Portrait Of A Dog – James (Bond)

James is a Bernese mix adopted by Mara, my father’s partner, in the fall of 2019.

He was found by some volunteers near Reggio Calabria, Italy, hanged from a tree; after rescuing him, they put him up for adoption so this is how we got to know him.

Now seven years old, he loves being close to us and gives a paw anytime he sees us. Super sweet with kids, very physical and he usually barks as a way of welcoming people.

I have always been impressed by his beauty; his features are so harmonious, he has the air of a committed student and there is so much love in his eyes.

James Bond is a name that suits him, and this is probably due to the elegant colors of his coat. When it comes to going for a walk, he is the most enthusiastic of them all; we have to keep him on a tight leash because he walks so fast (even though he is usually out of breath after ten minutes).

The first time I walked him, I was given the wrong leash (it actually belonged to one of our smaller dogs) and I had to run around the neighborhood to keep up with him. When he came across other dogs, he was happy to greet them and I tripped over my own feet to continue holding the leash! It was a bit of a stressful experience, but I had fun nonetheless.
James is usually good with strangers, he is not intimidated by people he doesn’t know and he becomes attached easily. He is the sweetest dog around and, probably with Dolce, the most “human” of them all. He loves to be cuddled and could spend the entire day on the floor, as long as someone scratches his tummy. He lives for that!

I am very close to him and sometimes his expression reminds me of my late grandfather; a fierce look, full of empathy and respect for the person he is looking at.