I love our dog. He’s 13-years-old and has lived with our family in four countries on three different continents.
He is the “World’s Best Traveling Dog”! I am not kidding or exaggerating!
Bernie is more than a pet, more than a dog. He is our family friend! He’s like a fifth kid—always with us—in planes, in boats, in cars, in moving trucks.
He is a trooper and has been through some crazy adventures! He has been rescued, healed, smuggled, and spared multiple times from tragedy and death.
I have up my sleeve to write a memoir of “Bernie—the World’s Traveling Dog.” Maybe one day, you can read his entire story.
Ok, enough. You get it! I love my dog.
More Than Yesterday
But, never did I imagine a day that I would love my dog even more than yesterday. Never did I imagine a day that I would be thankful to God for my dog, even more than yesterday.
But, that day has come.
When the Spanish government announced the official lockdown a few weeks ago, a friend sent me an article (in English!) on the dos and don’ts of quarantine in Spain.
The title was “Coronavirus: What You Can and Can’t Do During Spain’s Lockdown.”
It said nothing about freedom to go out of our house for physical exercise or to let our overly-active and energetic 7-year-old boy run wildly in the open fields. However, it did say something about dogs.
“Those with dogs are allowed to walk them if they maintain basic social distancing rules such as maintaining a safe distance between other dogwalkers. It can’t be used as an excuse for the whole family to go outside though. Rules state that only one person can walk each dog, and that the walks should be kept to a minimum.”
The Local
(Oops! In reading this again and writing it, I just realized that I’ve been breaking the rules everyday. I could have been fined. I take Pierre, our 7-year-old, out with me everyday on our “dog walks.” He needs out too!)
Spain Won the Prize!
Spain loves dogs. After living in France for more than 12 years of my life, I was convinced that France had won the international prize for dogs. They appeared to be the most accommodating country in the world when it came to canines. Dogs are welcome in restaurants, stores, banks, etc.—just about anywhere.
I can remember seeing a comic strip of a French family. The dog was in the baby stroller, and the baby was being dragged behind on the dog leash. It was symbolic and revealing of France’s love for dogs.
However, upon moving to Spain last summer, my perspective changed. I quickly gave Spain the international prize for dogs. Dogs, dogs, dogs everywhere! People don’t just have 1 or 2 furry friends. No! Many of the Spanish people that we pass on the streets and sidewalks have 3, 4, 5, and 6 dogs. It’s truly unbelievable! There are dog parks on every street corner.
Pierre and I started a new game when we arrived in Spain. It is called “Counting Dogs.” We went from “Counting Camo” in Pennsylvania last year to “Counting Dogs” in Spain. Counting people was boring, but counting dogs was fun and challenging. We passed so many during our evening walks, that sometimes, we couldn’t count them fast enough!
So, no wonder Spain included their favorite furry friends in the “dos” of their national lockdown.
A Legal Excuse
I am so thankful to have a dog. It gives me a legal excuse to step outside my front gate, get some fresh air, feel the warm sun, breathe deeply, and forget—for a moment—that we are still in quarantine.
Everyday, I sneak out.
Other than other fellow dog lovers and dog walkers, our town is deserted. It’s truly a ghost town. No people. No cars. No one.
Only the dog walkers.
When texting with a friend here in Spain, I said, “Don’t you wish you had a dog right now?”
She replied, “Yes, our kids are trying to figure out how to walk their cats on a leash.”
Laughing, she went on to tell me that one of her kids recently saw a funny sight when he took the trash to the neighborhood bins. He saw a man who was holding a stick and walking a toy dog.
Yes, the crazy things that we will do in desperation!
There are several videos going viral about people walking their “stuffed” dogs and toy dogs in Spain. I don’t blame them for being creative.
Here’s one—from an unknown source.
I told my boys the other day that they should start a “Dog Loaning Business” in the neighborhood. They could really make some good money. People are desperate to get out of their houses and take a walk, but they need a dog to do it!
I Love My Dog!
So, today, I love my dog even more than before. Today, I am thankful for my dog, even more than before!
Bernie thinks he is in “doggie heaven”! He has been out on more walks during these few weeks of quarantine than he has in his entire life! We all take turns strolling him around the block!
Speaking of that, it’s time to put on my tennis shoes and get Bernie on that leash.
It’s time for a dog walk. Actually, I don’t think I’m taking Bernie on walks these days. Rather, he is taking me on walks!!!
Caught!
Update: Since writing this story a few days ago, our dog walks have changed.
Two nights ago, my son, Robert, took Bernie on his evening walk around the block. Like me, Robert always invited Pierre, our 7-year-old, to join him on the neighborhood stroll.
While out walking that evening, they heard someone whistle loudly. Robert turned around to see a police officer walking towards them with protective gear—mask and gloves, motioning for them to come towards him.
“What are you doing?” the police officer asked Robert.
“I’m walking my dog,” he responded innocently.
“Who’s this?” the officer asked.
“My little brother,” Robert replied.
Upset, the police officer, said, “One person, not two people, is allowed to take a dog on a walk. One, not two!”
Robert apologized and went on his way.
Thankfully, he wasn’t fined, but he was strongly warned. No more dog walks with Pierre.
I Feel Guilty!
Now, I feel a bit guilty taking Bernie on his daily walks. It was always the highlight of the day for Pierre to go out with me for some fresh air and some exercise.
Pierre now sits on the front porch as he watches me walk out the gate with Bernie on his leash. He then waits patiently for me to return home from our dog walk—without him.
Today, he said, “Mom, do you have a big suitcase big enough for me to fit into?”
“I have some big suitcases. Why?” I asked Pierre.
“You could put me in a suitcase and roll me around the neighborhood on your walks with
Poor kid! He’s desperate for a walk—like the rest of the people in Spain who don’t own dogs!
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How is the Coronavirus outbreak affecting your life and causing disruption? Where you live, are you able to get out on walks? Do you need a dog as a legal excuse?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
