Odin week 10 — Zara crowns herself Queen of the Dog Park

Silly Shepherds · about 4 minutes to read

Thursday morning. Dog park. The Belgian Malinois who’s been regularly stirring things up over the past few weeks came onto the field.

Once again, Odin got put in his place.

But this time, Zara did something I’m not used to seeing from her. Our big softie, who usually stays out of the commotion, wasn’t letting this one pass.

In one smooth movement, she put the Malinois on her back. That was all. One brief moment. No fight. Afterward, they walked alongside each other again as if nothing had happened.

Exactly what passed between those two, only they know. But it certainly made me stop and look.

Zara. Our softie.

That morning, she went home as Queen of the Dog Park.

🐾 Monday — the vet and Lio in a recovery suit

Monday was time for the animals’ checkups.

Odin and Zara had their vaccinations, including rabies this time. With the border so close, we want to keep that up to date.

Lio had a little more on her schedule: getting spayed, microchipped, and vaccinated.

Back home, she spent a while lying quietly in her bed, recovering from the anesthesia. Odin wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. He kept going over to check on her. A quick look, then back again a little later.

His friend was there, but she wasn’t acting like herself.

It wasn’t until around 3:45 that she started moving again. Lio walked around a little, and Odin immediately seemed more at ease.

That evening, Miranda put her in a recovery suit so she no longer needed the lampshade. Odin was calmer and gentler with her than we’re used to.

Did he understand what was going on? I can’t say. But we both noticed the difference in his behavior.

🐾 Autumn brings Zara back to life

The cooler autumn weather brings Zara back to life.

During the summer heat, she was often sluggish. Now she’s running again, seeking Odin out and inviting him to play.

I remember the same thing with Shadow and Ayla. On hot days, they took things slowly. As soon as it cooled down outside, their energy came back.

And now we’re seeing it with Zara.

Together, they race across the field. Odin wearing his light-up collar, Zara wearing hers. In the dark, you see those two glowing shapes darting after each other.

And I just stand there for a moment, watching.

After all the time spent practicing, paying attention, and going over things again, these are the moments when you simply get to enjoy your dogs.

🐾 Wednesday — Charlie keeps following Odin

Wednesday evening, Marvin texted to ask if we wanted to join him and Charlie for a walk.

Of course. Except this time, Charlie gave Odin very little space. He kept following him around.

Odin stayed surprisingly calm. Whether he understood the signals properly, I’m still not sure. I sometimes find that hard to read with him.

What I did see: things didn’t escalate.

That’s good, but I don’t want to turn it into some huge victory just yet. One calm encounter doesn’t tell the whole story. And staying calm doesn’t automatically mean a dog feels comfortable.

For that evening, I’ll leave it at this: Odin didn’t get drawn into it.

🐾 Thursday — Zara’s unexpected side

And then came that Thursday morning with the Malinois.

The moment stayed with me precisely because Zara is usually so gentle. She runs, plays, and lets a lot of things slide. That’s why I didn’t expect this from her.

It was brief. Afterward, the dogs went back to doing their own thing and walked alongside each other again.

For me, it became the defining moment of the week.

Zara showing a very different side of herself.

It didn’t take long for us to crown her Queen of the Dog Park back home.

🐾 Friday — Zara isn’t walking quite like herself

On Friday, I noticed something during our walk.

Zara wasn’t walking with me as comfortably as usual. She was distracted, pulled to the right, and wasn’t following along as naturally as she normally does.

My first thought was that Monday’s vaccinations might have something to do with it. But that’s a guess. I don’t know what’s causing it.

She didn’t otherwise seem ill, but the way she was walking was clearly different. I don’t want to brush that off as something that must just be down to the shots.

We’re keeping a close eye on her. If it continues or gets worse, we’ll contact the vet.

🐾 Ten weeks — where are we now?

At the start of this diary, Odin was still on a rope. He barely knew any commands. And that encounter with the Labrador is still clear in my mind.

This week, I saw a dog who stayed calm when Charlie gave him very little space. Who kept checking on Lio after her surgery. Who treated her more gently than usual.

And who raced across the field with Zara.

That doesn’t mean everything comes easily now. On our walks, I’m still trying to understand what he notices, what he misses, and when he needs our help.

But something is changing.

Between the training sessions, there’s more and more room for ordinary life together. A walk. A cat in a recovery suit. Two glowing collars moving through the dark.

And Zara, who gave us a chapter of her own this week.

In two weeks, Odin starts his formal training. I’m curious to see what we’ll learn together.

📖 The Language of the Shepherd

Nearly thirty years of living with German Shepherds, honestly put into words. About calm, clear boundaries, and learning to share your life with a dog who asks a lot of you—and gives you so much in return.

Explore The Language of the Shepherd on our book page.

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🐕 No Wikipedia. Just us.

This is our honest diary about Odin and life with our dogs. What goes well, what’s still a challenge, and what we learn along the way. Week by week. Step by step.

Read next

• Odin Week 9 — a movie with a dog named Odin, and Zara acting like the Queen
• Odin Week 11 — A Mischievous Streak and Soaked Socks
• Working Line or Show Line? — The Honest Story Nobody Tells You
• The book: The dog who would walk through fire for you