Would you please present yourself briefly?
My name is Ilana, I’m 63 years old, I’m an interior designer, with a passion for design, art and fashion. And I absolutely adore dogs (and cats). I was born and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, lived in New York City for 6 years where I studied Interior Design at the Parsons School of Design, before returning to Switzerland to start my own business. Seven years ago I moved to Tel Aviv with two dogs and a cat.

Tell me about your dog!
Her name is Noisette, she is a standard dachshund, long haired, chocolate and tan. She just turned 3 years.

Where did you meet and how did you connect?
It was during the Covid confinement. My last dachshund Punky had just passed away at the age of 14  (Noisette is my fourth of the same breed) and I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a post from a breeder in France showing a litter of puppies. I immediately fell in love with one of them, the chocolate one, and shared the photos with my brother Sam who is also a great dog lover. To my surprise, he offered to buy the puppy as an early birthday gift for me. There was just one problem: How to pick her up?  The whole world was in lockdown, the airport in Israel was closed and no date for the reopening had been announced. Luckily, everything went well. A friend of mine picked Noisette up and took care of her until I could finally fly to Geneva to pick her up. 

What’s so amazing about your dog?
She is the sweetest yet the most stubborn dog, typical of the dachshund breed. She’s playful and loves cuddles and can even be arrogant when I scold her.
I once was fostering kittens who needed to be bottle fed. Noisette knew instinctively how to care of them, how to clean them to stimulate their needs etc. She’s a natural!

How would you describe your relationship?
I would say that we complete each other. She is extremely attached to me, follows me everywhere, even to the bathroom, which is also typical of dachshunds. She simply needs to be close to me, always, maybe also due to the fact that during the confinement in Israel she became used to me being around all the time.

Do you know about her secret passions?
I don’t think she has any secret passion! She is the happiest when we go out and walk the streets of Tel Aviv. I try to take her at least twice a month to the dogs’ beach, where she gets off the leash and runs free. She enjoys swimming in the sea as well!

How do you “understand” each other? 
A certain expressionof mine is enough for her to understand she didn’t behave well. 

If Noisette was a person – who would she be?
My best friend! 

Why do you love her?
For the joy, comfort and company she shares with me. The unconditional love dogs bring to your life has no limits and only dog owners can understand it.

Did your dog ever bring you closer to other people?
Dachshunds have become quite popular in Israel, in my neighborhood only there are 20 of them! We organize meet-ups at the beach or in dog parks which is lovely for everyone.

Is there anything that annoys you about her?
She is quite stubborn. Dachshunds have a strong character and do as they please. 

Any advice you’d like to share?
Dogs are lifesavers. But when you get a dog you have to commit and understand what your responsibilities are. You might not be able to travel as often as you would like to, or make sacrifices because they are home waiting for you. What you get in return is their unconditional love.  That is all that matters.

A rainy day in Monopoli. What are you up to today?
We just came back from a long walk along the Adricatic coast. I’m always amazed how tenacious Tita is for being so little! She can run for hours and never gets tired. Maybe that’s also because I take them out all together. Being part of a pack makes it more entertaining, I guess. To tell you the truth, Tita is everything one would never expect from a Chihuahua. Super sweet with everyone, not aggressive at all, a Chihuahua anti cliché. All my five dogs have learned to live in a hierarchy, that makes my life easier. And they’re all very affectionate and loving! So I guess that’s what we’ll do today: Lie on the sofa and cuddle. Wait for the thunderstorm to pass and for the the sun to come out again.

How do you communicate with your dogs?
We understand each other perfectly through looks, a whistle, some exclamation, never shouting because there’s no need.

Do you know their secret pleasures? What do you do to spoil them every once in a while?
Fresh meat is always a winner, that works no matter what. Then there is this treat they adore, from the animal shop: a piece of dry beef. They all go crazy for it! Especially my little rebel, Pupi, the Bali dog.

You brought a Bali dog home?
Yes I did, couldn’t help it. I found her on a street, very sick and super tiny. Because I didn’t want to leave her, she was sent on an incredible journey: All the way to Jakarta at first where she got a new passport, then on a plane via Istanbul and Rome to Puglia. Eight days on the road and in the air, looked after by living, helping hands. But Pupi is a hero, she made it.  And we love her unconditionally.

Getting back to your latest arrival, Tita: Who would she be if she was a person?
She would be a tribal warrior girl! You may not believe it but she once chased a big dog just by barking at him, her little mean kind of barking.

You travel a lot, sometimes stay away for weeks. Where do you leave your dogs in the meantime?
There is a young woman close to where we live: She is a dog trainer and very happy to keep them while we travel, which is at least twice a year for about a month and a half every time. The dogs adore her! And they are just as happy when we come back. It would be lovely to be able to take them with us every time we leave. Unfortunately not everyone welcomes them the way they should. I once went to Miami, where there are parks for small dogs only, where they can play we each other safely. Isn’t that phantastic? In Italy, especially in the South, they’ve got as whole different approach, a different mentality really.

What’s your favourite thing to do with your furry kids?
Long walks by the sea are our favourite. I try to do it every day! We’d spend at least two hours outside. During the winter, when we’ve got the beaches around Monopoli for ourselves, it’s even more exciting. They love to run together and I enjoy the moment of peace, every problem you may have gets lighter, any bad mood disappears while you’re walking, in nature, with your dogs.

Any advice you’d like to share?
Dogs make our lives richer and I would suggest everbody to get one. But I think not everyone is capable to understand how to really make a dog happy. Dogs need all our love, yes, but they also need to be treated like dogs. They need long walks even though they are small, they don’t need to be over clean, they need to eat dog food to stay healthy and they need rules in order to be happy.  They need to run free and they need a pack leader to run back to.  The most beautiful thing that happened to me with my five dogs is to understand that dogs love to live with other dogs, love to play together and to sleep cuddling each other. They have their own rules to live together peacefully.

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

Dogs have always played an important role in your life, right?
Absolutely. A few months ago my beloved Chester passed away and we are still mourning. He was a Labrador mix that came from Mallorca. I loved him so much and it still hurts. He is around, I can tell, but we cannot communicate the way we used to. In any case, I miss him a lot, that’s why I’m looking for a new Labrador mix or a Retriever. It is important for me to have a dog that is well behaved and big enough to scare off strangers. A dog that is easy-going and respects me no matter what. I’m not the one to go jogging with him for hours and I’m not very consistent in my education either. Poquito, the little Portuguese, looks like a miniature wolf. His body is tall, but the legs are short. Unfortunately, I can’t let him run free: He has already killed a few chicken at my neighbor’s. So we usually wait for the chicken to go to sleep and then go for our evening round (laughs). On the leash, most of the time, because as soon as he sees a rabbit he’s gone.

How did you meet Poquito?
I picked up Poquito at the Bahnhof Zoo train station in Berlin, eight years ago from now. He came from Portugal in an animal protection van, a tiny puppy, no more than four months old. Someone had found him in a rubbish bin. This probably explains his fear of men, especially men with white hair. It’s pretty obvious he was traumatized. Chester came from Mallorca. He had always been on a chain, as a guard dog of a big construction site. All he ever got to eat were chunks of hard bread. That’s actually why I left Mallorca after 10 years: I couldn’t stand how they treated the animals. There were abandoned dogs everywhere, in front of every house, even where no one lived. I went horseriding often and happened to see so many of them on a short chain in lonesome courtyards, exposed to the blazing sun, often without fresh water and with very little to eat for how skinny they were.
I had to go away, I couldn’t stand it anymore. The situation has improved in recent years, from what I understood. There are people who try to take care of the dogs now. But when I moved there 20 years ago, the conditions were different. In Mallorca there’s a saying that having a dog in front of the house signifies you have money, enough to feed a dog as well. When I think of how many I wanted to save, I could have adopted ten and more!

You’re saying you’re not very good at educating your dogs. How do you manage?
I look at Poquito. Guess what. And he understands. As if it was telepathy! I don’t have to raise my voice or educate him. I do it through vibrations. And with the intensity of my features. He can laugh, he must have learned it from me. And if I look angry, he knows it’s getting serious. He definitely reads my features and I read his. Then of course what I adore about him is his character, a cheeky, sometimes naughty little boy. He can walk on his hind feet, even turn in circles on two legs!

What is your relationship like?
Very mature, I guess, because Poquito is a loner. Not a pack dog like the Beagle that lives above us. And he doesn’t stick to me that much. He goes into the garden alone and lies in front of the gate for hours, watching who is passing by and, sometimes, barking at the neighbors. He’s like a little Indian, he kept his wilderness. And I’m kinda Indian too. I need a dog like him, free, with his own personality, not a dressed up one, sitting on a sofa. I also need personality in my photos. And truth. Those are the things that I’ve been looking for my entire life. Poquito is perfect in that sense. Oh my God, I’m in love with him. What was the question again?

If he was a person who would he be?
Something between Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. A part of him is like “I’m going to get really dirty now”, then the other part goes “but actually I’m quite a smart guy, well educated and super nice”. 

Who looks after him when you’re not around?
I have someone who comes to my house and takes care of the dog here. I want to avoid any other trauma for him and knowing that in a kennel there would certainly be men (impossible!) and other dogs (only partly possible), that would stress him out too much. My mother used to take care of the dogs when I was gone working. Now I have my roommate to watch out. But if she’s not around, it’s difficult. What I usually do is offer a “nice day in the country” to friends who already know him. And ask if they can open and close the door for Poquito. So far I’ve always been lucky to find someone.

Is there anything annoying about Poquito?
Well, it annoys me a lot that he kills. Because it scares me off and I don’t quite understand that my sweet little dog can turn into such a monster! But maybe that’s part of his character, being very similar to a Wolf. There are photos of white Wolves that look extremely similar to him. Also Huskies. And that’s where you have to be careful.
Many years ago I was shooting for Elle in Los Angeles. I photographed a little Wolf with the model. And I wanted to take this beautiful animal home with me, adopt it right away, it was so cute. The trainer told me that Wolves are not allowed to eat meat. They can only have dry food because once they smell fresh meat, they will kill. I ended up leaving the dog where it was at the time. But Poquito reminds me a bit of him.

Tell us about your favourite things to do together!
I actually really like watching him lying in the grass, playing with the ants and flies, feeling perfectly at ease with himself and the world around him. It’s such a lucky life he is living, without any sorrows. The only thing that counts is to live the moment. For dogs there is no past or future, they live and perceive nothing but the present. That’s what they are and that’s something I do appreciate. I learn a lot from him! He’s pure stimulation. The way he thinks, looks, smells and experiences the world with all his senses. That’s what we do when we’re together: go out in the woods. Take a look, enjoy and, each one of us in his own way, wag our tail!

Any challenges your’e facing now that he’s the only dog in the house?
Travelling with him is not easy. He will have to learn that now, because my son no longer lives in Germany and of course we want to go visit him every now and then. He has to learn to accept new places! I can’t always stay home because of my dog. But it’s difficult, he’s so scared: afraid of loud sounds, too many people… I took him to Kreuzberg, in Berlin, once. He wanted to pee on a tree. A woman came up and yelled at him that it wasn’t possible. That must have been traumatic. So travelling is and probably always will be our challenge. Because it would be nice if we could walk my paths together, too, and not just his walkies.

Any advice from someone like you who’s been working as a photographer for PETA for many years?
It’s true that I’m very connected to animal protection. PeTA (www.peta.com) for example have a beautiful page, where dogs that are free for adoption are introduced. Don’t take a dog because it looks so cute and it is still a baby! Go by its character, that’s way more important than his looks. Ask questions at the animal shelter, check if it is healthy! Those things are essential. A friend of mine adopted a dog in Spain, which ended up being totally vicious and doesn’t fit into the family at all. It was a mess to undo everything at the end. Try to take “your” dog for a walk first. Or get it from a foster family. At the animal shelter, they often don’t have time to study the dogs. Then of course you have to have the space to keep a dog, preferably a garden, and a lot of time. Leaving a dog alone too often is crucial. I personally cannot imagine a life without a dog. Especially for people who are alone the dog also replaces a partner, a very faithful partner. A dog is pure happiness! You can share things: go for a walk, eat together, meet people together. Thinking about it: I really want to get a second dog back so Poquito has a base. Because this dog needs it. And me too, I also need a second dog, absolutely.

PS: Gabriele Oestreich-Trivellini, born and raised in Hamburg, is a German portrait photographer, known as GABO. Kevin Costner, Eric Clapton, Boris Becker and many others posed in front of her camera. Gabo’s son is half Italian. For more info www.gabo-photos.com.

How did you meet Leo?
Leo is originally from Romania. We absolutely wanted to get an animal from animal protection, an issue I’ve been very passionate about for years. Saving a dog from unbearable conditions was our main target. Leo was picked out of more than 500 dogs because he was a victim of bullying, never got enough to eat. We were introduced to each other by the end of June 2020, and he moved in with us a couple of days later.

What’s so amazing about your dog?
Leo is a late riser. And he loves to cuddle! The best for him is his paw in the hand of one of us humans, being scratched on the stomach and falling asleep – again. Wonderful. Eating is his second favourite. He’s a vegetarian, like all of us. That often causes astonishment, but dogs are omnivores by nature, cats aren’t as flexible. Leo is healthy and happy and, according to the vet, in top shape. When I’m writing, he loves to be as close as possible, napping on his yellow dog sofa in one moment, the next sitting up and looking at me, and when I smile at him he will lie down again. He is very grateful and seems to understand how lucky he has been! And, frankly, if I had the space and the time I would adopt a couple of dogs more.
Then Leo loves our rabbits, who roam freely in our garden. He used to be particularly fond of one of them, Branko. While he was eating his greens, Leo sat next to him and watch. When Branko was done, Leo went out checking if there were any leftovers. He would never have eaten first, never chased away the rabbit.

How would you describe your relationship? 
Leo is a family member and looks after his pack without ever questioning the hierarchy. He looks out for us (sometimes more than necessary) and would defend us at any time.

If your dog was a person – who would he be? 
I think Leo would be a dreamy artist. There’s something quiet, withdrawn and somewhat romantic about him. A hedonist, sitting with a nice glass of wine watching the sunset.

Why do you love him?
I love how close we have become in no time! I never worried that he might run away. And apart from many sweet and funny things he does I love him because he would stand up for “his” family, there’s no doubt about that.

Where do you leave him when you have to go away for a couple of days?
Actually we never leave him, we always take Leo with us. We don’t fly, not only because of Leo, but also for ecological reasons. We usually rent an apartment where Leo feels comfortable, too, often in the Unterallgäu where I grew up, but also elsewhere. Since Leo is very attached to us, I wouldn’t want to risk giving him away for a holiday and traumatize him, so that he might never want to be alone any more. I’m terrified of the idea that his old wounds could open up. That would certainly not be worth the holiday! Last but not least we’re all convinced that a holiday with a dog is much nicer than one without.

What are your favourite things to do with him?
It’s because of him that I’ve become a passionate walker. We walk in the woods for hours! In the evenings we öfter cuddle with Leo on a giant beanbag in front of our fireplace. When I go to do a reading, I usually take him with me. Not only because he makes me feel safe but also because he attracts attention. I’m always happy to tell his – our – story!

Is your dog part of the family?
Definitely. Just like our two rabbits and guinea pigs, all of them taken from shelters. The rabbits live in our garden and move freely. They prefer to be on the terrace with us though, because that’s where they usually find food and cuddles. Leo loves them all. My partner and I work from home so Leo can be with us all the time. Since I write books, I can choose where I work and I often end up in the garden with Leo, who climbs onto the me bench with me to just be close. I can hear his breath and the birds chirping as I write, that’s amazing.

Any advice you would like to give?
I do suggest to get in touch with the local animal shelters. I often wonder why people want a puppy so badly, even though it doesn’t suit their lifestyle. Think carefully about how much time you have for a dog, what you expect from the animal and what kind of dog it is that you want. You can’t choose an animal based on looks! I truly believe that everyone can find “his” dog in a kennel. One to fall in love with.

PS: “Dogs appear in all my books, of course. It would be weird if not, my characters need them as much as we do, says Tina Schlegel, 49. She has been writing for various newspapers, currently for the Augsburger Allgemeine, and since 2015 also novels. Seven of her crime novels have been published by Emons Verlag and this year her first romance will come out Tina Schlegel lives in Kempen on the Lower Rhine.

How did you meet?
As it often happens these days, Nathan and I met online. With the pandemic going on,  the breeder had about 800 requests per month for his dogs. So he established an obligatory Zoom meeting with a 10 Euro fee. In fact, this way he cut the number of applicants in half. He presented himself with four months old Nathan on his lap and the puppy immediately blew my mind away. If love at first sight exists, this was it. 
Three days later I drove 600 km from Berlin to Cologne where Nathan was waiting for me. He was trembling when the breeder put him into my arms. To be honest, me too. A couple of moments later he he had gotten super calm and chilled. I had tears in my eyes for how excited I was, deeply touched in an extraordinary way by a little puppy that looked like Fuchur the luckdragon from the “Neverending Story”…
Also his name, Nathan, caught my sins. My favourite uncle Nathan from NYC had passed away a couple of years ago. Wasn’t it a lovely thought that Nathan could be his reincarnation? And he looked so incredibly cute, like taken right from a toy shelf, so sweet and somewhat unreal was he.

What’s so amazing about your dog?
If I could have dream baked my perfect dog, the result wouldn’t have gotten even close to who Nathan is for me. He is the most wonderful soul! Wherever he shows up, he creates instant smiles on the  faces of everyone he meets. He’s loving and friendly with everyone, on two or four paws. Always playful and in the best mood. He loves kids and is extremely careful with them. He laughs a lot! And he is incredibly smart. 

How would you describe your relationship?
Nathan and I are together every day of the week, at (almost) every hour.  If I’ve got a business meeting I immediately miss him and start longing for him from the very minute we get separated. I’m quite sure our connection was made in heaven. It’s a match for life! One thing I underestimated: You know there’s the saying that a cute dog is the perfect wing man to pick up girls. Taking Nathan on walkies it works differently: The girls only have eyes for him. They seem to not even notice that there’s a human on the other side of the lead…

If your dog was a person – who would he be?
Probably a mix of Ghandi, young Brad Pitt and Gianluigi Buffon (because he is unbeatable when it comes to catching the ball!)

Why do you love him?
Because of all the above. And so much more. It is impossible not to love him.

What did he teach you that nobody else would?
To focus on the relevant things and to ignore everything else. Furthermore: There is no reason to start the day in a bad mood.

Is there anything that annoys you about him?
His capability to sleep anywhere, sometimes even with his eyes open. Makes me so jealous! And: his very selective hearing abilities.

What are your favourite things to do with him?
I wouldn’t be able to tell. We do almost everything together! Maybe the best thing is waking up with him sleeping in my arm, his nose in my armpit and joyfully sighing.

Is your dog part of the family 100 %?
We live in quite a big apartment. So he has room to roam. It took him no time to conquer all the sofas and couches. It is all his! For the first few days the bed was a no-go. But one Sunday he jumped up and there he was. Now every day is a Sunday.

Any advice you would like to give to someone who wants to get a dog but can’t decide?
Life without a dog is possible but pointless. I never met anyone who regretted getting a dog. A dog will change your life dramatically but in a good way.

PS: More about the journalist’s life and his big love Nathan on his Instagram account @stefanlemle