If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be going for a walk with my girlfriend’s dog, I’d have told them that was impossible. I was so prejudiced against dogs that even dating a dog owner was out of the question.

Dogs have long lived alongside us as man’s best friend. Personally, I have always been surrounded by cats. In order for a cat to approach you and display any kind of friendly closeness, you must be patient and respect their freedom. I looked down on walks, leads and guaranteed proximity with a trained being. I wasn’t interested in inherited loyalty and learned devotion.

I thought I could just ignore his presence.

I saw him for the first time on my computer screen. He jumped up on the sofa beside her, right at the start of our self-conscious, pandemic-era Zoom date. I expected to hear a command to get down. Other people I knew allowed their dogs to sit in baskets nearby, but always on the floor. In less than a minute, I saw that this case was different. The dog was hugged, allowed to lick his mistress’s face, and kissed in return. His omnipresence was temporarily explained by his small stature, although being a terrier for the most part, he was far from a miniature lap dog. This was a medium-sized