In which I order two hearts and my dog learns to six
A few weeks ago we took our dog, Skye, to a café for the first time. Every time I go for coffee in Granada, I see dogs lazing under café tables or calmly waiting for snacks to fall into their mouths, but for Skye this was a big deal.
In her four years on earth, Skye has been abandoned twice. At home, she is sweet and playful and loves a cuddle. She's safe. But she’s never been taught how to walk with a leash or socialise with other dogs or humans. So we’ve started together from the beginning. Everything is overwhelming for a girl in the city after spending years alone in the countryside.
We picked an overcast morning to visit because the granaínos usually stay home when it’s wet. But for some reason, at 9.30am on that Saturday morning all the dogs in our suburb had persuaded their owners to take them out to play. On our first approach the café was packed, so we diverted to a small park near the river.
Skye is far less reactive when she’s not on the leash. So we practised dropping it while keeping her close. Being able to sniff, wander a little and take in all the smells is calming. It also gives our sighthound time and space to assess potential threats.
When we returned to the café it was less crowded, and we were able to take an end table. I was so focused on scanning our surroundings for threats that I asked the barista for two “hearts” (corazones) instead of “croissants” (cruasanes) with our coffees. When he laughed in surprise, it led to a fun chat about how French and English words are often the most difficult to pronounce in Spanish.
I’m not going to say going to the café was relaxing. We stayed vigilant for perceived threats, like the happy but dirty Pomeranian who peeked at us around a corner while her owner withdrew cash from an ATM. (Skye is convinced that toy dogs and puppies represent the biggest threats). We also discovered that she hates umbrellas, when two kids inadvertently twirled theirs too close to her face.
But the trip was a success of sorts, and we had a nice interaction with the barista, who brought Skye some turkey to try. He told her to sit in Spanish and she looked at him blankly. When he learned that Skye speaks English, the barista immediately switched to an enthusiastic, “Six! Six!” Not quite the “sit” she’s used to, but Skye obliged and wolfed down the turkey. We tend to berate ourselves when we make mistakes in a foreign language, but we're impressed that other people are even trying. I’m working on giving myself the same grace.
I suspect there will be many more café trips before Skye feels comfortable being in that environment. But this felt like a win worth celebrating. Luckily, Skye has a bottomless appetite, so she’s made huge strides since we started feeding her most of her meals on walks.
What are your favourite "firsts" that you've celebrated with your pets? Have they changed your life in unexpected ways that you're now grateful for? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments!
Sketches from Granada celebrates every-day moments of connection with strangers, friends and ourselves. I know how easy it is not to be present in your life, and I hope these sketches inspire you to seek out the moments worth savouring in your own life.
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