Today, we decided, was an awesome day for some fresh air and vitamin D. It was also an awesome day to introduce Chesty to one of the activities our family loves best - hiking! He hasn't been the best at walking on a leash on his daily neighborhood walks so we weren't sure how much "hiking" was actually going to take place with him, but maybe he can already feel the difference between a walk and a hike because he did perfectly the whole time. He seemed to love being out there in the woods as much as we loved being out there with him. His protective herding instincts were in full force as evidenced by the fact that if any of us would fall back (usually me and a little person) he would stop right in the middle of the trail and just wait for his whole pack to connect back up before he could proceed.
I felt a little vindicated when Travis couldn't help but act like a worried parent as Chesty sniffed out his boundaries ("He's getting too close to the edge! I don't want him to fall!"), and I'll admit to feeling a little teary when they said they felt proud to have him as their dog.
All in all, I'd say his first hike was definitely a success!

He fits right in joy...