little dog, big house

Our plan from the very beginning with Baxter would be to keep him in his crate whenever we left the house and couldn't take him with us. This made sense to us because we weren't sure what kind of kind of mischief and naughtiness would tempt our new little wiener dog. Was he a chewer? A pee-er pooper? A trash can turner? A baby gate climber? Thankfully, it would turn out that he is none of these things, but even now we still prefer to keep him safe in his crate when we have to leave the house without him because you just never know what can happen. It seems particularly appropriate when we are staying with guests, friends who aren't so accustomed to keeping forbidden treasures out of reach of opportunistic, curious dachshunds.

And so we traveled this weekend with Baxter to the home of a longtime friend, taking Baxter's essential travel items like his trusty Snoozer dog bed, kong toy, and collapsible kennel with us to ensure a happy and safe visit. Tonight seemed like it was going to be a night like any other when we went out for dinner, with dad putting Baxter in his crate along with a peanut buttered kong toy to secure him for the time we would be away.

We came back from dinner anticipating Baxter's usual exuberant race around the house once he was let loose from his crate. But something seemed strange as we came closer to the front door and could see through the window into the barely lit foyer. The shadowy dark brown floor seemed to be moving. Closer still, we could see a little shadow, not very high, inhabiting one of the panes of glass in the lower half of the door. A small dark mass that seemingly sprouted ears and a tail, wiggling and shaking with glee when we finally got to the door. Yes, it was Baxter, who had by pure luck found the side door to his crate unlocked and wandered out for a free roaming experience around the house. His first big boy taste of freedom. And now, considering we have yet to find any signs of mischief, maybe not his last. Now that's a good boy.