Camillo - a temporary dog

Mummy, when am I finally going to get a dog?". «Bugger, I've been caught out,» I think. Our 10-year-old hasn't said a word about a dog for weeks. I thought she'd forgotten all about the tiresome subject. But far from it! Our daughter Anna has been pestering us with her desire for a dog for two years now. At some point in her second year, she finally softened us up. We gave in. «Yes, yes, we'll see,» we parents promised. We elegantly left it open as to exactly when this «then» would be.

As a precaution, we stocked up on dog literature in the well-stocked library in the neighbouring town. At least we would already know which breed to get if Anna got us round.

The joys and sorrows of a dog owner

As I'm putting this story down on paper, he's lying next to my desk: Camillo. A cuddly truffle dog with a woolly coat reminiscent of a sheep. It took me some time to memorise his breed. Camillo belongs to the Lagotto Romagnolo breed. This breed particularly likes water, even in the form of snow. The way he lies there, relaxed and cosy, reminds me of a teddy bear.

But the joy is short-lived. «Camillo, you're killing me,» I think to myself as the curly-haired dog happily pokes his snout into my leg. I know what he wants: to go outside - for a walk. For the fifth time today. Exercise is very important in our family, we are often out and about in nature. But what this dog demands is simply too much of a good thing.

I sink into bed at ten in the evening, dead tired. My friend Marion puts it in a nutshell: «A baby is peanuts compared to that». She should know, as she's been living under the same roof as a puppy for three weeks now - which was also a child's wish. I have a big advantage over her: Camillo is not our dog.

«Try out» a dog?

As fate would have it, I met a woman whose parents-in-law were looking for a holiday place for their dog. «This is the opportunity,» I thought to myself. Shortly afterwards, Camillo visited us for the first time. It was December and the landscape was covered in snow - paradise for the truffle dog.

This week I spent more time outdoors than ever before. Camillo, who normally lives on a farm in Tuscany, wanted to get out and about. He's obviously a fresh air fanatic. «Anna, why don't you go outside with Camillo?» I encouraged my dog-loving daughter. «I don't fancy it, I'm just reading,» she replied.

After just a few days, it turned out that 98 per cent of the dog's work was done by my husband and me. We quickly took the woolly dog to our hearts. But we also appreciate the cleanliness in the house as soon as he is picked up again. Half the forest seems to get caught up in his fur. He wallows in every pond or stream. Despite the obligatory shower after a walk, our living room floor feels like a sandpit with Camillo.

Dogs are enriching, but ...

After the first week, we took stock: Anna had little interest in Camillo, our son enjoyed cuddling him and we, the parents, did all the work. Although Camillo is a full-grown dog, sometimes I actually thought I had been transported back to the time when the children were small - and very intense. Taking Camillo for a walk, then quickly doing the housework, only to be confronted with his need for fresh air again shortly afterwards.

Of course, none of us had a clue about dog ownership, let alone dog training. We didn't lead Camillo, he led us. It got a little easier over time. «No, Camillo, not now!» I resisted the dog's insistence, while a guilty conscience gnawed at me. Just typical mum. Spring arrived, and with it Camillo's desire for bitches. Covered in sweat, I jogged after the canine cavalier, who had only one goal: the cute poodle girl a kilometre ahead of us.

Postponed is not cancelled

Camillo was our guest for a total of five weeks, spread over six months. Afterwards, we spoke to the dog owners: with one laughing and one crying eye, we announced that we were ending our dog project.

The whole family now realised that having a four-legged friend meant a lot of effort and that we would have to organise things differently in order to offer a dog a species-appropriate life. «Is it OK for you if we close the subject now?» we asked our youngest. «Yes», she said with a smile, «I can always get a dog when I grow up».