May, oh May. What a thrilling and nourishing time of year! Gardens are blossoming, the energy is rich with intuition, and our little 15 lb. Wizard is growing up and getting to be THE BEST at comedy, joyfulness, and curiosity. Of course, he’s still in puppy mode, but we encourage him to explore, to rabble rouse with other dogs, and now, to run with us on the beach at low tide.

Watching him vacillate between trotting next to my feet closer to the shore, or running up higher in the sand and being next to Greg’s side, Wizard gets it done. If he is distracted by another pup who is with their person, he simply returns to us after playtime and doesn’t miss a beat. This has been a long time coming, this road of him running with us.

Wizard is healthy and strong, almost 11 months young, and funnier than ever. We waited a while to take him on a beach run, mainly because he wasn’t discerning enough between the rougher big dogs and the smaller prissy dogs. He simply ran up to them all and was his jovial self. Sometimes, it didn’t turn out so well and he got checked. Other times, the pup’s guardian would yell that Wizard was too much, and I’d have to call him back to my side.

I understand though. Everyone has their ways of being with their dogs and what the person feels is best for their lives. Dogs are simple creatures. They only love and act from their heart. There’s no judgment or hate within a dog. Whenever I hear (or see) an owner wrangling their pup in such a way that doesn’t benefit either party, I bite my tongue. I’m no dog expert, but I do know they love their freedom, they love to be happy and meet other pups, and they love to love. That’s it. The problem is us humans who instill our badness on the dog and then blame them for “he/she doesn’t like other dogs” phrases that oftentimes get blurted out because the owner is THAT WAY.

Think about it. Dogs sniff butts and either want to play with a hearty tail wag, or they move on to the next thing, whatever it may be. Humans are responsible for how their dogs behave in this world. It’s common logic. We can mess them up forever and they end up in adoption centers with a host of issues. Or we can treat them with kindness, love, and respect, and be amongst the most beautiful creatures on Earth.

The road leads to whatever we lay onto it. Good dogs, bad dogs, good people, bad people—they all exist and they are all part of society. Fortunately, living in a dog-oriented community paves the way for lots of fun, smiles, and happy pups. Speaking of which, Wizard is set to travel down the road for yet another adventure in Arizona with his cousins. There is a new member of my brother’s pack, named Maya. She is a terrier mix who I can envision Wizard having the time of his life.

So, four dogs, lots of chickens, oodles of tortoises, and garden care are on tap for the end of our road trip in mid-May. We’ve got a stop in Joshua Tree on the way to and from Phoenix, only to break up the hours of L.A. traffic and having to recover from sitting in the truck all day. Our first stop is at a familiar guest house, a place where Wizard can let his fun flag fly. On the trip back to California is a cool stop at a trailer that is completely fenced in and Wizard can also let his curiosity flag fly!

May is such an awesome month. Wizard and I are practicing yoga every morning. This is his (and my) time to connect and the intentions I set for us throughout each day. Yoga calms him as much as it helps me. 8 Paws Wellness continues to be a bonded practice of yoga with your dog, yet we have only helped a few locals in our community feel what we do. It could grow from here, but honestly, I’m happy as ever to let my gig with Wizard evolve as it needs to.

If 8 Paws Wellness is nothing more than me sharing stories and inspiration here on my website, I’m good with that too. Either way, we’ve been going strong since 2015. First with Scout, my beloved Rat/Jack Russell terrier mix who you can see has lots of photos in the gallery of this site. Secondly, images of Wizard growing up and becoming all he needs to be. I cover it all.

Wherever this road leads is where we will be. I can’t say for sure how things will turn out from one month to the next, but rest assured, we are healthy, we are connected, we are having one great adventure after another, and we are here for YOU. Thank you again for your support over the years. 8 Paws Wellness keeps going because of the private messages I receive to keep it going. It’s wonderful.

Cheers to May! Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, school graduations, journies abroad, flowers and more flowers, and above all, dogs that LOVE to be involved in your lives.

In health and happiness,

Gerry Ellen and Wizard xoxo