December and Sheepdogs by Saralyn Richard

Many of you know that my sidekick for many years was a naughty-turned-nice sheepdog named Nana. Nana was our second sheepdog, and we had high expectations for her, since our experience with the breed was stellar. In fact, we’d always believed sheepdogs were people in dog suits.

Nana, however, surprised us by being the wildest, craziest, most mischievous furbaby in history. She disrupted every corner of the house, broke bones, tore up valuable objects, leaped to grab things from counters, and ran at full speed into whatever happened upon her path—usually my knees.

We had to do something serious—and fast—to save Nana and ourselves from her exuberance. We hired a trainer, as much for us as for Nana, and I began making a list of Nana’s bad habits, so I could address them. As the list grew, so did my determination to turn Nana around.

One day, while walking Nana on the seawall (which only tempted her to jump), I told my husband that I was going to write a children’s book about Nana. “There are lots of kids who need to learn self-control, and Nana’s story could help them.”

My husband grinned. “Only if Nana’s story has a happy ending.”

I started educating myself about writing children’s books. By the time I’d written the first draft, narrated and pawtographed by Nana, of course, and hired a fabulous illustrator, Nana had settled down and become so well-behaved—no one could believe she’d ever been that naughty. Nana’s adventures were just beginning.

Naughty Nana was published in 2013, and Nana and I took to the road to promote the book. We went to schools and libraries, birthday parties and parades, kids’ events and bookstores. Nana became a local tourism ambassador, and her calendar began filling up with engagements. Both book and narrator were in big demand, and we led busy, exciting, and fun lives, meeting with children and their families.

Christmas time was especially exciting. One little girl at Moody Preschool told me, “Nana is Santa without a lap.”

One of Nana’s favorite hangouts, especially at Christmas time, was Hendley Market. The weekend before Christmas we would greet Hendley customers with furry hugs and sloppy kisses. Even at the end of her life, when Nana was disabled, Cheryl Jenkines (of Hendley Market) insisted that we keep up our tradition. Nana adored scooting all over the store, smiling and licking her adoring public, spreading her unique doggy cheer to everyone. That was two years ago, and right afterwards, Nana crossed the rainbow bridge.

This year, Cheryl invited us back to Hendley Market to sell books, and we accepted, even before we found out that Texas Old English Sheepdog Rescue would have a beautiful seven-year-old female sheepdog for us. Last week we picked up Cassie and brought her to her forever home, where she is settling in (without being naughty in the process).

Next weekend, Cassie will accompany my husband and me to Hendley Market, not to try to fill Nana’s paws, but to make new friends and put big smiles on the faces of children and dog-lovers who are shopping for gifts.

If you’re in the area, please stop by Hendley Market, 20^th and Strand, 1-4 pm on Dec. 21. And if you’re interested in Naughty Nana, you can purchase it new at https://palmcirclepress.com on the bookstore page. It comes autographed, pawtographed, personalized, and with literacy activities upon request.

One thing’s for sure. December and sheepdogs make a perfect party!

Saralyn Richard (https://saralynrichard.com) is a multiple award-winning author of seven mystery novels, a children’s book, and numerous short stories, poems, and essays published in anthologies and magazines. Saralyn is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She has taught literature and creative writing to high school students and adults. Saralyn and her husband live in Texas, where they enjoy their ninth dog and third sheepdog.