Chico turns corners

Chico hasn't been eating much since his surgery last week because his digestive system has been messed up. Yesterday evening and this morning he finally ate about half of a normal serving of food with enough enthusiasm to tell me that his appetite had returned. The situation in the south end of the dog seems much improved as well, although it will need another day or two to really get back to normal.

His behavior seems to have turned a corner too. I've had him loose in the house with me and other dogs for the last two days, still crated at night. He's been good indoors, usually settling down near my chair or in an open crate in the office. He has much less of that frenetic behavior so he's much less annoying. 

I took Chico and Paisley on a hike late this afternoon. It was cold and windy and I was afraid that Paisley's presence would undo all the progress that Chico had made on our walks. I started out with him on the Gentle Leader as always, but then switched my leash to his collar instead. I left the Gentle Leader on him and I think it served as a reminder of how he was supposed to walk because he was really quite good, sticking to my left side and not pulling me around or moving back and forth the way Paisley was doing.

Paisley even settled down eventually and dropped back behind me as she sometimes does. We had a nice hike, pretty much alone in the woods because of the cold, and we covered three and a quarter miles.