Still A Hobo

Hobo, the stray dog, that has made the Quonset Hut his home is still here. However, Rick had to lock the shop up to keep Hobo out of there because he started chewing items. First it was some miscellaneous item and then he chewed an extension cord and finally the cord on Rick's ShopVac. Rick is really struggling with having to lock him out of the shop, but we can't have the dog chewing everything Rick has in the Quonset Hut. We have moved Cody's igloo dog house down to the shop and Rick has been putting Hobo's food bowl in it to get Hobo familiar with the dog house. However, we don't believe that he is sleeping in it. He seems to bed down by the heliport. But we could be wrong. He moves silently and through the trees; never down the road to the Quonset Hut or down the driveway. The other day I was walking Cody up the driveway and while Cody was sniffing and peeing on every blade of grass I saw Hobo come around the gate. He obviously was out making rounds. When Hobo saw me, he slipped into the trees that line the driveway and I didn't see him again. Rick thinks that Hobo is being fed by our neighbors a mile west of us.  Hobo still goes into stealth mode on occasion when he sees Rick. Other times he has let Rick pet him. I wish Rick could get his trust for then we could take him to the vet--the dog not Rick. Rick said, and I agree, that we cannot bring Hobo into the house until he is flea free, tick free, checked for rabies and parvovirus. It may be months before that happens. It is hard to think of him outside in the cold, but I keep reminding myself that a lot of people leave their dogs outside; he has an extremely thick, white coat and he gets food and fresh water every day which is a step up from when he lived at the lake.