12/06/2025
**edit**
I truly appreciate all of the love for Hugo, and it is sad that he has passed away, but we had 12 amazing years togerther. I really want to hear how you found your heart dogs!!!!!
Let’s Hear Your “Gotcha” stories!
I’ll start with my favorite.
Many years ago I was working for my best friend who at the time was in the beginning years of her dog training business. She purchased a dog who was supposed to be a purebred Belgian Malinois who she named Hugo (his DNA results are important later in the story), so needless to say he was wild. Oftentimes my evening duties involved taking care of Hugo and we just didn't vibe at the time, though the reasons why now escape me.
There was a period of time were I no longer worked for her and we didn't keep in contact, but a little over a year later we reconnected softly after my dog passed away during surgery. One day she asked me to help her out with working some dogs at Amerson and Hugo was the dog I was tasked with walking. I’ll never forget that day. We had the dogs out by the rocks in the river and there was decent, but safe current running from the rocks back to the bank. Hugo jumped off of the rocks into the water, was carried away in the current, and ran up the bank…….only to run back to the rocks and jump back in! It was obvious that he was doing this for fun.
After a few times of him doing this, we were having a good laugh at his new game, but a concerned bystander didn’t understand what was going on. Understandably concerned, she desperately started trying to call him back while he was in the water. Ever the people pleaser, Hugo tried to swim back up the current to her. Once we were able to explain why this was dangerous and calmer her down, Hugo floated back to the bank and came over to make sure everything was okay.
Now, I was in no way ready for another dog. We had just lost Brock two months ago and were still grieving, but something in me knew that he was my dog. I love the river, hiking, and anything outdoors. Seeing the way that Hugo made a game of getting swept away in the current, and how he immediately lost all sense of self preservation when he heard some in distress struck a cord in me.
Once we were back on our walk and had time to reset from the hectic event, my friend said that she was actually looking to find Hugo a new home and asked if I wanted him. I didn’t even bother asking my husband if it was okay, said “YES” and took him home with me that day.
The rest, they say, was history.
He went everywhere with me. He was my best friend. Hugo didn’t need me to be strict with rules because he just knew what I needed. He helped me train dogs and was my partner when I started my own business. If I was ever out without him, people asked where he was because it was so surprising. Hugo had actually became so popular that he was greeted before me when we went to our favorite places.
Hugo was such a great dog, but didn’t quite fit the standard Mal behaviors, so we did have him DNA tested a few years before he passed. It turned out that he was Belgian Malinois, German Shepherd, and a little sprinkle of Cane Corse. I have toyed with idea of looking for breeder who uses that mix for working dogs, but he can never be replaced. I will forever love my Craigslist trunk dog.
