Unleashed Love: A Shepherd's Joyful Journey At A Local Park
Plus, a win for dogs, memoir update, and stress relief
Greetings, I’m glad you’re here. In the news today:
But first a story…
Thump! The ground shook under my feet as Julia Nelson lurched to my left. Her arm had been wrenched taut by a very large shepherd pouncing on the tiniest of cottonwood fluff. She laughed, straightened herself, and adjusted the leash around her wrist. We continued our stroll along the shaded edges of Lino Park. Her dog, Jade, snuffled and chased and pounced on the abundant seeds stirred by a gentle breeze. Jade, Jade Jade, or JJ is a regal German shepherd with a black spot on her forehead and one in the center of her long, pink tongue. I nicknamed her Double Dot.
Our conversation had begun in the shade of the picnic pavilion. Julia held a tight grip on Jade’s leash while I sat on a bench. The more we talked, the more trusting Jade became. She eventually approached my hand with her big sniffer, gave a brief nudge of my fingers, then turned her ears like satellite dishes in the direction of a distant bark. Julia told me that if people don’t have time to make friends on Jade’s terms as I did, she merely has to coo, “That’s momma’s friend,” and Jade relaxes into her trust. She’s used that phrase so often in her neighborhood that kids often tease her with their high pitched voices, singing, “I’m momma’s fre-end.”
Julia grew up in a shepherd-loving family. When she had the means to care for dogs of her own, she sought out a reputable breeder. She wanted to meet the dog parents, see their living conditions, and learn about their genetic diversity. All were clues to the health of the pups she would purchase. Julia had no interest in pet store puppies that come from industrial breeding farms known as puppy mills.
I didn’t meet Julia’s other dog Rocky the day I met Jade. Julia manages two large, prey and floof-driven dogs by attending to one dog at a time. Julia walks twice daily, one hour with each dog. To get them outside together, she uses the Sniffspot app to find private, secure spaces to let her dogs run free. Their favorite is a seven acre parcel of rolling woods in Lindstrom. “It’s my therapy,” said Julia, recalling the quiet peppered only by bird songs and the crashing of her pups through the underbrush. Sometimes she rents a Sniffspot in Centerville where she brings balls and bubbles for the dogs to chase.
Julia considers six year-old Jade the intelligent one of her two shepherds. While five year-old Rocky is smart, he is easily manipulated by Jade. If he is lying down in the place she wants to be, Jade will begin posturing in front of Rocky to play. Rocky, always hip for a game, easily caves to her challenge. When he vacates his resting spot, Jade sneaks into it before he knows what’s happened. It doesn’t matter how many times Jade initiates the ploy, Rocky always gives in.
As we prepared to leave the park that day, Jade gave one final pounce on a particularly persistent cottonwood seed, her tail wagging with pure joy. Watching Julia's face light up, I understood that these daily walks weren't just exercise and routine—they were love in motion, proof of the quiet devotion that flows between a person and their dogs.
(The story above first appeared in the Quad Community Press)
Where is your favorite place to take your dog?
A BIG WIN FOR DOGS
I learned last week that people love learning about policies to help dogs. I wrote a Substack Note (similar to a Facebook or Instagram post) about the passing of the Humane Pet Store Ordinance in my home town. All it took was two people, me and another resident, to speak up for change. Here is the link to the Note where you can join the celebration. Interested in a Humane Pet Store Ordinance for your town? Let me know. O watch on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/reel/1566670271384692
BOOK LAUNCH UPDATE
Well…life never goes as planned. The designer working on the cover to Mom Loves the Dogs More: A Memoir of Family Rescue had a death in her family. We are taking a pause for her to begin grieving with her family.
HOW TO SHAKE IT OFF
Stress. Burnout. Fear. I bet many humans are feeling any or all of these things at this very moment. Chloe Ackerman’s top post “Shake It Off” in her Dog Lover’s Guide walks the reader through ways to flip the off-switch on stress – something you can do with your dog, your kids, or on your own.
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Sorry about the delay of your book, Cindy. But I’m sure it will be worth the wait!