It’s been two and a half years since Chuck came to live with us. When he first arrived I had to chase him down and corner him to touch him.
Through the months we went through many stages of acceptance and trust. He came to accepted we would touch him but I couldn’t reach for him with both hands. Then I couldn’t touch him if we were outside. Then I could touch him outside but with only one hand.
Just recently he’s started rolling over on his back to have his tummy rubbed. This is a 180° shift from the dog who slept with one eye open with all legs tucked under him prepared to bolt to safety.
As his trust and confidence grew he changed from a scared little mite who would bolt in a heartbeat to a regular guy, confident enough to follow me around the hardware store among strange people.
The picture on the left is Chuck, version 2.5, sound asleep, upside down and snoring. It’s not very dignified but it makes me smile.
You’ve come a long way, baby.