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smithsonian institution.years ago. His flank
sucking has all but dis-
appeared. All the rugs
lie in place, the couch
cushions and pillows
sit idle and unthreat-
ened. Dyngo and I are
rarely more than a few
feet apart—he follows
me around, my lumber-
ing guardian. He is now
truly my dog.
Every once in a while,
as I run my thumb along
the velvety inside of his
left ear, I see the faint
blue of his ID tattoo,
#L606. He exhales a low grumble, but
it’s one of deep contentment.
I can take Dyngo out without worry
now. He is gentle with dogs who are
smaller or frailer than he is. He has
even befriended a feisty black cat.
Dyngo’s dozen years of rough-and-
tumble life are finally catching up with
him. His stand-at-attention ears have
fallen into a crumple. The marmalade
brown of his muzzle is swept with
swirls of white and gray. He is miss-
ing more than a few teeth and walks
with a bit of a limp.E
arly in 2018, Dyngo and I drove
up to my parents’ home in Con-
necticut. It was an unusually
balmy day in February, and we rode
with the windows down, Dyngo’s head
raised into the slanting sun. He made
friends with the neighbors’ dogs,dragged branches across the muddy
yard, and took long evening walks
with my father in the downy snow.
Back home again, when we pulled
into our building’s circular driveway
after two weeks away, I looked on as
he jumped down onto the concrete.
His face changed as he reoriented
himself to the surroundings, finding
his footing along the uneven side-
walks and making a beeline toward
his favorite tree spot. As we entered
my apartment, he nosed his way in-
side, then pranced back and forth be-
tween his bed and bowls. He danced
toward me, his eyes filled to the brim
with an expression that required no
interpretation: We’re home! We’re
home!After months of retraining, Dyngo can now walk in
the neighborhood without feeling that he’s on duty.rd.com 93Drama in Real Lifesu
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