AnneMarie Hunter
When dogs come together, their owners do, too

Though my aspiration has been to build bridges in Germany, it was dogs building those bridges in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe last Saturday.

By AnneMarie Hunter

Kassel - During the first annual Großen Dackelspaziergang Rallye, dogs and their best people friends competed in a series of games on the same royal grounds Kaiser Wilhelm II’s dogs called home. However, just like in Kansas City and around the world, the dogs’ main agenda was to bark, sniff, play and make new friends.
 
As it also happens all over the world, when dogs come together, their owners do, too. Even if only for a day or a few moments, bridges are effortlessly built between strangers over their shared love of dogs.
 
I am one of those who loves dogs. I find their unconditional love and zest for life irresistible. However, I don’t have a dog at this time and went to the Rallye without one. It didn’t matter. I still made new friends, both four-legged and two.
 
The fact that I don’t speak German was no problem either, even when a dog owner didn’t speak English. We communicated, thanks to a shared language that translates easily across all ages, backgrounds and cultures.
 
Regardless of nationality, fellow dog lovers understand how you can laugh out loud when your dog somersaults in the grass – regardless if it’s the millionth time. Their compassion is genuine when you talk about a beloved, tail-wagging friend you’ve lost.
 
At the Rallye, I connected with lots of friendly dog folks, while schmoozing with pups of all breeds and sizes during an afternoon of ‘meet and greets.’ As I was leaving Bergpark at the end of the event, I passed an exuberant group of people smiling and drenched in the warm sun. What was happening inside that circle, I asked myself. Curious, I walked over to take a peek. Dogs were what was happening, of course.
 
Inside the circle, two dachshund puppies played their hearts out, oblivious to the crowd. Unaware they were the center of attention, they brought these strangers together for a few more fun memories from the day.