Chico firsts

Today was Chico's first authorized pasture run. He had been out there on his first day here when he climbed the fence to get out of Daneland, but this morning I took him out there on purpose, along with Kaiya, and let them run and explore. Kaiya disappeared in the trees and bushes hunting who knows what. Chico ran around and explored but he stuck around me as I walked some of the trails in the pasture. He was clearly enjoying himself, often burrowing his head into the thick grass and rolling in it, almost like he was taking a bath. Given the fact that he had a pretty good shelter smell when he arrived, a grass bath was a good thing.

Mid-afternoon I got Chico out for his first hike. We did a little over two miles on the roads at Pleasant Grove. He was about as good on a leash as you'd expect from a young male shepherd who was mostly kept in a crate and who had never been walked on a leash. That is to say that he was terrible. He pulled me constantly. I insisted on keeping him to me left, but only succeeded because I outweighed him and because I was focused on that one thing whereas he wasn't really focused on anything. Like I said, it was typical for a young male shepherd's first walk. It will get better.

He continues to be great with all the other dogs and good in a crate. Loose in the house he's a lot like a bull in a china shop, but at least he's not running around and lifting his leg on everything. In order to get any work done during the day I've had to keep him in his crate or in the a/c yard with Holly or Kaiya.

We were in town this evening but when we got back home I let him outdoors in the yard. He ran around with all the other dogs and he came back in the house with all of them too. I think he knows this is where he lives now. 

I'm not often up, out of bed, and outdoors pre-dawn these days, but today I was.

I had a rope harness on him and a leash on his collar on our walk today.