Man oh man is Otis ever *not* helping me train Chester on the fence. He just gets so excited when we all are outside with him that he wants to play ... with Chester's lead. You have to understand that Chester's just a little bit sensitive about the lead having had his traumatic experience being caught with his harness when he ran away early on in the training experience. He gets pretty freaked out when the lead pulls on him.

So, there's Otis settling into pounce position, wiggling his back-end, and flying off to tackle Chester. Then, Otis pretends he's doing serious hunting ... and starts stalking the lead. Pounce, he lands on the lead and pull goes the tether on Chester's neck. Then there's the deliberate sit in ... on Chester's lead. He's also very good at positioning himself between where the tether is tied and where Chester is ... so that the lead gets jammed under his lard ass and Chester gets stuck.

My favourite was this AM when Chester and I were walking side by side down the back of the house. Otis came flying up behind us and, whammo, clothes-lined himself on the lead that was hanging between us. Poor old Chester - lucky he has the patience of a saint.

Copyright © Susan Mawdsley
October 11, 2001