Chester in all his glory….

Perhaps you are wondering who Chester is, well he is my very curious little furry family member.   People, who know him, love him; he’s the type of dog that will announce your presence as you approach the house, but upon the first pat on the head he will be the first one to show you where the best silverware is kept!  A pure sucker for any type of affection and your new best friend if you have treats!  He is a lover of dog parks and a kleptomaniac of other dogs’ balls.  He does mean well, he just believes in sharing – and well, perhaps keeping your ball, oh, until he sees a newer and brighter one flying through the air.  Chester is a Westie / mostly Cairn terrier cross (yes, Toto from the Wizard of Oz) – lovable and stubborn all in the small breath.

Cairn’s are a very inquisitive breed, so much so, “handbooks” for owners of Cairn’s are often discouraged to take their Cairn’s off lead, why, because that “squirrel” mechanism kicks in and they’re off….  I was determined to prove this “theory” wrong, so for months I would take Chester to the nearby off leash dog park and train him on his recall, over a year later, his recall – or should I say, “selective hearing” is okay, but absolutely nonexistent if there are squirrels or bunnies in close proximity.  Has he embarrassed me at times?  Of course, but I love him with the same amount of unconditional love that he gives our family.  No one is perfect and I’ve excepted that.  Fortunately, he is now able to handle off leash dog parks, even if he sometimes wanders way off the beaten path, I know he will come back because he’s a “mama-suck” and he always knows where I am.

Perhaps you are wondering why I named the series “now where is he going?”  As explained, Chester finds it very difficult to stay focused on any outing (you wouldn’t believe how many times I have mixed up his name with my sons – same personality, just different packaging).  Asking Chester to sit (which he does brilliantly within the confines of the house) when there are a million things going on around him is next to impossible…..squirrel!!!!!!!!………..yes, my dear Chester.  Hence – “now where is he going”.

At the Southland Dog Park – trying hard to stay focused!

Numerous times I have tried to take pictures of Chester doing this or that, actually just being cute in general, have I been successful – sometimes…  Pet photographers – bless your souls!  So, with this information in tow, I will apologize in advance.  My goal of this series is to capture various photos of Chester also enjoying Calgary, but from his view-point, short legs and all.  Keeping with the notion that he will not “stay” still while I take the picture, I once again apologize if you see a blue leash plastered in the middle of the photo, Chester looking like a blurry blob, looking away, walking/strutting/running away to the point that you only see his leg(s), tail, or even a paw left in the photo frame, or actually no Chester at all!  Trust me, that’s not my intent, I do want you to see Chester enjoying his outings.  I guess that I will just chalk it up to the fact he is just shy and doesn’t want his picture taken; when in fact a squirrel probably just scurried by, or something more interesting than a camera lens captured his attention…hmm, but a camera lens with a treat stuck to it….anyway…

Calgary has a variety of off-leash dog parks spread throughout the city, which is fantastic for any resident dog lover or visitor alike.   We have a top few that we like to visit on a regular basis; aside from the top picture, all these pictures were taken at the Southland Dog Park, which to me seems the largest.   This dog park is extremely picturesque due to its proximity to the Bow River and the natural areas which are blocked off to the public.   With accessibility to the bike path and the neighbouring community of Riverbend, owners also have the option of taking their dog on additional leashed walks throughout the area.

What did I tell you…no Chester….

Oh….there you are!  Chester, why do you look so guilty?

Links:  Southland Dog Park, Calgary

Categories: Chesters' Calgary, now where is he going?

Tags: Cairn Terrier, Calgary, Chester, Southland Dog Park, Westie