I Swore I'd Never Own a Dog in the City. Then My Neighbor Gave Me Two.

Last edited Mon Dec 9, 2024, 10:27 PM - Edit history (1)

When I moved to New York from the suburbs—where dogs love to live (backyards, fresh air) but I don’t (boring architecture, too-quiet streets)—I figured I would have to get along without dogs. Living in the city with dogs would be miserable, right? Where would they walk? Where would they run? Wouldn’t they try to pry up all the flattened pizza on the street and eat it? There were dogs all over New York, but I didn’t know how people did it. What were they thinking?

Then I met a man in my apartment building who needed to give away his two Shetland sheepdogs, and he didn’t have time to waste. He had other things going on, and he needed to get rid of these dogs fast. Lolo and Rita were both three years old, the prime of life, and they couldn’t be split up. They’d had puppies together and now maintained a love-hate relationship that would last a lifetime.

Also, they were house-trained but had no idea what “sit” or “heel” meant. This could be a problem because Shelties are a herding breed, which involves a lot of barking and sprinting. Now I had two of them, suddenly. What was I thinking? I wasn’t thinking. When Lolo jumped up, put his paws on my chest, looked me in the eyes and said “please take me,” I said OK. How hard could it be to have two dogs in this city?

As it turns out, dogs are just like many people from the suburbs: They want to be New Yorkers! The city is full of unexpected adventures for dogs and the people they pull behind them. The smells alone keep a dog going. The new scaffolding poles that pop up overnight are perfect for exploring in the morning. And then we have to visit the doormen with treats in their coat pockets or squirreled away behind plants. Tourists run after us to take pictures. (I never used to talk to tourists; now I’m engaged and friendly.) Every day is a carnival.

(snip)

Last week in the elevator, a neighbor told me she didn’t know what to do. She has been offered the chance to adopt a Great Dane. She grew up with Great Danes in the country, so she knows how to live with that breed. But she didn’t know if it was too much in New York. Did she have a gigantic apartment? Not quite. It doesn’t matter. I told her the truth: You have to give that dog a good life.

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/i-swore-id-never-own-a-dog-in-the-city-then-my-neighbor-gave-me-two-7b8f3ed6?st=woqLGV&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

(free)




Rita, left, and Lolo in the Financial District in 2020.