A Dog for the Season
April 21, 2020
Despite nagging from the Spirit Animal who presides over this site, it’s been a while since I published a story in which a dog plays a major part. I hope the piece just issued in Cagibi, “The Goodbye Dog,” will make up for that dereliction of duty.
Since canines are one of our comforts during the ongoing pandemic, this is a perfect time to give one a title role.
The story did present a special challenge in that it required translations from two foreign languages: Italian and Boerboel. For any clumsiness therein, I apologize to Dante and to the Spirit Animal, respectively.
Elsewhere in the April issue, I recommend the essay by Robert Close. And the graphic here links to the cover page.
The News from Gridleyville 
April 21, 2020 at 7:50 pm
Good story, Sam. Love and life is complicated.
I’d never heard of the Boerboel breed before. I wonder how many of them are friendly like Claude.
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April 22, 2020 at 11:11 am
Says Wikipedia, “Boerboels are an intelligent and energetic breed. They are loyal, great with children, and tend to be protective of their family and territory. They are quite charming when not being lazy, and will not hesitate to defend their loved ones to the death. They are often called ‘Velcro’ dogs, always wanting to be with their owners, and so, are not prone to wandering off on their own.”
But also: “They are one of the most powerful dog breeds in the world and have a bite force of 800 psi.”
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