So, it might be possible the worst dog in the world has come into his own. You know the dog – the guy with the file at the vet’s office the size of a phone book, the one who eats poison plants and toilet paper. It turns out that dog has matured into something quite remarkable.
Chester has been making some friends lately, attributes that were invisible to all but me have started to impress other people. He is amassing a fan club and nobody is more surprised than he is.
People started noticing the sweet side of Chester during his rehab from knee surgery a year and a half ago – he was a little less rambunctious when confined to the family room – much less in-your-face. But it wasn’t until he was included on a family holiday to the remote beaches of Vancouver island this past Christmas that he really started to wend his way into hesitant hearts.
Chester, as it turns out, is a rock star at the beach – the most fun dog ever. But beyond that playful spirit the heart of a protector has recently been revealed. On our last visit to those remote beaches Chester showed us the stuff he is made of, his Chesapeake Bay Retriever mojo.
Now it should be noted before I get into the details of the big reveal nobody was actually in any danger when Chester jumped into action, but he didn’t know that. What Chester did know was his little girls had managed to give him the slip – while he had been focused on his toy in the surf they had ventured down the beach and stepped between some giant boulders in search of anemones.
From the vantage of our seat on a log my daughter and I witnessed the moment Chester became aware he’d lost sight of his charges. He quickly glanced in our direction before dropping his toy and dawning his cape. He was calm for starters, breaking into a lazy trot into the wind and down the beach. The speed of the trot increased the further he travelled. He was in full-steam-ahead mode when he rounded the boulders and spotted his kids in the gaggle of other beachcombers. He gave them a quick sniff and wag of his tail before heading back up the beach to find his toy.
We’d read that Chesapeake’s were loyal, devoted to their chosen few, but I’ve never witnessed anything quite like the determination and focus that brown devil dog mustered the moment he thought he’d lost the girls. I have no idea how far afield he would have searched, or what he would have done had they been in actual distress but I do know that dog found his serious side – he left goofball mode in the sand with his toy the moment duty called.
Now, I’m not all that hopeful Chester will stay in touch with his serious side, goofball is still his dominant gene, but it was good to see when duty called he stepped up in true super hero fashion. I don’t believe toilet paper is out of danger nor do I think his appetite for poisonous substances has been sated but he’s made some friends and he is being appreciated in ways he can’t even imagine (and his Dad would love that ❤️).