Cats Know, But Dogs Feel
Originally published on The Study of Light, on Substack, on September 16, 2025
As I type these words, my fluffy white Havanese, Guru, returns to my studio from the hallway, where he was giving his passive comfort to a crying child. He’s not a certified therapy dog, but he has therapeutic benefits that rival good listening, a bear hug, and even chocolate. He senses when a person is feeling down, and he just avails himself.
My wife Geri and I went to Austria, a year ago last May, to visit our daughter, Sylvi. Sylvi was studying on a semester abroad. We decided to stretch our stay to a full month. We’d begin in Vienna, then explore Prague, Budapest, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzogovina. Along the way we were joined by Sylvi, who had just finished her finals. Our other daughter, Ivy, met up with us in Venice. It was a fine family trip, minus our son Leo, and our dog, Guru.
We missed both Leo and Guru, for sure. But I’d be less than honest if I didn’t admit a difference. Leo lives in Minneapolis and New Orleans. He is almost always three or twenty hours away. He has his own things going, and that means less than constant contact. I think we could call it emancipation, or having his own life. It’s all good.
Diva of Minnesota
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Guru, on the other hand, is with us 24/7. He may be 13 1/2 years old (in his eighties), but true to his breed, he doesn’t like to be left alone, and when he is with you, won’t leave you alone for long stretches of time. He is a great dog for taking to an out-of-doors potluck in the summertime. In the winter, he keeps us at home, because restaurants won’t let him in. So Guru isn’t just the world’s best loving dog, he is also quite needy. Taking him around is like carrying a car seat with a baby in it, except babies grow out of that stage in 3-4 years.
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In Europe, we really missed the therapeutic aspect of our dear old dog. On long walks through the hills of Austria, and city explorations of Prague, Budapest, and Rovinj, we’d meet the most wonderful dogs, and… <ACCESS DENIED>
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The best example of this was an off-leash lab-doodle puppy on a trail in the woods near Lainzer, Austria. He bounded up to us, mirroring our delight at the encounter. Maybe we Americans are too quick to engage, even with dogs. We were really happy to meet this fellow, and we instantly knelt and held our arms out to him. His owner’s sharp commands dropped him from two hundred feet. “NEIN! NEIN! NEIN!” Down went the puppy’s head. Tail tucked between his legs. He slouched back to his master in defeat and humiliation. Again, we must have been a mirror image to him, because we felt just the same as he looked. We wanted this dog love!
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So it was in most places on our trip. Europeans just do social differently. I think it’s the same in big cities all over the world. There’s just so many people, and they have to maintain a degree of separation and privacy, even in crowded spaces. Especially in crowded spaces.
Lima, Peru
We had a brief breakthrough in Budapest. Outside St. Stephen’s Basilica, we met up with another friendly canine. This one was a Bichon mix, tiny, curious, and immaculate. You sometimes think a dog is just a dog, so it is easy to take for granted what kindness they offer. With the owner’s blessing, we showered him with attention, and he responded by filling our cups with dog love.
Dog in a sweater, Cuzco
In other parts, more of the same. Friendly mutts down the Aegean coast. City dogs in Mostar laze on the stone footbridge. Since the rebuilding of that city following their civil war, the dogs count as one of the top attractions. Rodrigo Duterte is ordering that all stray dogs in Manila be shot. He never was one for life and love.
In Peru people put sweaters on street dogs in the winter time. It doesn’t get much colder than freezing, but it’s a wet cold, and clearly the dogs appreciate the extra layer.
Guru, the dog that forgives us for leaving him.
Back in Wisconsin, for the record, Guru forgave us for leaving him for a month, and we carry on.