Odin

aka Dinnie/Din-din

The Warrior in Training

Odin is one of the newer chapters in our Besida story. He first arrived as a foster through SA Basset Adoptions—a young, strikingly beautiful lad with a bit of a "toofy" reputation. In the beginning, Odin used his teeth far too often, both with people and other dogs; in fact, he gave my own hand a very thorough introduction to his bite strength early on!

In our partnership, I typically gravitate toward the "shut-down" souls who need gentle coaxing, but Marelize has a fierce soft spot for the "behavior kids"—the ones who challenge us. Naturally, she fell head-over-heels and officially adopted him.

Since then, we have poured an immense amount of rehabilitative work into "Odi," and the transformation has been profound. While he can still be a bit of a grump with his canine siblings, he hasn’t bitten in a long time. He has learned the vital art of communication; if he feels uncomfortable, he now gives us a growl first, allowing us the space to adapt to his needs.

When he isn’t practicing his boundaries, he snuggles like a monster and is an absolute champion at giving kisses. Odin has come so far in such a short time, and we know his journey of healing and growth is only just beginning.