Jacqueline Mitchard posted today about her Saint Bernard puppy, who is quite, quite adorable. (Seriously, go look at the photo.) What is it about writers and their animals? I am ashamed to say that I sometimes forget to carry photos of my children, but there is always a photo of Jack on my cell phone.
Jack, who is too afraid to go to doggie day care and shivers over lightning.
Jack who has never listened to a word anyone has to say except me. Sometimes.
Jack who bit the lawn boy (who had been warned not to come into the yard without asking me and did it anyway, thinking it would be okay).
Jack who shattered the living room window last New Year’s Eve when fireworks started going off and he had to find us NOW.
Jack who had to have knee surgery last month because he took a flying leap from the deck and demolished the joint.
Jack who sits beside my chair squeaking the toy of the day, which is cute for the first five minutes.
Miles brought me photos of Jack as a baby tonight, and looking at them, CR teased me about the release of the list of most trainable dogs. My old dog, April, was a border collie husky who really could practically speak English. A rancher with hands as withered as tree trunks once offered me a hundred dollars cash for her on the spot. Border Collies are the #1 most trainable dogs.
Chows are dead last. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t help a lot to have a chow mix.
But I didn’t know all that when he arrived at my door, barely five weeks old, a rescue from the interstate, where he’d been dumped. Even if I had, how could I ever have turned this baby away?
And he has stayed this cute. I mean, sometimes, you get a really smart dog. And sometimes, you get one that just loves you to pieces. Since Jack showed up five weeks to the day after I split with my ex-husband, I’m pretty sure there was Divine Order in place. Jack came to love me, and you know, he’s really good at that.
He *is* adorable, SrB! I bought Dean Koontz’s latest book yesterday (THE DARKEST EVENING OF THE YEAR) just because it had a gloriously beautiful Golden Retriever in silhouette at dusk on the cover. (And started it last night, and it’s wonderful!) He was responsible for me getting my first Golden, St. Cassie, after reading WATCHERS many, many years ago. After that, there was no question that I’d ever have anything but a Golden. And I’ve thought seriously about going into GR rescue, except that I don’t fit in well with their rules…
Dogs are grand, aren’t they?
Sharyn
Awww! My DH is away working for six or twelve weeks, and I was thinking about sneaking in a little puppy while he was gone. If I got one as cute as Jack, how could he not fall in love with it instantly?!
Really, it’s not a great photo, but I’m still so danged charmed by the fact that my child made copies of the pictures and drove them to me.
Spy, puppies are really good company, too. 🙂
Sharyn, Watchers is one of my favorite books ever. I bet it stimulated lots of Golden love.