It’s difficult for a dog that wants to be a mean, protective guard dog to be afraid of everything.  That’s my theory on Chester’s exhaustion this morning (other than the fact that he’s lazy).  We went to Rowe on Wednesday afternoon and the first disconcerting thing to happen was a neighbor and her daughters walked their two horses by the house on the road.  Chester lost his mind (from afar).  All of the hair was standing up on his back, he barked his scariest howling bark (which we now recognize as his I’m really scared bark).  They finally disappeared down the road (well, they were out of his sight because he wouldn’t go close enough to the road to see where they went).  Whew!  Into the house he went, didn’t go out again.

Thursday morning at around 5:00 I heard a bear coming up through the woods – I’m assuming it was a female talking to her cub(s).  Chester was on the end of the bed – all perked up, hair standing on end.  He never made a sound, just listened.  The bear came across the road and through the side yard under my window talking the whole time.  Finally she went over the bank into the back forty.  I stayed in bed for another hour or so then got up, got my coffee and went outside with the dogs.  Chester, hair standing on end, ran crazily towards the back forty on what I’m assuming was the bear trail.  He was doing his best sniffing but you could tell just by his stance that he was a little freaked out.  He immediately came into the house when I did.

I have to tell you that having a dog that weighs over 50 pounds may deceive you into thinking that they will protect you.  For my money the Schnauzers are much better protection.  They weigh much less and are not afraid of anything.  In fact I really have to be very aware of what they see as a threat because they think they are much bigger than they are.  Sophie thought nothing of attacking Chester when we first got him, Chester on the other hand is afraid of cats – won’t come within 100 feet of one. I like to think this speaks to his intelligence but others just think he’s chicken.