Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Dogs of Italy





When I saw how welcome dogs are in restaurants and hotels, I was sorry we hadn't considered bringing Molly along. But not sure I could deal with a dog's jet lag as well as my own. "Sally, It's 2 am! Time for our walk!"



This ancient Roman dog is making the same gesture Molly makes when we're driving in the car and she sees a dog on the street. Dogs have been helping humans back to the earliest days and many artists honored them. This was in the Etruscan Museum in Rome. Now when Jon and I are driving in the car and we see a dog, we make the gesture too.

Most of the dogs in Italian art look like Italian greyhounds. Surprise!



This old dog lived in the Cinqueterre on the Italian Riviera.

I'm surprised dogs don't smoke cigarettes in Italy. Everyone else does.

5 comments:

Linda Davick said...

I love this post. There's something so civilized about seeing dogs in restaurants.

p.s. That gesture is really fetching. Next time I'm driving in the car and see a dog I know I'm going to lift my paw.

Pile Girl said...

What nice doggies! The ancient sculpture shows how universal the love of dogs really is.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

"There's something so civilized about seeing dogs in restaurants" well said, Linda.

booda baby said...

It is a lovely and cozy thing, the welcome given to dogs. The downside - for ME - is that the well behaved dogs of Europe do not - in fact, WILL not - give a stranger the time of day. No trotting or prancing your way, friendliness making them all sweet and bouncy and eager for a hug or scratching from the non-owner. Nope. Not even in a park. They're crazy obedient and hardly budge from their master's side.

I know we aim at that kind of obedience, but I kind of like a slightly badly behaved dog. They make me laugh.

stray said...

Fun post; love the paw lifting gesture.