Three chows made history by helping the famous Sigmund Freud, in both his personal and professional life.
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| Jofi & Sigmund Freud |
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, did not become a dog lover until he was in his 70s. It all started when he bought his daughter an Alsatian shepherd to protect her on her evening walks through the city. Freud ended up falling in love with the dog, and in 1928 he got his own - a chow named Lun-Yu. Unfortunately, 15 months after getting her, she was run over by a train. Freud was devastated.
Several months later, Freud was emotionally ready to have another dog in his life. In fact, he got two dogs and both were chows. One was named Jofi, the sister of Lun-Yu, and the other was named Lun. I am not sure if Lun was related to the others, but either way, the two dogs did not get along well together so Freud decided to give Lun to a friend. Freud and Jofi became especially close to one another. She was almost always by his side, even when he was in his office treating clients.
The more Freud got to know dogs, the more he believed they had the ability to read humans. He noticed that when the clients were calm, Jofi would stay near them, and if they were anxious, she would move away from them. Freud also noticed that clients were more open and candid when Jofi was present.
According to a client of Freud's, a psychiatrist named Roy Grinker, when Jofi would leave his side and scratch at the door to get out, Freud would tell him the dog did not approve of what he was saying. And if the dog wanted back in the office, she was giving him another chance. Once, when Jofi jumped on top of him as he laid on the couch in an especially emotional state, Freud told Grinker the dog was excited because he had discovered the source of his anxiety.
After attending so many sessions, Jofi began to internalize the duration of them. When Jofi got up and yawned, Freud knew the hour was up.
During his time with Jofi, Freud was being treated for cancer of the jaw. The devoted chow provided much comfort to him during the hard times. After a series of operations, Freud wrote to a friend "I wish you could have seen with me what sympathy Jofi shows me during these hellish days, as if she understood everything."
Freud wrote about Jofi in his diaries often, and would spare no expense on her - including paying for a complicated surgery to remove some ovarian cysts. In January 1937, a few days after the surgery, Jofi died from heart failure. Freud was deeply devastated, but knew he couldn't live the remaining years of his life without a dog. The day after Jofi's passing, Lun (the chow Freud previously gave to a friend) was returned to him.
Freud enjoyed the company of Lun but as his last days neared, Lun began to avoid him. He believed it was due to the putrid odor of infection coming from his face. He didn't blame the dog for avoiding him, but without her he became more depressed while suffering from immense pain. Sigmund Freud was ready for his life to end. He passed away on September 23, 1939 after receiving a lethal dose of morphine.
"Often when stroking Jofi, I have caught myself humming a melody which, unmusical as I am, I can’t help recognizing as the aria from Don Giovanni: A bond of friendship unites us both...," wrote Freud.
