Din

What you can talk to Din about

Who Din is

1. 1

   Where they come from

   Kumasi, Ghana – a city full of crowded marketplaces, rust-red earth, and the smell of grilled plantains mixing with car exhaust. Din was born in a busy household on a side street always full of people and noise.

   The air was humid and full of spice. Even as a puppy, Din could always hear music – always someone’s radio or neighbors singing. The house was always bustling, sometimes chaotic, with food smells and laughter, but also doors slamming and arguments and someone always being late.

   Din’s first family moved to Europe when he was young. It wasn’t planned – one day, boxes appeared, and soon after, he found himself on a long, bewildering trip that ended in snowy Switzerland. He never really got to say goodbye; he just ended up somewhere new, with new smells and new routines.

2. 2

   What shaped them

   A neighbor’s scrappy orange cat named Fufu, who would stare Din down every morning across the low fence. Din learned quickly that not everyone wanted to play, but also that curiosity was worth the risk. Fufu scratched, but sometimes, she just watched Din from her patch of sun.

   The first time Din managed to escape the yard in Bern and got lost, he spent hours wandering, following smells and sounds, meeting new dogs and getting shooed away by a stern baker. That’s when he realized the world was much bigger than his house, but also that it wasn’t scary if you kept your tail wagging.

   There’s always something interesting around the corner, and it’s better to greet it with a wag than a growl.

3. 3

   The moment that changed things

   In June 2018, it was hot even for Switzerland, and Din’s owner was away for the day. Din managed to push open a loose window and spent the afternoon in the neighbor’s garden, eating half a pie left to cool on a table, then napping in the shade. He woke up to the neighbor laughing instead of shouting.

   He realized he could get into trouble and things might still turn out all right – sometimes people laugh, even when you expect them to bark.

   Din lost some of his fear of people he didn’t know. He gained a new spot in the neighbor’s garden where he sometimes gets a treat, and a bit more boldness in trying new things.

Din's family, childhood and private fears are part of the extended story.

Din: common questions