Chester – Day 14
Chester had a restful and quiet night.
This morning he decided that he’d made it too easy for me yesterday by volunteering to get up and out of bed, walk to the basement and outside willingly. H
e didn’t want me to think this was going to be a cake walk. Today I had to pull him up and out of bed (I’ve been there myself). It’s getting cooler outside the past few days and I’m sure he was warm and comfy. Once downstairs he headed to go under his table. With some pulling and coaxing, he finally went outdoors and just started to pee when a LOUD noise from a distance startled him abruptly to a stop. It took another 10 minutes of walking around with him in the back yard and refusing to let him back inside before he finished. Back inside, he ate his breakfast and had a large drink of water, but it was another wait and struggle to get him back upstairs.
Once upstairs, he followed me (without leash or prodding) from the office to the kitchen (my breakfast), to the bedroom to put some things away, back to the office. He’d love to become a Velcro dog … working on it.
I think today is turning out to be one of those days when Chester would rather be invisible. Although he followed me around a bit this morning, since then he’s tried to stay in his bed (and for now I’m letting him). Sometimes we all just have “those days” where we’d rather not participate. He did enjoy his walk this morning with Casey, although he let her lead most of the way (another indication to me that he isn’t quite himself). He spent more time looking all directions and listening to every small noise than really enjoying his walk. There’s no sign that he’s sick and no change in his bathroom habits, so I’m not worried. Will just let him do his thing and we’ll see what the afternoon brings.
It must be boring for a dog that doesn’t do “dog” … after all he doesn’t play with toys, chase balls, run or chew large bones. We can’t leave him on a long lead, like Casey who enjoys following her “Dad/Glenn” around while he’s doing projects, or just sitting by him (in the front yard watching him work on the flower beds or landscape projects.) If Chester escaped from his collar and halter, we might never catch him … he’d run until his legs wouldn’t carry him any more. Other than walks and the petting and attention we give him throughout the day, most of his day is spent lying around. Most of that time he sits anxious and fearful that something will “get” him, so he’s on his guard and under a table or between furniture and a wall.
He knows by now that we’re safe, but he still jumps if we make the slightest noise he’s not prepared to hear, even putting the remote back on the table can cause him to flinch. Today I dropped an empty tuna can on the counter by accident while making lunch and he flew off the sofa (dragging the leash that was still attached), skid down the hallway and into the bedroom to his kennel/bed. I found him sitting there, shaking. I petted him, calmed him down a bit, grabbed the leash and walked him back to where he was on the sofa in the kitchen. He sat there quietly until I left the room. Chester went back to bed until lunch time.
After lunch Chester stayed for a nap with Glenn and Casey. The rest of the afternoon and evening was pretty quiet. It’s obvious he wants to join the fun; he’s just fearful and doesn’t know how yet. A first (and second): Chester walked right past Casey and drank water from the large bowl that sits just inside the slider door. Previously he’s only used his own.
Once upstairs, he followed me (without leash or prodding) from the office to the kitchen (my breakfast), to the bedroom to put some things away, back to the office. He’d love to become a Velcro dog … working on it.
I think today is turning out to be one of those days when Chester would rather be invisible. Although he followed me around a bit this morning, since then he’s tried to stay in his bed (and for now I’m letting him). Sometimes we all just have “those days” where we’d rather not participate. He did enjoy his walk this morning with Casey, although he let her lead most of the way (another indication to me that he isn’t quite himself). He spent more time looking all directions and listening to every small noise than really enjoying his walk. There’s no sign that he’s sick and no change in his bathroom habits, so I’m not worried. Will just let him do his thing and we’ll see what the afternoon brings.
It must be boring for a dog that doesn’t do “dog” … after all he doesn’t play with toys, chase balls, run or chew large bones. We can’t leave him on a long lead, like Casey who enjoys following her “Dad/Glenn” around while he’s doing projects, or just sitting by him (in the front yard watching him work on the flower beds or landscape projects.) If Chester escaped from his collar and halter, we might never catch him … he’d run until his legs wouldn’t carry him any more. Other than walks and the petting and attention we give him throughout the day, most of his day is spent lying around. Most of that time he sits anxious and fearful that something will “get” him, so he’s on his guard and under a table or between furniture and a wall.
He knows by now that we’re safe, but he still jumps if we make the slightest noise he’s not prepared to hear, even putting the remote back on the table can cause him to flinch. Today I dropped an empty tuna can on the counter by accident while making lunch and he flew off the sofa (dragging the leash that was still attached), skid down the hallway and into the bedroom to his kennel/bed. I found him sitting there, shaking. I petted him, calmed him down a bit, grabbed the leash and walked him back to where he was on the sofa in the kitchen. He sat there quietly until I left the room. Chester went back to bed until lunch time.
After lunch Chester stayed for a nap with Glenn and Casey. The rest of the afternoon and evening was pretty quiet. It’s obvious he wants to join the fun; he’s just fearful and doesn’t know how yet. A first (and second): Chester walked right past Casey and drank water from the large bowl that sits just inside the slider door. Previously he’s only used his own.
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