Silly Shepherds · About a 6-minute read
Sunday, September 13.
Odin turned two.
His first two years weren’t the start we would have wished for him. A rope for a leash. A name that, to us, didn’t fit him. So much he still needed to learn.
But this birthday was different.
With Zara. With Lio. With a blanket on the couch and his usual spot outside the bathroom door whenever I go in.
We celebrated.
Party hats. Decorations. Presents to unwrap.
A big bone and soooo many balls for both dogs.
The unwrapping took some convincing—the bone alone was already more than enough excitement. But the party was for both of them.
Welcome home, Odin.
Officially.
🐾 What Else Week 6 Brought
A quieter week than the last one.
No lost dogs. No downpour in the woods.
Just five walks a day. Repetition. Practice. Building on what we’ve learned.
That counts as training too.
Garry — Odin now gives the older dog at the field some space. To me, he looks more comfortable recognizing Garry’s boundaries than he did a few weeks ago.
Whatever is going on in his head, the difference in his behavior is clear.
Charlie and Butter — Playing with Charlie keeps improving.
Day 39: Odin was off-leash at the field with Charlie and Butter and responded really well to me.
Those are the moments when you can see things slowly starting to click.
Bowie — The little dog Odin chased last week was back on day 41.
I kept Odin on the leash.
We’re not ready for that combination yet. Small dogs running around are still a trigger.
Patience.
The suspicious sandwich — Day 42, in the woods.
A man warned us that he had found a suspicious sandwich. He thought it might have been poisoned.
We didn’t know whether it actually was, but it was a reminder to stay alert.
My dogs hadn’t eaten anything off the ground. Still, it made me want to take our “leave it” practice more seriously.
For their safety.
The Polish woman with the Belgian Malinois — Day 43.
According to his owner, her dog had been taken away from his mother too early. That may have been part of his history, but it couldn’t tell us exactly why he behaved this way.
He followed Odin around, growling and making a lot of noise.
Odin didn’t react in kind.
That may have been the most telling moment of the whole week.
A dog who nearly went for a Labrador six weeks ago stayed calm while a Malinois made quite a scene around him.
One encounter doesn’t mean we’re finished.
But it gives me something encouraging to look back on after six weeks of work.
🐾 Fall Is on Its Way
The evenings are getting darker.
Fast.
Suddenly, we need a flashlight. An umbrella. And the weather app that somehow always gets the timing wrong.
Fall changes our walks too.
Fewer people outside. Fewer distractions. A quieter dog field.
For Odin, those quieter moments give us more room to practice and more chances to learn.
And Odin in the rain?
On day 35, he came home absolutely soaked and thoroughly unimpressed.
Now he just keeps walking.
Apparently, that gets easier too.
🐾 Six Weeks In—Where We Stand
Six weeks ago: a rope for a leash, no basic commands, and an explosive reaction to a Labrador.
Now: giving older dogs space. Staying calm around a noisy Malinois. Some off-leash time in the woods. Responding when I call.
Not every time.
Not everywhere.
But more often.
And now he’s two years old.
With a bone.
With balls.
With a party hat on.
Not bad for a dog who needed a fresh start.
Next week—a little sneak peek at what’s coming. Follow us so you don’t miss it.
Find us on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
🐕 No Wikipedia. Just Us.
This isn’t a training guide. It’s our honest diary of a dog who deserves a second chance—and an owner who won’t give up. Week by week. Step by step.
