Three Black Spots

Dogs Rule

Three stylish European men. Four perky American blondes. Six ringing celphones. Gstaad in the summer.

We were on our way to the Swiss lakes, to spend a few days recuperating from a sales convention in Montreux, and had stopped for lunch. We set Yoda up on our lunch table in the garden, and soon the chic mob stepped out of their ultracool persona, and came and played with him. He has this way of getting people to leave their attitude behind.

In Montreux, Yoda had for once disgraced himself by barking uncontrollably at a lady wearing a burkha in the hotel. Every time she walked past, he would bark. We could not see her face to register her expression, but her gait said it all. I would have loved to quiz Yoda on what had set him off. Was it her clothes, or something about her that he did not approve of? Fortunately the hotel people were on our side. Maybe she was not a good tipper.

We took Yoda to see the Saint Bernard dogs on the Italian border and he wanted to get out of his case and play with them. Not a good idea. We did not have our passports with us, and yet braved it across the Italian check point, just to set foot in Italy. The brave and silly things we did before 9/11.

Coming back into Switzerland, the border guards began to give us a tough time, because we had no papers. We waved Yoda in their faces, and they waved us through. On our way back we wondered if we could hang a little keg of brandy around his neck, and have him bring it to us after dinner every evening. Sommelier Yoda – his latest avatar.

The hotel at Interlaken rolled out the red carpet for Yoda. A special bed, a special blanket, a special bowl for his water, and some special treats- everything was special for him. We had to satisfy ourselves with the mints they left on our pillows.

Many hotels around the world are beginning to wake up to the dog market. People want to travel with their pets, and it’s a sure way to get a dedicated group of customers. Hotels in Europe have always been dog friendly, and the US is now beginning to catch up.

At a Sheraton hotel, we were recently greeted with a release form authorizing the hotel to bill us for any damage Yoda might cause. I think they mistook him for a rock star who would get coked up and trash the room. They also gave us a couple of plastic bags for his poop, and a little note requesting us to take him out for regular walks. What a wonderful thing it is, when corporate PR and in house legal counsel come together in a good cause.

Hotels in India are confused about how to handle our dog-request. When we are planning a major business event, they are told they must allow Yoda, or it is a deal breaker. Revenue always triumphs over other qualms. When we plan to make a private visit, we need to do more sophisticated cajoling. The Raj Vilas capitulated when I mentioned the brand name of his carrying case, and assured them that Yoda would always be in it, when we went through the public areas. Ah, the power of advertising! We are what we wear.

It’s not just hotels. Last month, I saw an electronic sign in the windows of the Commerce Bank in New York. ‘ Dogs Rule’ was the first scroll followed by ‘ Your dog is always welcome in the bank’. Yessssssss. Finally it’s happening.