Una Ragazza on Love: Four-legged Love

Dogs in Manhattan.

According to a canine version of the best cities in the United States to live in, the 1.5 million dogs registered in New York City live in the country’s top 10 because of friendly doggie day care, luxury doggie hotels, and lovely places for dog walks and to meet other four-legged friends, such as Central Park, Riverside Park, Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge.

More than 450 stores in the city cater to pets, peddling pet jewelry, clothes, pet food, pet portraits, spas complete with doggie cam, dog walking and veterinary services; whenever they can, those frequented by pet-loving celebrities take the opportunity to generate a little publicity of their own.

A google imaging of the pet stores in the New York City area

Dog of Jill Zarin of "Real Housewives of New York" fame looking "fashion forward in a Canine Styles Handknit Sweater"

At the Muse Hotel in Times Square, the title of “director of pet relations” belongs to a six-year-old teacup pomeranian who prefers Prada, ahi tuna and spa visits. Ginger’s favorite haunt is the “Canine Court,” a 15,000 square-foot doggie playground complete with an open field and obstacle course and helps dog and owner plan shopping trips to Tiffanys and Bergdorf Goodman.

According to the Health Code of NYC, all dogs must be on leash no longer than six feet in length. However, since 2007, certain park areas have allowed dogs to be off-leash during early-opening and near-closing hours. Here, an activist group celebrates an anniversary of the ruling

I grew up having no interest in pets. A goldfish and a rabbit might have made brief stays in our home, and that was about it. Because of the number of people in the household and the small roof under which we all lived, there prevailed a general familial attitude: “As it is, humans have so many problems. Who has time and energy to take care of [insert species of pets]?”

It didn’t help that my mom seemed to have an immense fear of dogs. Every time we walked past a dog, she would tug my hand so that we’d walk faster away, or go in a different direction, from the animal. Subconsciously, this pre-programmed behavior led to my own baseless fear of dogs.

When I think of my most memorable canine experience, I remember a particular teenage encounter with a terrier in the void deck of my piano teacher’s HDB flat (ground floor of a government apartment building) in Ang Mo Kio. As I walked toward the elevator, the dog which was unleashed started barking incessantly and ran toward me.

Gripped with unexplained fear, I started running, only to slip on a puddle of water and fall head-on into a sharp corner of a rectangular pillar. The impact knocked me out cold. When I woke up, I was seized by a sharp pain on my forehead, probably similar to that experienced by Harry Potter whenever He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was close by. My mom was calling my name, pleading with me to stay conscious. Minutes later, when a dazed me looked into the mirror, a multicolored bruise the size of a baby’s fist was sitting firmly on my forehead, with a darkening red line down the middle threatening to split and expose the blood clot beneath. In the weeks that followed, I would endure a mix of pity and ridicule from friends and strangers who asked for the story.

Yes, those were embarrassing moments. For years, whenever a fierce dog came into sight, I would look around for puddles and pillars for fear that a sequel might take place.

But who knew that it would take Un Ragazzo just days to help me overcome my deep-seated canine fear?

Coming from a family of dog lovers, he agreed this winter to dog-sit for a friend for a week. The third wheel in our relationship was a friendly, medium-sized dog with black, shaggy hair. Her most adorable feature is a small patch of white hair next to each of her green eyes, which adds wisdom to this already intelligent girl.

The first time we met, Un Ragazzo made sure he entered his apartment first and, as she came scurrying to the door, gently told her that there was a visitor. A nice visitor. The talk seemed to work. After 30 seconds of protective barking, Maggie calmed down and came closer to check me out. She did not make a lunge at me, but simply stared for a long minute before deciding that I could stay.

The whole time, I was getting flashbacks of my horrendous terrier episode from more than a decade ago, and my forehead began to hurt a little. “Rooted to the ground” pretty much summed it up.

Un Ragazzo persisted. With immense patience, he taught me Dog Handling 101.

“Get down to her level. She reacts well to that.”

“Now, make her do a trick and then give her a treat. She always needs to do something to get a treat.”

“Don’t call her name if you’re trying to tell her to behave. She thinks you’re playing with her otherwise.”

This dog has a character of her own. She would stare intently whenever Un Ragazzo paid me a little attention, such as with a hug or a kiss. It was almost as though she was jealous. She wanted to come onto the couch and sit between us. Soon enough, she learned to like me and we were playing hide-and-seek and going out for walks in the neighborhood.

Maggie pays a visit

Maggie frolicking in cold white powder

By the end of the week, I’d fallen in love with a dog. My first canine love. It was a strange, fuzzy feeling for someone who has never viewed it possible to have anything more than a play-toy experience with a pet.

My new-found love and interest in dogs naturally brought out the geek in me to learn about the various types of dogs. To that, Un Ragazzo was pleased to oblige. When the world's most popular dog show rolled into town, he got premium tickets to the Madison Square Garden event.

The result: the best Valentine's Day present ever.

Official ticket to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on February 14, 2011

Finalists of the hound group at the 2011 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

(Some pictures taken from the Internet)