mystery.
With all the birthday hype, I didn’t realize something was wrong until I had alone time with Tsunami, the next morning. Soon I discovered the puppy that I bought online that was supposed to have pedigree papers, had instead arrived with fleas, cardia, almost lifeless. I worried he wouldn’t make it. The real problem was that I had no information on what he had been eating. It took a good week to nurse him to better health, I had to do all the vaccines and of course he was without a microchip. Eventually I did find the scammer, but I highly suspect he smuggles hundreds of dogs from who knows where, Romania or Albania, and I didn’t want to take the time or energy to pursue it in court. Meanwhile, we had all fallen in love with Tsunami. 

What’s so amazing/special about your dog?
Tsunami is very, very particular. Once I got him back to health, he wouldn’t play as a puppy or chew on anything in the house, rather he would sit and stare at my every move, never taking his eyes off of me as I moved around the house. He was memorizing my every move. He still has that serial killer persona to this day. Obviously I’m teasing. Tsunami is a joy to have in our family, he loves us very much. He is a wonderful swimmer and loves sailing. He acts like a sailor himself, a pirate defending his ship. He is working when he is sailing, it’s his happy place. 
Tsunami understands both English and Italian. He can be very protective and possessive, there are certain aspects of his character that root from his early abandonment from the mother. He does bite, but it’s a work in progress, he knows how to be a good boy, too. 
Tsunami has an excellent nose. Before conducting the DNA test, I would’ve bet that he was a truffle dog. Early on I would hide white truffles in the house and he would find them, eventually we go outdoors and look for truffles with success. He loves those kind of mind games, challenging his nose. 

What’s your dog’s role in the family?
He’s the baby boy in a family of three girls.

If your dog was a person – who would he be?
Albert Einstein 

Why do you love him?
He’s perfect in every single way, I love Tsunami for his loyalty to our family. His trust. He has been there for me during some hard times –
I will always be in debt to Tsunami. 

What did he teach you that nobody else would?
He taught me telepathic communication. He doesn’t talk, but we communicate all the time. 

Is there anything that annoys you about him?
If I leave for 10 minutes, he goes nuts when I come back as if I left him for 10 days. 

What are your favourite things to do with him?
Sailing 

Is your dog part of the household 100 %?
Absolutely, he sleeps in my bed, always next to me. 

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
Don’t buy a dog online.

Pictures: Kirstie McConnell for https://classicoportraits.com/expats, Calling Italy Home

Where did you meet Luna?
Basically, our daughters had always wanted a dog, and that was fine with us, since my wife and I grew up with dogs. However, we wanted to wait until our daughters were old enough to actually look after it. At first, I was looking for a Lagotto, since I heard they were good in truffle hunting (a man has to have his stupid dreams). But the closest Lagotto breeder was just too far away. A friend told us about a Jack Russell breeder not far from Trieste. We went there, and Luna, only a few weeks old, came running towards us and basically chose us, not the other way round.

What is she like?
She is very lively and incredibly friendly with everyone. It is almost embarrassing how easily she would walk away with basically anyone, as if we would treat her badly. Which we certainly don’t!

How would you describe your relationship?
She is some sort of entertainer, cheering everybody up. That’s the good thing: You come home in a bad mood, but she is always there, wagging her tail, ready to party.

Why do you love her?
Oh, I have no idea, but you don’t have a choice, do you? 

What did she teach you that nobody else would?
A dog helps you socialize with other people in a way I would never have imagined. People that had never noticed me before, out of a sudden get closer, want to talk and say Hi to the dog. As I said, she is very friendly with everyone. Not like me, when I haven’t had my morning coffee yet.

Is there anything that annoys you about her? 
Well, she just doesn’t get tired. I am an avid walker, and even when I take her on a real long walk, she seems to be more awake after than before. Also, she grew up in Grado, an island in the Adriatic Sea. But she hates water! She wouldn’t touch it, while all the other dogs enjoy running into the waves, jumping around, trying to catch seagulls. Also, Luna refuses to go out in the rain. Unbelievable.

Is your dog part of the family 100 percent?
Yes, she is an important part of the family. We even plan our holidays according to her needs. She gets incredibly scared in a car, for instance, we can’t do anything about it. So we learned to avoid weekend trips to not stress her out. It is only worth the hassle when we stay longer, so she can recover. Ecologically, that is probably a good thing! She likes to sleep on our sofa. She is not allowed in bed, though. I wouldn’t mind, but my wife is very strict about it. And since she is smarter than me, she is definitely right.

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
No matter how small: A dog will change your life. Remember that you need to invest time for long walks. And that’s a good thing. You will fall in love, and that’s a good thing, too. But please remember: It is still an animal, and you have to be the boss. Easier said than done with a Jack Russell, though.

PS: Want to learn more about the German writer living in Italy? Follow Stefan Maiwald’s instagram account @buch_und_wein or read one of his books, e.g. “Das Italien Prinzip”

First things first: How did you meet?
There was a time in 2019 when we just felt it was the right moment: We knew that we were settled for life in Italy and that our lifestyle was at last perfect for owning and caring for a dog. We decided on a German Shepherd because they have a great reputation for being easily trained and, although a little territorial, they are very friendly and good with children. We contacted a registered breeder in Taranto and got Bowie when he was no more than 8 weeks old. Bowie’s father was from Milan, an Italian champion of his breed, his mother was from Taranto.

What’s so amazing about him?
Bowie has a wonderful character, he is one of the most polite dogs I have ever met, but he is also very independent. He follows us with every step we make from one room to another, and although he loves a hug, he only wants a hug when he wants one. We really like that about him, and we like that our relationship is a two-way street. We all have to respect each other in our house. During the restoration of the castle, Bowie met hundreds of workers over the years, and he was always so excited to say hello to everybody every day. Everybody loves Bowie and we are so proud of him.

Who would he be if not a dog?
If Bowie was a human being, he would be David Bowie, a rock star and loved by millions.

Why do you love him?
I think the thing that makes us love Bowie so much is his polite and caring nature and that he seeks our attention most of the time and hates to be apart from us. It’s a good feeling to feel loved, even by a dog.

What did he/she teach you that nobody else would?
Bowie has taught us one very important thing: to feel and accept responsibility for another living being. I believe he has made us less selfish and more giving to our friends and family.

Is there anything that annoys you about him? 
Of course, there are some things that Bowie does that drive us crazy, but the worst thing about him is that he is obsessed with cats and other animals. We have a lot of woodlands around the estate and when he sees other animals he has often dragged us into the bushes and undergrowth to try and chase them.

What are your favourite things to do with him?
The best times of the day for the three of us are the mornings and the evenings. When we go to bed, Bowie is always the first to run fast up the stairs to the bedroom, and he is always the first to wake up in the mornings. He is always in a super affectionate mood at those times of the day and wants attention and hugs, he is the sweetest little boy at these times. We also love taking him for drives in the car. He really likes being in the car, there is so much for him to see and he’s super interested in everything.

Is your dog part of the family and part of the household?
We never let Bowie sleep on the bed or on any furniture. We are lucky because he actually never wanted to jump on the furniture. As much as we love him, he moults a lot, and at 55KG, he is huge, so if he ever got on the bed, there would be no room for us in any case. Taking Bowie in as part of our family was probably one of the best decisions we ever made in our life. But it’s not for everybody.

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
When Bowie was a little baby, it was super difficult. Such a big responsibility! Dogs depend on their owners for everything, you need to take good care of them, and you need to notice quickly if they are sick or have any problems that could escalate quickly and cause them great harm.
But, whenever anybody asks me if they should have a dog, I reply with a resounding yes, but only if they absolutely accept that the dog will be a commitment for life. There is no going back. It’s a living being and has to be respected and loved completely.

For further enquiries please contact https://www.castleelvira.com and/or follow artist, director & designer Harvey B. Brown on Instagram @harvey_b_brown

How did you meet Luna?
It was a gift from my wife’s gynecologist and friend. Her sister is a vet – our vet

What’s so amazing about Luna?
I think she is literally the sweetest and most tender being we have ever known.

What kind of relationship did you establish with her?
She is basically like a sister to Luce. Sometimes I think she unterstands us all way better than we understand each other. As Luce’s dad I am the leader of the pack, after me it’s either my wife Silvia or my daughter Luce she’d listen to.

If she were a person who would she be?
Maybe a young Franciscan Monk?

Why do you love her?
Because she is family!

Did Luna teach you anything no one else could?
How to be patient.

Anything that annoys you about her sometimes?
Literally nothing.

What are your favourite shared activities?
I love watching her when she runs free. She gets so happy, it’s contagious.

Any advice for someone who thinks about getting a dog and cannot quite make up his mind?
Don’t know if this helps but an American friend of mine who heard about my wife being pregnant said that having a child is a bit like having a dog – only a little easier. So we’re working on it I guess.

My compliments, You look perfectly fit! Thanks to Mimma…?
Well, I’m doing my best! I’ve been trying to calm down her incredibly playful character. You can see some results but… Mimma just cannot hold herself back when she’s happy (which she always is!) and since she’s not exactly a Chihuahua, I’m trying hard to keep her from dragging me away. Mimma is a very sociable dog, she wants to say Hi to everyone, play with everyone (even with the cats but they don’t always understand her), wants to run, swim and, above all, roll in everything she finds that’s stinky or yucky in some way. Bad luck for me but a great business for the city’s ​​dog ​​toilets.

Tell me about your life.
Mimma and I spend a lot of time together and try to make the most of it. We love hiking. Well, hiking is not quite right: As soon as she sees a meadow,
a beach or any other open space, she starts running happily all over the place. Mimma is a very active dog and loves to explore and dig big holes when we go on excursions. While we walk she repeatedly comes close to touch me with her nose, as if to make sure that Mom is still there. Once we went for a walk to the lakes of Alimini, near Otranto. She couldn’t resist throwing herself into the water to chase three ducks swimming carelessly in the middle of the lake. Another day, close to the beautiful and scenic Acquaviva Bay in Marittima, she accidentally fell into a well full of dirty water. She eventually got out again and shook herself wildly, getting everyone around her wet and dirty. Yet she’s easily forgiven because she is so sweet! I simply wouldn’t know what to do without our occasional excursions, no matter where and when. Seeing her run freely (especially in the snow!) makes me very happy.

You live in a city (Lecce, Italy), not exactly the best place to let dogs run free. How do you cope?
Yes, that’s a a problem, especially for larger dogs like Mimma. Where do we go run, play with a ball, hide and seek? The city park unfortunately opens too late, therefore we cannot go every morning. That park has a dog area which unfortunately is below expectations: small, dirty, full of fleas, mosquitoes and who knows what else. Not exactly the best place to take her. But unfortunately there’s very few alternatives. South of Rome there don’t seem to be any more walking areas for dogs. It’s a mess for people and dogs like us.

Do you share Mimma with someone or is it just You and her?
There’s also Michele, my fiancé, who invited me to come live with him and welcomed the two of us with great patience. He would never admit it but he got very attached to Mimma, too. When he comes home from work he’d whistle the legendary jingle (the Jurassic Park soundtrack) and Mimma looses it! She usually waits for him at the exact same hour, wagging her tail and waiting for him to cuddle her, give her the cookie (their ritual), calming down only when he gets out of his shoes.

Any other things you share?
There is Yoga, which I used to do before she arrived and which we practise “together” now. Let me put it this way: I try to do yoga and she thinks I wanna play, so she runs around me and under me like crazy. We both love these moments! We have also embarked on a path that will enable us to practice what used to be called Pet Therapy and is now AAI (Animal Assisted Interventions): an initiative where a specially-trained dog and professional handler work together, in conjunction with a human services professional (eg therapist, social care practitioner, teacher or healthcare provider), to promote improvements in the physical, social, emotional and/or cognitive functioning of a person. In order to help them build self esteem, overcome anxiety, interact with others, change certain patterns of behaviour and many more. It’s interesting and challenging for both of us! And I hope it’ll help me to make people in need participate in what I enjoy every day.

Why did you call your Gelateria Baldo Gelato? I hear Baldo the Bracco was kind of famous in Lecce…
It’s coincidence, actually. My ex partner Alberto and I were planning to open an icecream bar. Baldo, the Bracco, was our loved and appreciated companion, aristoctratic, superior, a phantastic dog. When we started to exchange emails with our architect in Milan, planning details etc., he himself started to put in “Baldo” as a reference to every note concerning the bar. We never changed it, also because the bar became Baldo’s favourite spot. He used to lie down in front of the staircase, often without a leash because there was no need, his nose in the warm Salento wind. Imagine that clients from Texas loved him so much that they found a breeder in the States, got the exact same dog and called him Baldo, like ours who sadly passed away a couple of years ago. But they wrote me telling that I’d sure be happy that there was another Bracco Baldo in this world.

Ettore is now two 1/2 years old. A male teenage Labrador. How did you cope during the first few months that are supposed to be challenging?
Well every dog is different and Ettore is definitely different to Baldo. But we love him just as much. He is crazy, in a nice way of course, never gets tired, never fights with other dogs. All he wants to do is play and have fun. Just lately we noticed his distinctly protective side and at times he can even become a guard dog with quite an unexpected temper. He would like to lead, I guess, that’s why he definitely needs to be managed, also because he weighs almost 40 kilos. What we did is set up a very precise set of roles, rules and duties for everyone in the house, without ever neglecting the aspect of cuddles and games.
Ettore is and he always will be an alpha male, a handsome big boy. He’s always been like that, since he was as a puppy. But as a puppy it was easier. One because he was younger and two because my ex-partner lived in Lecce and therefore I had a lot of free time in managing the family. Now that Ettore has grown up and my ex-partner has returned to live in Milan, everything became a bit more difficult. Especially the walkies! But for what it seems we’ll move to a house with an outside space soon, so we’ll manage, as we always did. Because let’s face it: Life with an animal may be more complicated at times, more stressful in other moments, dirtier always. But it’s definitely more cheerful!

What did you learn from your Labrador?
That everyone in the family has their own needs and we need to find a reconciliation that suits everyone, more or less. And that in the end love is sacrifice, but in the sense of something sacred. Love is made of rituals and daily attentions. Those we kind of cultivate.

Elena, do you remember the day you met the ‘dog that would change your life’?
Sure I do! We saw an article in the Lecce newspaper, in a column of news, both good and sad, about animals. An article referred to a litter of six puppies that had been abandoned near the dumpster and someone had taken them to a kennel closeby. For me it was out of the question to take one of them, too much responsability, little experience with dogs etc. , still I wanted to take a look. So we went to see the little ones at the kennel where all sort of dogs, puppies and adults, were running, barking, playing all together. When we got closer they all ran away – apart from Kabù, who remained seated alone in the courtyard, with that irresistible look of someone who does not understand what is happening. He was just under three months old, shaking like a leaf in the wind. Instant crush!

What is so special about him?
I have always called him the Dalai Lama of dogs. He has incredible patience, wisdom and composure. He stayed by my side, especially in some rather difficult years, always in silence but with a strong presence. I am certain of having a karmic bond with him, which goes beyond time and space and which always makes us find one another.

Why do you love him?
For so many reasons! Because he’s a wonderful life partner, because he had the patience to support me and adapt to my hectic life. Because 17 years together are an incredibly long and intense timespan. Growing up he has kept up his puppy spirit, as if he were always in awe of something he sees for the first time. Even now that he’s an “old gentleman” he has that sparkle in his eyes that hasn’t faded with time. Kabù is part of every important memory of mine. Also because he is my daughter Eva’s older brother. They have an incredibly close relationship and he has always watched over her. And about me.

Is there anything you learned from him?
I’d say he teaches me a form of pure and essential love, perseverance. And to be more patient – which not not always works…

Anything annoying that he does?
Well, not really… He seems to love the smell and taste of paper, so every piece he’d find around the house is his to nibble on, including books. But to tell you the truth it makes me laugh rather than angry. And I put my favourite books in a safe place.

Your favourite moments with him – what are they?
At night, before I go to sleep, I put my head next to his and talk to him in a low voice, saying Hi, cuddling him, telling him about my day. He responds making sounds that seem to imitate mine. I adore these moments.

What’s the most special thing about dogs for you personally?
They understand us so much more than we understand them, mainly because we have lost the connection to nature. Yet, there is so much beauty in the relationship between dogs and humans. Quiri teaches us, especially me, a lot every day. Patience, above all things! And when she unterstands we’re having our difficulties with patience she’s even more patient, unbelievable. In fact if she were a person she would be my wife Erika, the two of them are similar in many ways.

What kind of relationship did you establish?
I guess it’s the usual dog-man kind of relationship. There’s moments when we notice we’re exaggerating, that’s when she becomes too human, takes advantage of our weakness, asks to play with the ball too often, wants treats between meals, go out when she wants etc. But then again, she’s at the center of our lives, takes full part in everything we do. So why not spoil her a bit…?

You chose an Lagotto Romagnolo for a reason?
Well, it has many extraordinary characteristics. They are officially recognized for the search for truffles! A very ancient breed, defined by experts as a rustic dog. In former times it was used as a hunting retriever, then they discovered their extraordinary sense of smell. These characteristics make it a dog that is always ready to play, never aggressive and very obedient, a friend of children and respectful of the house. Like all dogs, the first months were a bit of a challenge. This breed can get even more demanding than others. We took Quiri on endless walks in the woods, every single day, because they need contact with nature like air to breathe.

Anything you particularly like doing with her?
We’re doing almost everything together! Quiri is always by our side. Just recently we took her on a trip through Europe, everyone loved it. Outside we enjoy playing ball. Or we keep her and her nose busy, hiding objects in the house that she has to find and bring back. Erika is taking her to agility training lessons twice a week. They’ll soon be competing with others, that’ll be interesting.

One thing: Is she allowed on your bed?
No she isn’t. There’s a couple of no-go zones in the house and she respects that. She sure sleeps in the same room, but in her own bed.

PS: Dino Frittoli and his wife Erika were shooting portrait pictures at famous Putignano Carnival in Puglia, when I asked them for the interview (www.dinofrittoli.com). Sure their Laghotto Quiri was there, too.