Dog anticipates his wild racoon friends’ visit so they can play tag and hide-and-seek [Video]

• Chief, a young corgi mix, is a gentle soul who loves animals of all kinds.
• He has developed a special bond with wild baby raccoons whose parent was one of the raccoons Chief’s mom raised last year.
• The raccoons frequent their home, always looking forward to their playtime with Chief!

Just when Cheryl Stephen thought that no one could ever fill the shoes of his late German shepherd, Sarge, Chief came along and made her realize otherwise.

Sarge had been a gentle soul. He had not only become Cheryl’s buddy, but also a best friend to all animals of different kinds and sizes. When he suddenly passed away, Cheryl thought that he couldn’t find another dog with a beautiful soul as his, until a young corgi mix named Chief came.

At first, though, Cheryl wasn’t sure if the “low-rider” would be able to handle her household full of wildlife. But Chief proved he is one gentle soul, too.

Sarge and Chief may have the same loving disposition, but they have their own favorite animals. Sarge loved fawns, while Chief has developed a bond with wild raccoons.

Cheryl raised a trio of orphaned raccoons last year. Even after they were released into the wild, the raccoon siblings never stopped paying a visit. One of them, named Magnolia, even began bringing her babies whenever they drop by. Since then, Chief has fallen in love with the mischievous baby rodents.

“She lives wild now, but sometimes brings her little ones home for meals and apparently to play with Chief,” Cheryl told The Dodo. “I’ve never seen Chief bite or hurt the raccoons even though he’s bigger, so he has Sarge’s kind spirit.”

Chief and the four raccoon babies would usually play tag and hide-and-seek in the yard.

“They roll and hop and wrestle — it’s adorable,” Cheryl said. “Sometimes, the little ones tug on Chief’s tail or jump onto his back. Chief rolls over in surrender, and they climb all over him. They often eat together.”

The fur mom had no idea how these animals communicate, but she’s sure that they clearly understand each other.

Chief has become so fond of the tiny raccoons and so Cheryl thought that “maybe Chief thinks he’s a raccoon” too.

Whatever the reason is, Cheryl is just happy that the animals are getting along.

Source: The Dodo