This past week marked the anniversary of Chewy coming to live with us. What a blessing he has been.

That we started with a dog nobody could approach (except his fosters) and who was uninterested in anyone who visited him except us is hard to believe. He just didn’t bond with people. Fortunately, for both sides, we had a lot of experience with that kind of thing having been Stormy’s family for six years.

He must have sensed our willingness to accept him on that last foster visit. I had set it in my mind that he had to approach me without being coaxed with food if we were to adopt him. I needed a dog in my life who felt safe with me. Kip needed it as well, but she’d been in a closer relationship with Stormy than I had been. Stormy always seemed to feel safe with her, but not with me. 

At any rate, Chewy came to get his nose rubbed on that potentially last visit. My heart swelled, and we had a new dog – once we could get the yard ready. 

Weeks went by, and finally the house was ready for him. That first day we ran through 17.5 pounds of dog treats trying to bribe him into the house. Well, it seemed like it. But he was reluctant to come inside. 

A year later? He hops on the bed for a morning snuggle before the day starts. He sleeps next to me while I work in my home office – often so close that I can’t move an inch without sitting on his paws or tail. 

Last week I had really bad migraines and vertigo. Not a great combination. I felt rotten all week. Chewy realized this, and he spent the nights sleeping next to me, offering me comfort and calm. His heart is huge now that he’s one of our family. He can’t get enough love, nor give more than we can handle. He overflows with joy.

Mind you, he still dislikes strangers, including all creatures great and small. Not an aggressive thing, but he really doesn’t want to deal with anyone but the two of us. He just doesn’t come near them, and we respect his wishes. We tried really hard to overcome this, but he’s right out front about not wishing to expand his social circle.

It’s been a great year. We look forward to many more. God has been good to all three of us. 

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