I had known Luca for the better part of nine years. Handsome, dark, sleek and energetic, always with feminine admirers at his beck and call. He was always around somewhere each time we visited Seattle, leading us into unplanned though amusing adventures somewhere in the city.
I remember him accompanying our granddaughter Kate several years ago. She in a charming white dress reminiscent of a warm summer afternoon in Paris, he paying court to her while ignoring the rest of us.
We dined at a small chic French restaurant in downtown Seattle nibbling on an amuse-bouche while waiting for a delightful crab and leek quiche, which held no appeal for Luca. After lunch we strolled around the streets popping into shops along the way. By the time we hit the shoe store Luca had had it, and he and Kate continued on their way.
When Kate graduated from the University Luca appeared at the party afterward, dressed in what he somehow thought appropriate—a black cap and gown on which he had someone put his name! I saw and read it quickly and it translated to “U.C.L.A.” A terrible faux pas when the institution of the day is the University of Washington.
On our visit to Seattle the past weekend, Luca showed up, sexy as ever, but not quite as sleek as in the old days. He may have put on a pound or two, but as ready for a good time as in the past. He was staying with our daughter who, great hostess as she is, catered to his every whim.
The first night of our visit, tired from the flight, we retired early. Dr. Advice quickly fell sound asleep while I drifted in and out for awhile. In my half sleep I heard the bedroom door quietly open, and before I knew what was happening, Luca climbed in beside me. It was a plan stunning in its simplicity. Accustomed as I am to Charlie sharing our bed, it seemed quite natural, so I let him stay. After all, Luca is a tad smaller than our old Dobermann Pinscher Max, who weighed 110#.
His “mother” Kate, returned from a diving trip in Thailand a few nights later, and rescued Luca from the overweening “grandparents” both great and regular.
Pachofa-Unfinished 
Luca is a real charmer and has good taste in friends. My daughter and I are dog lovers and we always say we do not really trust people who do not like dogs. They are missing an important gene necessary for total happiness.
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How right you are Carol Ann. I was without a dog companion for two months after Panda, our Old English Sheepdog passed away 8 years ago. Something was definitely lacking in our environment. Granted, no shedding, no leaves tracked in, etc. but no loving furry creature giving us unlimited love. The house was not a home.
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Lucky Luca. Milo sleeps next but not on our bed. Its not for nothing that they are god spelled backwards. I am not really religious but make exceptions for dogs.
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Good point Gerard. Yes, our small god friends uplift us, and give our life meaning. Charlie sleeps in a bed beside ours, but hops on sometime towards morning. I frequently notice that he likes the living room too, as pillows are tossed onto the floor haphazardly. He often likes Grandma Nellie’s chair which would not have thrilled her as she was not a dog lover.
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Luca is a real charmer. I didn’t know there was such a breed as mini Dobermanns. I’m in the market for a dog myself and I adore Dobermanns but I thought there was only the large variety. I used to mind one called Keisha (aka The Noble Hound) for a friend. Keisha passed away a few weeks ago. She was the best. xx
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I’m so sorry about Keisha. It’s like losing a friend isn’t it? My grandson minds a French Bulldog who has his own blog!
The mini Pin is a cute breed. Frisky, ahd playful but not too demanding. Kate took him to classes at the U. She may even have had him tucked under her gown at graduation. Shhh! Our Jack Russell wants what he wants when he wants it! ooxx
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Your granddaughter is a card đŸ™‚ I’d like a dog that goes with me everywhere too.
I’m going to miss Keisha. She used to lay just like Luca is with her long legs stretched out. I loved stroking her black glossiness. xx
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I had no idea there was such a thing as a miniature doberman. He really is quite handsome. I spent all of my early years being terrified of dogs. At age 4 or so, I jumped atop our dining table to escape a small, black puppy meant as a birthday present. That didn’t work so well. Even in high school, I would walk an extra block on my way to school to avoid passing a house with a barking dog.
Now? That kind of fear is gone, and I’ve been known to throw a tennis ball from time to time, or scratch the ears of neighbor’s dogs. But my kitty is just fine for me, although she doesn’t really do much except nap and purr. But she does say hello, good morning and good night, and doesn’t do any of the things cats are disliked for: clawing and scratching, jumping up on counters and so on. I suppose it’s good for the cats that not everyone is a dog person.
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Mini Pinschers aren’t tied in with the Dobermanns. They are a separate breed. I had never seen one until Kate got Luca. It’s amazing to me why so many German bred dogs come with the same markings—black and brown. How did that happen?
I’m glad you aren’t fearful of dogs anymore. Cats are wonderful too. We have had many, but we lost the last two so –no more.
One of ours took it upon himself to claw both arms of a new silk sofa years ago. It was expensive, so we just kept it anyway.
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Ah – thanks for the clarification re: pinschers. Here’s an amusing detail I forgot to mention. Despite neither of us wanting to own a dog, my mom and I used to sit and watch the Westminster Dog Show every year!
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We love to watch the Westminster show too. It’s a big guessing game as to who will win. It’s a lot easier to just watch than to clean up after them.
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I have never had a dog, but Glenys has had many and often speaks to me of the companionship, unquestioning loyalty and many other benefits which dogs bring to their human friends.
At tmes of stress, loneliness and unhappiness as well as in times of joy such qualities are priceless and a constant source of comfort and hope. Qualities which we humans may aspire to but through misunderstanding or intolerance frequently fail to achieve.
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Dogs can be a real comfort, but so can kitties. We have not had a cat for a long time, but we often had both.
I have often thought that large dogs take care of US, while we take care of small dogs. I have had lupus for many years, and while being bedridden occasionally, one or two large dogs would stay on my bed and follow close behind whenever I got up. This little Jack Russell has no such illusions of protectiveness, and would rather go for a lone romp if a gate is left ajar. But I realize he would send the alarm if need be.
I seem to remember you had a kitty who was ill a few years ago. Do you still have her?
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My parents-in-law were great dog lovers. They always had small dogs during my time but had once owned and bred bulldogs.
We and the children were frequent visitors and became familiar with the ways of dogs and their personalities.
I am sorry to hear that you have lupus. It is uncanny how aware animals are of illness in humans and I have heard that dogs are sometimes used by doctors to “sniff out” cancers. Cats also seem to become anxious and pay more attention when you are unwell.
We had four cats and they all died within a year at around the age of nineteen.
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My grandson in San Francisco “minds” a French Bulldog named Max who has his own blog! I’m always fascinated by the different personalities of dogs. Our JRT Charlie watches me and seems to respond more rapidly to hand signals rather than word commands.
I have read of resident cats in nursing homes who cuddle next to dying people before caregivers are aware of the imminent event. There is much we don’t know.
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