Day 1: Test Chloe for 1 hour outside unsupervised while mom goes to gym.

            Result: COMPLETE SUCCESS! She did paw once at the glass back door when I was leaving, but when I came home, no damage to door, fence, no holes in yard (except from gophers or moles) and one wiggly butt Chloe!

I did take her on a 30 min brisk walk beforehand, which for her is about an average walk (she led the whole way).  She seems to have more energy than most tripawds (helps that the amputation technically made her cancer free), so I know she can handle a bit more.  

I got her an everlasting treat ball with the refillable chewable inserts, but she doesn't seem interested. I even slathered it with some peanut butter and no takes. Feels like I wasted $20... Maybe there is a way I can get her to like it?  I KNOW she would chew a bone for hours, but from everything I have read there is nothing "safe" I can leave her with unattended. Cooked bones splinter, raw bones, rawhides and nylabones both pose choking hazards if she manages to chew a chunk off and swallow it whole.  Hmm risk killing her or risk $$ from my deposit, that is an easy one.

Maybe I can cook a chicken breast, freeze it and give it to her as a meatsicle? This way no bone splintering, its digestible, won't swell in her stomach (like a rawhide if a huge chunk gets swallowed) and she is occupied for hours? I will do more research online before attempting this... I also realize it would be part of her diet so I would accommodate her bfast/dinners accordingly. ooo maybe I can splurge once in a while and do a fishsicle!

Ok will let you know how she does on Wednesday.. dun dun DUN!!! First day of class ALL DAY!

-Chloe's mom

More good news!!! So today was the REAL test because I was gone from 8am-5:30pm and I had to put Chloe outside.  First I tried to tucker her out at the beach early this morning (soft sand + tripawd = hard work) for about 30 min.  I left her with some toys and food toy options before I left and quietly snuck out. I was paranoid the whole drive to and from school wondering how Chloe would do on her own.

She was FINE!!! No damage to fence, door, no holes in lawn, just one wiggly butt dog with a helicopter tail.  She proceeded to reprimand me for being gone so long by howling at me (wagging tail of course). She didn't touch the rest of her food or her food toys, so I have no idea if she just slept the whole day or what.

Anyway, I am just going to take it one day at a time because every day that there is no damage to the house is another day I get to keep her here with me.  I will be cautious as long as she is with me because I always want here to live here.  So far so good and I hope it continues as such.

-Chloe's mom

PS and as for what Karen said about a glass door insert with a dog door, I might invest in one in a few months so that she doesn't have to be out in the rain all day.  Yes we do have a dog house but she is so dumb sometimes she would rather wait in the rain for someone to come home than seek shelter elsewhere. As long as she continues to do fine outside, I might consider the doggie door sooner than I thought

Really, I am sooo excited about this because as you can tell from my first post, I was super paranoid... YAY CHLOE!!!

Dumb? No way, she wants to get rained on so he can look really pathetic and make her humans feel badly for leaving her outside. That's smart!

HAHAHA I never thought of it that way, but I am sure you are right!!!  She is smarter than she acts sometimes.... But like I said, as long as everything goes well this fall, I think I will shell out some of my savings to invest in a doggie sliding glass door insert for the rainy winters (No wet dog smell to deal with and cheaper in the long run than doggie day camp).  Then she can be a smart dog and sleep in her own bed in my room.

-Chloe's mom