Silly Shepherds · about a 6-minute read
Saturday. Movie theater. Brad Pitt. And a German Shepherd in the movie who’s also named Odin.
A little disappointing. But I always enjoy seeing dogs in movies. And back home, the real Odin was lying on his blanket. He didn’t have to put on an act for anyone.
That’s week 9 in one picture.
🐾 Zara acting like the Queen — day 61
Thursday in the woods. Two boys on bikes. Zara off leash — the sweetest dog in the world, calmly letting both boys pet her.
Then one of them gets on his bike and rides away.
Zara doesn’t approve. And takes off after him, barking.
The boy stops. For a moment, Zara feels like Queen of the Woods.
I wasn’t happy. This is Odin behavior. And I don’t want it from Zara. A few stern words, then we moved on.
But honestly, I had to laugh a little too. After months of behaving herself alongside Odin and always setting a good example, she’s apparently decided she deserves a little excitement of her own.
Adolescence always seems to make a comeback.
🐾 Odin in the woods — day 60
Tuesday. Woods. Happily playing with a stick. Then a man with a dog appears behind us.
Odin runs straight over. Doesn’t come back when I call.
Eventually, he does. But not right away. And nothing happened — he just wanted to say hello. Still. This isn’t what I want.
I’ve made a decision: once Odin has been with me for three months, we’ll begin his formal training. Every day. Structured. Step by step. This will be our next challenge — and I’m looking forward to it.
🐾 The 8:30 p.m. walk — days 59 and 60
Two evenings in a row, we walked to the field. Nobody there. No Charlie. No other dogs.
I’ve made a decision: we’re dropping this walk. There’s no point if nobody shows up or lets us know they won’t be coming. Odin and Zara already get four proper walks a day. That fifth short outing is unnecessary — and Zara has been telling me as much by getting less and less enthusiastic about coming along.
Sometimes stopping something is progress too.
🐾 The driveway — days 63 and 64
A busy weekend getting things done. I built a shelter by the driveway — to keep the bikes dry and give me somewhere to blow-dry the dogs as soon as we get home from a rainy walk. And I put in a gate so they can’t rush out front the moment the door opens.
Practical. Smart. And Odin and Zara spent the whole day in the yard, following me around, helping out, and playing. Both were tired in the best possible way.
🐾 World Animal Day — day 64
Sunday, October 4. World Animal Day.
Extra treats. Plenty of cuddles. And a long sniffing walk, with all the time they wanted to catch up on the neighborhood news.
It’s the least they deserve.
🐾 Nine weeks — taking stock
Nine weeks ago: a rope for a leash, no commands, and a near attack on a Labrador.
Now: a dog who comes back when I call — not always, not immediately, but more often than not. A dog who plays with Charlie. A dog lying beside me on his blanket as I write this.
And in three weeks: the start of his formal training.
To be continued.
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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.
