Taking a Chance on Chester

This adorable Weaton Terrier mix is Chester. He is one of our long-term shelter dogs, no longer listed as adoptable due to two failed adoptions. Reportedly, he is a terrible resource guarder, claiming all sorts of household items as his own and then protecting them with every ounce of his being by growling and refusing to give them up. However, in the time we have had Chester, off and on, we have never seen this behavior at our shelter.

Resource guarding is not one of those things one can train a dog not to do. It is a behavior, not a habit and much harder to put an end to. Resource guarders can be dangerous because, often, their way of protecting the items they claim is threatening to bite anyone trying to take them away. We never want a dog to face the possibility of living his entire life at a shelter. With dogs like Chester, we have to entertain the thought that perhaps it would be more kind to put them to sleep. But since we have never, ever seen Chester's issues first hand, making such a dire decision wasn't possible. We love Chester and think he deserves more than a few chances.

You see, not only is Chester totally adorable, he is also totally lovable and incredibly smart. He knows commands and will "sit," "shake," "lay down," "role over," and "give kisses" for his favorite treat. When he wants a belly rub, he roles on his back and softly whines, then grunts in contentment as you scratch his belly.

Because Chester has issues, we made some assumptions about him. We've kept him away from other dogs for the most part, because dogs who guard their belongings tend to not play well with others. Recently, we took a chance and tested him out with a big, female lab and, to our complete surprise, he did great! Suddenly things were looking up for Chester.

A couple months ago, I took Chester to my house, just for a few hours. He needed a bath and haircut. Again, Chester surpassed expectations. He loved his bath and patiently let me groom him. Because I am no groomer, my attempts to do so usually take a ridiculously long time. He was a champ throughout the whole process. He liked his little field trip to my house and I felt guilty returning him to the shelter. But, when you run a foster home, you have to be selective about the dogs you bring in. Difficult dogs can disrupt a foster house to the deficit of the other dogs.

Chester hasn't been the same since his visit to my home. I volunteer evenings at the shelter. When I'd leave the shelter, poor Chester whined, pawed at his kennel and rolled over on his back, begging me to come scoop him up and take him with me. It broke my heart every time and I usually left in tears, feeling so bad for him.

A few nights ago, Chester had enough. He did his usual whine and paw and I did my usual caving in, slipping into his pen to give him belly rubs and some extra attention. He made a break for it, running to the other side of the kennel, where he promptly plopped down, rolled over and refused to budge. Chester loves his treats and I tried to coax him with one. Nope. I tried a big, irresistible blob of peanut butter, after which he slowly army crawled to the general vicinity of his pen, but then made a break for the back door - the way out. I thought if I took him for a quick walk outside, I could trick him into his routine and get him back into his pen, but couldn't get him back into the building. He put the brakes on at my car door, stood up against it and whined.

I gave in. I opened the door and he jumped in, wagging every part of his body. I told him he could come to my house for one night; one sleepover. That's it. And then I braced myself for how difficult it was going to make the evening to keep him separate from my dogs and foster dogs while spoiling him rotten for just one night.

That was a week ago. Chester remains at my house where he is getting along fine with my dogs, is submissive to any who give him grief and hasn't guarded a single thing. While I anticipate we are in a "honeymoon" phase and I may eventually see his "issues," right now he appears issue free. He is crate and house trained and is happy to share a spot on the couch with cats and dogs alike. And he is happy to be in a home. I think the odds are good I will be able to find the right people for Chester. I think he has a chance.