I struggled to learn the language when I moved to Italy. Adopting a dog allowed me to practice conversing with others.

• My wife and I moved to Italy in 2019 and I knew I'd have to improve my skills with Italian.
• But when I got there, I had a hard time learning the language.

I moved to Italy in 2019 with a basic understanding of Italian and a desire to continue to improve my speaking skills. I quickly discovered that developing skills in a second language is no easy feat.

Simply immersing myself in Italian society was not a fast track to reaching language proficiency. Though I completed some Italian language courses in college and diligently practiced on Duolingo, I could not build the confidence to have an in-depth conversation with strangers. Yes, I understood grammar rules and vocabulary, but the jump from theoretical understanding to conversation eluded me.

After a year, I was ready to conclude that my progress in learning Italian would likely be slow — then help came from the most unexpected place.

In 2020, my wife saw a post on social media about an abandoned pair of puppies that a good Samaritan saved before nearly drowning in a pool of water. The male puppy was available for adoption, and we immediately decided to give him a home. Based on his history, we named him Lucky. I soon discovered how lucky I was to have him in our lives.

It was difficult to have meaningful conversations with strangers before adopting Lucky

When moving to a new country, it is important to understand that locals have their own lives and are not language-learning avatars, ready at a moment’s notice to help an eager expat build their linguistic skills. I learned this lesson the hard way.

Prior to adopting Lucky, most of my interactions with locals were purely transactional and mechanical. I was able to practice basic conversations at grocery stores and restaurants, but most people I met did not have the time to engage in the type of deep conversations that I needed to advance in Italian.

Research suggests that, while it is difficult for adults to learn a new language, it is not impossible to build on vocabulary and grammar to the point where one becomes proficient. To reach proficiency, I needed to find a way to get past the basic conversational elements that I already mastered. Lucky was the key to getting strangers to open up and speak to me.

Lucky is the ultimate icebreaker

People in the street always want to speak with me when they see me walking Lucky. This is beneficial to my language learning, as I am no longer the one who needs to find an excuse to start a conversation.

Because I have Lucky, I’ve found that people are now friendlier and more open to conversing with me, which is mutually beneficial; I get to work on my language skills, and they get to meet my wonderful pup.

Once I started to take Lucky for his daily walks, I noticed that I went from being regarded by my neighbors as “the American,” to “Lucky’s owner,” to simply being called by my first name. Lucky makes me feel like part of the community. My connection with my neighbors is deeper thanks to him, and now, I engage in daily conversations that help me master my language skills.

I am grateful that Lucky is always at my side

Italy is a dog-loving country, and dogs are allowed to enter the majority of restaurants and stores. I almost always have my faithful companion by my side.

My wife jokes that Lucky has visited more regions of Italy than many Italians. From the shores of Lake Como, to the Italian Alps, to my home in Emilia-Romagna, Lucky provided me with the opportunity to meet and talk to numerous interesting individuals who might otherwise not have taken the time to stop and chat.

I’ve learned countless colloquialisms and new vocabulary words during my travels with him that I do not think I would have learned without him by my side. When I adopted Lucky, I thought I was saving him, but in reality, he was saving me. Grazie Lucky, ti voglio bene.