Chester – Day 16
Progress, progress, progress and fun. That’s the name of today’s game.
First thing this morning I heard Glenn in the kitchen and Casey in the hallway just outside my bedroom door. It was still dar
k outside, about 6 a.m.. Chester came out of his kennel/bed, headed to the bedroom door (on his own) and joined Casey heading downstairs … no halter, no leash. He followed her outside to potty and came back to the basement/family room for a drink (from the community water bowl by the door).
I had to have my coffee and get dressed, but today’s plan called for an early dog breakfast and an early walk (before the neighborhood kids were up and out). The dogs went outside to our back yard to do their morning bathroom duties. She and Glenn headed upstairs to the garage to wait for Chester and me. I walked upstairs and called him … nothing … then he appeared at the foot of the stairs and I showed him the halter and leash and he walked up the stairs (on his own), but got part way and changed his mind. He did this about 3-4 times but finally came into the dining room and sat for me to halter him. We headed out through the garage for our usual walk. Chester knows the way, actually once he starts walking (and once past the car where he tries to hint about taking a ride), he usually leads the way.
Note: I don’t have all the details of Chester’s “past life” other than to know he was in great foster care for 6 months prior to us meeting him and that he was in a puppy mill situation where he was abused and starved. It’s not difficult to pick up on some “things” about him though that the people at Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon may not even know about his life. I truly believe that sometime during his life he lived by a busy street with lots of traffic. We don’t live on a busy street at all, but during our neighborhood walks we stop halfway at a grassy area and wait for Glenn and Casey. At that location you can hear the hum drum of the freeway noise and Chester seems to like it … there’s a familiarity there for him somehow. Also when we’re in the grassland field behind our house, he’s definitely in his glory. Was he puppy trained at one time in that setting? Or started with field training? These two things are happy places for Chester and had to have played a role in his overall being.
Our neighborhood walks are shorter than Glenn and Casey usually take. Chester has determined the route he prefers. But now, if the dogs behave on that portion, we have added a walk and romp in the grassland field behind the house. Chester led the way back home on the sidewalk and headed to the garage to return inside. Glenn and Casey caught up and walked to the side yard gate and down the hill to the field. Chester followed without much prodding. Once we were in the field Chester looked like a real retriever. He moves so beautifully it deserves to be a painting in motion. When we got to their special tree area, Glenn let Casey off-leash and she was off and running. I had knelt down by Glenn and held Chester’s leash and halter tightly (not sure of what he would do). Within a minute, he was pulling me up to follow Casey. She ran free, sniffing tall grasses … Chester followed in her footsteps and followed her every action. Casey ran, Chester followed and I ran along as best I could on the uneven ground. He was having FUN and being a dog, not only a dog, but a Golden Retriever. Several times he looked up at me as if to say “I didn’t know life could get this good, this is what I was born to do, huh?”
Late morning Glenn took them both on 15 ft leads (tied to a solid object) and they sat in the sunshine for 30 minutes in the front yard. Chester got nervous and we came back in, but he is really starting to understand that this is his life … and he approves.
I had to have my coffee and get dressed, but today’s plan called for an early dog breakfast and an early walk (before the neighborhood kids were up and out). The dogs went outside to our back yard to do their morning bathroom duties. She and Glenn headed upstairs to the garage to wait for Chester and me. I walked upstairs and called him … nothing … then he appeared at the foot of the stairs and I showed him the halter and leash and he walked up the stairs (on his own), but got part way and changed his mind. He did this about 3-4 times but finally came into the dining room and sat for me to halter him. We headed out through the garage for our usual walk. Chester knows the way, actually once he starts walking (and once past the car where he tries to hint about taking a ride), he usually leads the way.
Note: I don’t have all the details of Chester’s “past life” other than to know he was in great foster care for 6 months prior to us meeting him and that he was in a puppy mill situation where he was abused and starved. It’s not difficult to pick up on some “things” about him though that the people at Golden Bond Rescue of Oregon may not even know about his life. I truly believe that sometime during his life he lived by a busy street with lots of traffic. We don’t live on a busy street at all, but during our neighborhood walks we stop halfway at a grassy area and wait for Glenn and Casey. At that location you can hear the hum drum of the freeway noise and Chester seems to like it … there’s a familiarity there for him somehow. Also when we’re in the grassland field behind our house, he’s definitely in his glory. Was he puppy trained at one time in that setting? Or started with field training? These two things are happy places for Chester and had to have played a role in his overall being.
Our neighborhood walks are shorter than Glenn and Casey usually take. Chester has determined the route he prefers. But now, if the dogs behave on that portion, we have added a walk and romp in the grassland field behind the house. Chester led the way back home on the sidewalk and headed to the garage to return inside. Glenn and Casey caught up and walked to the side yard gate and down the hill to the field. Chester followed without much prodding. Once we were in the field Chester looked like a real retriever. He moves so beautifully it deserves to be a painting in motion. When we got to their special tree area, Glenn let Casey off-leash and she was off and running. I had knelt down by Glenn and held Chester’s leash and halter tightly (not sure of what he would do). Within a minute, he was pulling me up to follow Casey. She ran free, sniffing tall grasses … Chester followed in her footsteps and followed her every action. Casey ran, Chester followed and I ran along as best I could on the uneven ground. He was having FUN and being a dog, not only a dog, but a Golden Retriever. Several times he looked up at me as if to say “I didn’t know life could get this good, this is what I was born to do, huh?”
Late morning Glenn took them both on 15 ft leads (tied to a solid object) and they sat in the sunshine for 30 minutes in the front yard. Chester got nervous and we came back in, but he is really starting to understand that this is his life … and he approves.
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