If you’d told me 6 or 7 years ago that one day I’d not only be posting pictures of an Italian dog and a little girl in a pink dress, but that I would do it two posts in a row, I would have given you Extreme Side-Eye. But here we are.
I realize he is just a dog, and I have too much time on my hands to ponder certain things, but I would so dearly love to know about Primo’s life before we met him. I would pay a large amount of cash money to learn exactly how a gentleman like him ended up in a cold rainy outdoor dog shelter in Italy. You couldn’t possibly ask for a more pleasant indoor companion; he knew all his commands in Italian and quickly adjusted to them in English, he never chews anything, never poops or pees inside, never does anything bad at all except get abominably stinky sometimes. He sticks with you off-leash, he (usually) comes when called, he only barks when he’s playing, and best of all he is extremely human-friendly but in a dignified way. He doesn’t slobber and jump on you like a fool, he just approaches you with an approving air and sniffs you and likes you. He would like to enjoy your company and possibly have an adventure with you (a nice calm dignified adventure). Especially if you’re this child.
The photos in this post were all taken by my lovely sister Becki, a superior photographer and the grandmother of this little girl. She doesn’t especially like dogs but she still was touched by how sweet Primo was to Hay, how he followed her around all day and “protected” her from Firefly’s spasmodic bullcorn.
I know many dogs are also perfectly friendly with little kids and this isn’t exactly remarkable. But it still moves me. It still makes my heart twitch a little bit, just like when he welcomed Firefly into his territory and gave her his bed and his food and his humans without a single bit of protest or weirdness, because the more I realize how tender and sweet and loving this dog is, the more I ache at the thought of him in that shelter. He must have suffered so deeply there, not only because he was alone and cold and terrified but because it seems immensely obvious to me that he had a loving home before that.
His trusting personality along with his obedience make a pretty convincing case that he was in the shelter because something tragic happened to his humans, such as he had an elderly owner who died. I just don’t believe he was with irresponsible or neglectful people that dumped him there because they didn’t have enough time for him. And somehow it is more heartbreaking to think of him losing a good family than to think of him being surrendered by shitheads. At least if he had shitheads before, he was better off at the shelter where he could be adopted by people like us. Not that he’s worse off now with us than he was with the presumed wonderful previous humans; I just think about what it must have been like for him, to suddenly go from his safe, loving family into that shelter.
Or maybe it’s all a stupid train of thought, because almost every dog I’ve had as an adult came from a shelter and they have all been sweet. I’m sure many of you can say the same. Firefly, for example, is sweet and trusting (once she knows you – strangers, we’re still working on), but I know for a fact she was surrendered on purpose because the Humane Society’s files said it. Dogs are naturally trusting of humans, I think. Something just seems different about Primo, to me.
I know, I know. I think about it too much. He is a dog. They have short memories and live in the moment. It’s just that he is so damn wonderful and I’m so glad that he’s part of our lives because he makes every single person he meets smile. There’s so much value in that.
I promise the next post won’t be packed full of cuteness and hugs. I think I’m going to post pictures of our new shotguns. Aw yeah baby.
You and he are miracles that happened to each other, a chance meeting of two of God’s precious children, and you have every right to talk about him until the internet is full to the top with it.
Plus, you write beautifully about him.
The child has a classic beauty and sweetness and an any intelligent dog, such as Primo, would instantly know and respond to it. And, of course, he is a suave Italian gentleman of a dog.
Never stop. We need more sweetness & hugs! I was thinking about those previous pictures & Primo’s life. If there’s a heaven for dogs, it has to be sleeping on the grass in the sun, being gently patted by an adorable girl, while she whispers to him. What a wonderful life you’ve given Primo.
I know what you mean, though. I rescued a kitty about a year ago. It was a freezing cold night & she was outside under our car. She let me pick her up & rode home with us without a single bit of fussing. She is so sweet, loves to cuddle with my hubby, never scratches. I can’t believe someone would just dump her outside (the nuns at the house where we found her said she’d been there for awhile)–a sweet baby like that. I would love to know what her history is (I think she may have belonged to an older gentleman too, given how much she adores my hubby–& ignores me). People really baffle me. We just have to be happy, in the cases of Snowball, Primo, & Firefly, that we’re guided to these wonderful companions.
I don’t know too much about dogs or have very much personal experience with them, but their memories can’t be all *that* short–look at the way the dogs go nuts when their military owners come home after a year in Iraq. I don’t blame you for wondering one bit. But we can all see that he’s very happy and loved and loving in the here and now, and it’s wonderful. :)
I was watching “People’s Court” today (yes, I like those shows) & there was a case about dogs. The host at the end starting talking about shelter dogs. He said he’s had many–& that “they never forget”. They remember the sad, lonely circumstances they come from & are forever grateful to their new humans, extra loving & loyal. Definitely sums up Primo.
Aw, beautiful, Rachel. That last photo made me tear up.
You already know, Rachel, that animals live in the moment. Primo is in a loving and supportive environment, and he responds in kind.
Okay, sure, he obviously wasn’t being trained as an attack dog or anything like that, but I’m pretty sure that Primo (and Digger, and Sunny, and Maggie, and Firefly) are/were the wonderful dogs they are/were to a great degree because of the one thing they all had in common: you.
Wonderful story (in the linked post) and more great pictures. Primo is very lucky and so are you.
Most days life is hard; there’s scary things going on in the world at large, and especially in my corner of it everything seems backwards, frustrating, exhausting and scary. You do us a great kindness sharing your joy and love for Primo and these endearing photos of him and Hay remind me that there are still “storybook” moments of perfect beauty and innocence in the world and that good things to still happen to good people and good dogs. There is still hope.
Thank you. And don’t ever think you need to apologize for sharing.
Lovely photos! Primo is definitely a gentleman.
Dogs may live in the moment, but they do have the capacity to retain memories… whether it’s waiting two hours for the chance to pounce on another dog in the house who stole their bone or remembering someone from the past.
Now, my rescue Corgi has obviously been conditioned to fear brooms, mops, etc.. because I’ve never struck her, let alone with anything long. Not sure, but I think there’s a difference between conditioning and memory.
You mean you don’t hug your shotguns? Nice Shottie! Pretty Shottie! Swiper, don’t slobber on Shottie!
One of our previous pair of dogs was from a shelter (14 months old when we got her) and our current kitchen speedbump was 7-1/2 when we adopted him 4-1/2 years ago, and had been at the shelter for almost 20 months. Bonnie had a rough start but turned out to be a huge sweetheart, and Swiper is just the coolest nice guy ever (excluding the part where he’s always lying down in the kitchen in the most obtrusive place possible and projectile breathes doggie breath at you whenever you have bacon or french fries in hand) ). Seriously don’t know how he languished at the shelter so long…
So yes, please keep posting about Primo and his friends, even the admittedly cute kidlet. Makes days better to see and read.
Don’t get me wrong here. I love the posts about Primo. But I was hoping that once you moved back to states you would take up some political commentary again. I miss your perspective. Just sayin’.
And never forget that pets take on the personalities of their people, so it’s quite a compliment to yourself.
Loving the Primo and Firefly bits. Keep ’em coming!
Thanks, Rachel. I just got back from a relaxing vacation and started reading the news. The political stuff was -and is- such an oozing pus-filled sore on my psyche that I actually started to feel down. These two posts of Peemo and his girlfriend really lifted my spirits.
I wanna buy a Peemo coffee mug. I’d also like a remake of the “Imagine No Liberals” mug, too.
Collect the whole set!
Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX
Peemo mugs! Love that idea. Seriously, that last picture of Hay hugging Peemo (you know we’ll all be calling him that now) could be in a professional photo studio as one of their “show” photos.
Throwing an idea out there. Peemo is such a lovely gent, have you thought about taking him to senior citizen homes? There’s a program in our area for that, & there’s probably one in your area. And/or, I remember seeing an “Animal Planet” episode about working dogs & a program where a dog will sit with a child who has learning difficulties. The child will read to the dog, who is trained to look very intently at the child & the book. It was really very sweet–the episode featured a Sheltie who was so good with the child. You really thought the dog was reading along. Peemo is so kid-friendly, he’d be a natural at it.
I was going to suggest the same thing Maureen did. Primo would be awesome in those situations. Our local library also has dogs there on certain nights for kids to read to them. This helps nervous readers relax and read better. There is this 120 lb Newfoundland that is the sweetest dog I’ve ever met!
Lucky, lucky Peemo.
You done inspired me to go to a shelter and at least visit our furry friends to maybe brighten their day. We have two dogs & two cats as it is.
The wife is sending me videos of goats now too.
I take that as a hint from her that we’ll be expanding our family in the future.
And then it will be chickens if she can persuade the city council to allow them in the city limits.
I see it now,…
Wifey is going to make a farmer out of me :(
Anyway, Shotguns!
Must read!
You know what else is wonderful? Hayley will have these wonderful memories of Peemo forever–with the pictures to help her remember the wonderful dog she loved so much. I keep coming back to look. Thanks for letting us all enjoy too.
Cute kid. The little girl’s sweet-looking, too.
M
Hay looks like a mini-you. Your sister must be much older to have a grandchild. My cousins (who are a touch younger than you) have children that are (at most) in their late teens.
By the way, Happy Birthday.
Adorable shotguns?!?! I love it when you speak gauge.
Dammit Rachel.
That much cuteness makes me want to cross the street and Clorox rude comments on my neighbor’s lawn.
And I like my neighbor!
Grrr…
Have a bull mastiff/ pit bull mix with the same disposition (doesn’t chew, beg or bark and LOVES people…I think he knows how close his end was but that’s just me!) and abdominal stinkies, named Eli who will be 2 on the 28th…great puppy turned into an awesome dog whose now in training to be a therapy/ companion dog here in Ohio and to assist me with some residual military memory crap but hey, got a GREAT dog out of all of it, so….
GREAT site, 1st time visitor, I think!
Keep up the good work and see you when I can…
BE blessed!