Fostering Chester

I love being facebook friends with Chester Edisto‘s Mom, because I get occasional updates about my favorite Wonder Dog.

The latest? Edisto has decided that Lindsey’s Zhu Zhu Pet is his new nemesis. See him, below, engaging the Zhu Zhu in a staring contest that he’s destined to lose. Poor Ed doesn’t understand WHY that damn rodent doesn’t blink. Obviously, it means that Zhu Zhus are pure evil.

One of Lindsey’s facebook friends predicts that, eventually, the toy “will just make an annoying noise” and Edisto will “run away.”

He knows Edisto well.

Pulled: Thursday June 2, 2011 from a local rescue

Rescue commitment: Saturday, November 5th by Lindsey Schick

Only Chester Edisto, Wonder Dog that he is, would thwart adoption since June only to be adopted as a kick-off to National Shelter Dog Appreciation Week.

Congrats, foster #5 out of 56. So many of us, no doubt, thought that we’d never see that beautiful red stamp.

And here are the Top 3 reasons that Lindsey, my new facebook friend by the way, is perfect for Sto:

3) She has one dog already, so Ed will have a buddy. Here he is, below, with his new brother, Ray.

2) She understands Edisto’s unique needs. One of the first things she told me about Edisto is that he’s easily scared. Well, actually, the phrase she used was “terrified, with a capital T. ”

Me: “Yep. Did you read the post about the butterfly?”

So, Lindsey has fashioned a safe place for Ed, where he can get away from loud noises and butterflies and anything thing else that he finds terrifying: her bedroom closet. See, him, below peeking out from behind her clothes.

1) I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Lindsey knows Harry-freaking-Potter. We’ve always had Hollywood ambitions for Ed. Maybe Daniel will hook him up.

The only thing that seems to be missing is a girlfriend for Ed. But, seeing him below, so happy and content, makes me think that he’ll let Lindsey have that distinction.

All our love, Ed. You’re a good Goober of a dog.

Pulled: Thursday June 2, 2011 from a local rescue

Rescue commitment: Friday October 21, 2011 by Last Chance Animal Rescue

Poor Chester E. He’s the foster that seems to have become permanent. It’s hard to be the letter “E” and to watch Chesters F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, and Y go to their new homes.

Scott says it’s my fault, for not “selling” Chester E. But, I want to be honest, and, well, Chester E. is a dog I still haven’t figured out.

Scott says that Chester E. is the “weird kid” and my friend, Casey, elaborated by saying that he’s the kid who eats his boogers and is consequently left lonely on the playground.

Chester E. is afraid of nearly everything. Scott was feeding him one morning and dropped some pellets of dog food on the floor accidentally. Chester E. ran and hid under the kitchen table.

I walked outside with Chester E. and a big black and blue butterfly flew by. Chester E. ran and hid under the patio table.

So, yes, Chester E. is afraid of his own food. And of butterflies.

BUT, Chester E. is incredibly determined when he sets his mind to things. See photo, above, in which Edisto is determined to fit into a bed for a 10 lb, rather than 40 lb, dog. “You do not fit, Chester E.” I said. — to which Chester E. seems to reply, below:

“I do not care.”

Oh, Edisto. And, as you can see, he’s determined to fit not only himself, but also his favorite stuffed animal (a horse).

And, indeed, when he sets his mind to it, Chester E. seems to have super-canine abilities. If he wants to escape the laundry room (one of the places we try to get him to sleep at night), he will leap the baby gate in a single bound. The first time he did it, I thought it was because I had used the smaller of the two baby gates. But, then, he jumped the taller one in a single bound as well. So, to prevent Edisto from escaping now, we have to do this:

And, despite being afraid of butterflies, Chester E. tried to steal food from his foster brother Chester X. — a pit bull mix. Chester X. growled politely, as if to say, “This is my food, Edisto. Go eat your own.” A second later, Chester X. was crying and bleeding from the ear, b/c Chester E. went all Mike Tyson on his . . . ear.

I never would have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. And kudos to Chester X, who is still E.’s friend regardless.

So what is Chester E.? He’s both nerdy Clark Kent and hero Superman. He’s a Wonder Dog. Or, as Casey likes to say: “Edisto: You’re such a Goober.”

Pulled: Thursday June 2, 2011 from a local rescue

Rescue commitment: Friday October 21, 2011 by Last Chance Animal Rescue

Introducing the greatest invention ever: the washable male wrap by Simple Solution, modeled by Chester Edisto.

As mentioned in a previous post, Chester E. feels the need to mark his territory whenever a foster dog goes to his new home or Emma and Mr. K visit the grandparents. We think that he thinks we decide to get rid of dogs at random, and that marking our house as his will make us more likely to keep him. So wrong, Chester E.

I’ve loved my fostering experience, but one thing that I’m incredibly paranoid about is the dreaded dog smell. My sense of smell is my superpower. I can smell everything from a drop of pee in Jack’s diaper to the faint odor of food that Arina tries to sneak now and then.

I do not want my house to smell like dog. Or dog pee. So, lots of doggie wipe downs, sweeping and mopping, and now: Chester E.’s male wrap. To call it a doggie diaper would be too insulting. We pretend it’s a doggie accessory. And it looks and works like a belt; it straps around his belly, covering his — um, masculinity, as it says on the instructions — and Velcro-ing at the back.

We haven’t had a single marking incident since. — b/c for Chester E. to do so, he’d have to mark himself. And, that’s just gross. Even for a dog.

See Edisto, below, sleeping in a sun beam, on a soft blanket, with a toy beside him. Life is sweet.

And even sweeter with a friend:

Pulled: Thursday June 2, 2011 from a local rescue

Rescue commitment: Friday October 21, 2011 by Last Chance Animal Rescue

Poor Chester E. Marion, at the City of Columbia Animal Shelter, warned me that beagles are notoriously difficult to place in homes, and she was right. It’s so hard to be a beagle and have to compete with super cute small dogs like Chesters Clover and Flo.

And Edisto is such a good, albeit somewhat traumatized, dog. He is a hunting dog who didn’t like to hunt (love not hate; peace not war) and would get beaten for it. As a result, he goes limp and cowers at the hint of a stern voice. And God help him if he hears a loud noise like a gunshot or smells gunpowder. Scott was using a power tool one afternoon that had a gunpowder residue, and we thought we’d never pry Edisto from the super-tight hiding place he managed to find.

If ever a dog needed anti-anxiety pills, it’s Edisto. He attaches very quickly, especially to children and other (kind) animals.

He is more comfortable with Jack and Arina than he is with us (see photo below), and loves to play with other young dogs.

But, that means that when J&A leave to visit the grandparents, and the fosters with whom he’s made friends go on to their adoptive homes, poor Edisto has bouts with depression/anxiety. He seems scared to go outside, and battens down the hatches inside by marking his territory. I’ve never cleaned so much in my life, which is good in one way and very bad in another.

He’s a smart dog, though, in that he knows when he’s done wrong and has perfected the hound dog expression. For example, he knows that he should not get on the furniture right now [he’s shedding], and he knows that he has a very nice bed [as seen in the photo above]. One day, when I kept finding him on the couch, I finally removed the cushions as a deterrent. Then, the next time I walked in the den, I found this:

Still, we can’t stay mad at him, mainly because he’s so patient and long-suffering with the kids. That said, I’ll give Edisto the final word.

Dear adoptive parent(s),

Please rescue me from the baby human (see photo below).

Love,

Chester E.