From this litter we chose the smallest puppy, just because she was the toughest and most muscular one, an athletic type so to say! She was the only one of the 8 puppies who literally managed to climb the barrier of their  room ( with a pull-up and roll forwards, we didn’t believe our eyes!) and examined the whole floor in the early morning before we came down. Better than expected mother Anna took over most of the difficult education work: incredible how fast dogs teach themselves by imitation. What the elder isn’t allowed to do, she can’t tolerate with the young one, no argument! Mother and daughter turned into a great team. Anna’s death was a hard loss…not only for 5-year-old Nora who kept mourning her for a long time. Ridgeback Shaka, our frequent foster son, now got all her attention and friendship, although she strictly demanded her domiciliary rights and often taught the hooligan a lesson. But the more he loved her for that! In open nature, in the woods, across the fields, at the lake,  these two raved and raced for hours. He was the only one to incite her to powerful  leaps into deep water, just to retrieve a stick she wasn’t even interested inl. To be part of it….that was the motto! Nora embodied the “ease of being”, she moved like dancing, invented minuet-like dances and enjoyed long-distance-walks from steeple to steeple, preferably in winter across snow-covered fields. In old age she increasingly resembled her mother Anna, and her understanding and affectionate character obtained  independence and grit- so typical of a real bouvier des flandres! At the age of 12 she helped us looking for an “offspring”: In October  she adopted little Bryana with all her heart and she even blossomed again with this new task. Despite of her high age she played and romped with the puppy and young dog later and patiently taught her all a young dog needs to know, especially social behaviour!
Shortly before her 14th birthday she left us.