For two months now Nala and Hope now live with us.
Two months in which they practically didn’t take a step without a leash. In the first 3 weeks, the thought of going for a walk wasn’t even on the agenda.
Not because we didn’t trust them. But because we wanted to give them some time first.
Time to get to know us.
Time to build trust.
And above all, time to let a bond develop between us both before we take the next step.
Because when the two came to us, we didn’t know what had happened in their previous lives. They hadn’t been socialized, knew hardly any rules, and had learned to be cautious with people.
That's why we didn't want to impose anything.
The leash gave us security.
And she gave the two security.
A few days ago, we had already decided that we could try it out slowly now.
Not anywhere.
Not in the middle of the day.
But very early in the morning, when there is still no one else on the beach where we usually go swimming.
We wanted to take the ropes off them for the first time and see what happens.
The plan was therefore in place.
Only the right moment was missing.
And then today it was finally time.
Hope had once again decided that sleep is completely overrated and woke us up just before 5 a.m.
So we thought – why not today?
It was just starting to get dark when we set off.
With two dogs in the car and a lot of respect for what was about to happen.
When we arrived at the beach, it was still very quiet. We walked through the dunes down to the water.
The sun had just begun to rise.
We unfastened the ropes and waited it out.
None of us knew what would happen next.
Nala and Hope remained quite calm at first. Then they slowly started moving.
Very carefully.
They took a few steps – and actually ran straight into the water.
There they stood very quietly. Just as we always do with them.
And I believe that at that moment they hadn’t even realized that something was missing.
The leash.
For them, everything was as usual.
The water in front of them, us behind them, and this beach that they now knew.
Only this time they were free to move around.
The sea was mirror-smooth that early morning. No wind, hardly any waves. Only the pelicans, swimming peacefully over the calm water.
And then the two of them suddenly realized what was really going on.
No leash.
They started shooting at us from one second to the next.
Like rifle bullets, they chased along the beach; the sand just flew after them.
Nala and Hope have this incredible build – almost like cheetahs. Slim, strong, and built for speed.
And that's exactly what they showed us now.
We could only watch them from behind.
They kept going along the beach.
Soon there were only two small dots on the horizon left from our two dogs.
We almost lost sight of them when the two points on the beach suddenly became larger again.
At exactly the same speed they came flying back at us and ran back to us completely happy.
Naturally, they were amply rewarded.
After that, we went into the water with them, just as we always do.
But the calm did not last long.
Shortly thereafter, the two set off again. Nala ahead, Hope behind.
This time they ran much less distance.
And this time, it didn’t take long for them to turn around and return to the water towards us.
The whole thing repeated several times.
At some point, however, Hope couldn't keep up with Nala's pace and determination; she simply stood in the water and cooled off.
So Nala also stayed with us.
After some time, the two shifted their energy to the beach and began playing with each other.
Fortunately, we had brought water with us. The two of them were naturally thirsty – and they had already figured out a while ago that salt water doesn’t taste very good.
We just stood there and were overjoyed.
Finally, we were able to grant the two the freedom they so richly deserved.
For the first time in their lives, they were able to run freely and unencumbered along the beach, splash around in the water, and simply be a dog.
And we were allowed to watch.
We had been working on this exact moment.
It was no longer about making Nala and Hope perfectly behaved dogs; they should simply be allowed to live happily.
And what could be more beautiful for a dog than to frolic on a deserted beach with his sister at sunrise, to run into the water and just be free?
It was proof that our shared journey, all the patience and the small steps we had taken together, had been worth it for all of us.
By the way: We have detailed information about emigration with pets in our Checklists for emigration to Mexico collected.