He Only "Speaks" French
He Only "Speaks" French
Source: Fairport Beacon (Fairport Harbor, OH), May 24, 1946
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In the year 1946, a newspaper in Ohio published a story about a French dog's journey to America and the cultural confusion that followed.
The story of a dog named, Poolish, began years before his arrival in Ohio, in a small village in France. One night around 2 a.m., a young French woman, Paulette Loncrenze, heard a faint whining outside her door. When she opened it, a tiny "Caniche Royal" dog—a breed known today as the Poodle—wobbled inside. Miss Loncrenze warmly embraced the dog and took him in that night, not realizing that someday he would be thousands of miles away waiting to be reunited with her. Over time, the young woman and the dog formed a powerful bond. It was so strong in fact, that the dog refused to leave her side for any significant length of time. In the year 1939, World War II began, bringing much devastation to France. Fortunately, both Miss Loncrenze and her devoted dog were saved.
Soon after the war began, American forces, including Staff Sergeant Robert V. Colavecchio, arrived in Europe to support the Allied nations. Sgt. Colavecchio, son of Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Colavecchio of 222 New Fourth Street in Fairport Harbor, was stationed in France. There, he met Miss Loncrenze at an office where he was stationed. After a period of courtship, the two were married in a small French town, French style. Poolish soon became a heart-warming friend to the American sergeant as well. When Mr. Colavecchio was due for his army discharge, he chose to wait in France until his wife was able to travel with him rather than return to the United States alone. The couple decided to send their French poodle, valued at $500 in America at the time, ahead to the Colavecchio family in Ohio.
The poodle arrived at the Colavecchio home at 222 New Fourth Street safely, albeit a week later than scheduled. Upon the dog's arrival, two problems quickly emerged.
First, the poodle did not understand American; he was strictly a "French" dog. When Mrs. Colavecchio told him, "Go to the kitchen," the dog only stood and gazed. A sharp command of "Lie down" from Mr. Colavecchio was met only with a whine and a growl.
Second, the dog was a "very particular pup" and would only eat French meals. This puzzled his new caregivers, who were unsure what to feed him.
Fortunately, a letter postmarked from France arrived from the younger Mr. Colavecchio, solving both problems. In the letter, he gave his parents a few French words that the dog would obey. He also explained that bones, as an "international food for canines", would solve the dog's picky eating habits.
The original article concluded by noting that anyone walking by 222 New Fourth Street shouldn't be alarmed if they heard unfamiliar commands such as "Debout" (sit up), "Assis" (sit down), or "Couché" (lie down), as it was just Mr. and Mrs. Colavecchio communicating to their new "immigrant" pup.