Pet tales and travels

Today I wanted to share with you a couple of interesting things that I encountered while on a recent trip to Costa Rica.  Next week I will highlight another trip to Sweden.  It seems that no matter which country I venture into, there are always people willing to share stories about their pets and the special relationships they have with them.

San Jose, Costa Rica

I was wandering around the little town of Jaco, Costa Rica when I noticed a small, fashionable shop being guarded by a feisty little Chihuahua.  She ran outside the shop, barked, wagged her tail, then ran back inside.  Once inside, she turned around as if to beckon me.  Was this flirting Costa Rican style?  Was she really a guard dog?  Was this animal sane?  And most importantly, was she in fact the cutest thing I had ever seen?

I went inside, because if there is one thing I can’t resist on a trip to the sub-tropics is a precious little barking Chihuahua. The shop keeper, Nicola came out, and then this little dog went crazy on me, barking like I was a serial killer and the shopkeeper was my next victim.

“Don’t worry,” the shop-keeper said.  “She is very friendly.  She just barks until she knows you.  Go ahead and pick her up if you like”.

So like any pooch loving fool, I did as she said and the moment this little four-pound dynamo was in my arms, the lick-fest began.  She went from Cujo to Shirley Temple, so sickeningly sweet I was in heaven.  “What is her name,” I asked looking at the big sparkly collar with the “DG” on it.

“Dolce Gabana,” Nicola answered with a big grin.

“Of course that’s it,” I said, “what else”!!!!!  Then I noticed what appeared to be a diamond in her ear.  “And she has a pierced ear?” There was a one carat diamond stud in her ear.  “Yes, I love her so much I told my husband he had to get HER the same ring he got ME!!”

I stood there aghast.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m OK with dressing your pets up, coiffing their hair, and fussing over them ‘til the cows come home, but piercing their ears with real diamonds while people are starving in the streets?  Even I thought this was excessive, but chose to simply admire this very friendly dog, who was now trying to kiss my tongue.

“Well you are a lucky lady to have such a great husband,” I said.  At this point I thought it was safe to put Dolce down on the floor – I felt we needed a break from the making out.  Damn if the little thing didn’t start charging me again like she was the evil twin of Beelzebub.  I literally had to run for my life, and run I did, out of the shop.  “Bye,” I hollered as I went, and thought that I would never, ever let anyone pierce my dog’s ear.