Nysse has been showing some interest in the world outside the house and giving off signals that he might want to go there. We don’t feel comfortable letting him out on his own yet, so we thought try a leashed walk. We’ve made a few attempts, and he hasn’t been a huge fan.

The first step is getting him into the harness. This is effortless sometimes, and involves claws and teeth at other times. I’m less intimidated by the sharp bits than I used to be.

The first time we went out, he nearly panicked. He fled and hid under the stairs. When I tried to get him out, he got himself out of the harness and bolted right back to the door.

The second time we went out through the French doors because I thought this side might be more familiar and less scary, since he often sits there and looks out. We actually walked all the way down to the street, but Nysse really didn’t understand how the leash works and kept trying to run and take long leaps, so it was uncomfortable for both of us. We didn’t stay outside for more than a few minutes.

Today was the third time. Front door again, since he was poking his nose out when Ingrid and I went outside yesterday. This time we never even left the porch. He looked around for a few minutes but seemed to feel uncomfortable, and started nosing at the door very quickly.