With Germany’s halfhearted – to say the least – attempt at “protecting the emergency and health services” by banning the sale (not the import, not the production, and not the use of fireworks, and no distinction between the ones that sound like bombs going off and the ones that don’t but are just nice to look at), the last couple of days leading up to 31 December, not to mention New Year’s Eve) were difficult for most dogs, and certainly for Max.

The fact alone that Germany has 11 neighbouring countries, so that most Germans can cross a border in a very short time, and for example that Poland is about an hour’s drive from Berlin, already makes this ban pathetic.

I had been told that on New Year’s Eve 2020, Max’s first outside his shelter in Spain, although he did not want to go out, he was not particularly scared. I therefore saw no reason to flee Berlin for this period, like so many other dog owners do. I most likely will do that this year.

Having become a really good sleeper, and used to sleeping in the living room and not waking me up for a cuddle and a chat several times during the night like in the beginning, Max spent the nights of 29 and 30 December awake most of the time, insisting on being next to my bed, and if I shut any doors between him and me, he scratched them and whined. Other than that, he was just very quiet, and did not even like going outside during daytime due to the odd loud noises in the area. With the result that for three days, he peed very little, which really worried me since he seems to have slight bladder/continence issues, especially in unusual situations.

Starting at mid-day on 31 November, Max took up permanent residence in one of my shower cabins. A sensible choice since there are no windows and it is relatively sound insulated too. I therefore made up a bed for him there (spending an afternoon and night on a tiled floor can’t be good for anybody) and placed his water and food within reach. He did continue to eat everything I fed him. Every time I looked in on him, he was lying completely still, with his eyes open, looking utterly depressed. I don’t think he slept at all during that period.

Miraculously, on 1 January, he did not seem particularly tired. On our walk to Park am Gleisdreieck mid-morning, he was perky, and in the dog park he played with other dogs and took a few good sprints as usual. One new “canine enrichment”: there is now a fox that seems to live nearby and who kept circling the dog enclosure driving the dogs inside it completely crazy 😊. Luckily, the fence there is quite high, and Max did not even attempt to jump over it.

Incidentally, 1 January 2014 is Max’s official birthday – estimated, so exactly when he turns eight years old is anybody’s guess, so he is now in the category of “senior dog” which one would never guess seeing how he outruns most other dogs in the dog parks.

PS I don’t really know about Max, but after three almost sleepless nights, I slept like a log for ten hours the night between 1 and 2 January and both of us are now bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as they say, and ready to attack the year 2022.