Jack

A Conundrum

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Jack

How can a dog be bad and good at the same time? Or to ask the question another way, when is it good for a dog to behave badly?

Last week mom asked Jack to come in the house because she was getting ready to go shopping. It was too hot to take us with her, so we were all supposed to stay in the house.

Jack realized that mom was going somewhere. He saw her signal him to come inside. Then he got this really goofy grin on his face and raced to the garage as fast as he could go.

When Tess or I do something like that mom tells us to mind our manners and do what we’re told. But when Jack had a moment of pure disobedience, she was thrilled. She laughed and told Jack how good he was for being bad.

Now I’ve been scolded a time or two, but I’ve never been praised for being bad. So I asked mom how come there were different rules for Jack. Mom said Jack was all messed up in the head when he came to us.  He marked everywhere in the house, tried to muscle me around, and had no manners.

Now Jack wants to be part of our pack and tries real hard to be perfect so he won’t get sent away. But Jack still lacks confidence.  He never leaves mom. He follows her around even when it’s awful hot. He has to know where she is all the time. So when mom asked Jack to come in the house, he finally had enough confidence to argue. He ran to the car and begged to go with. Mom said he never would have done that six months ago.

So I guess Jack’s disobedience means he’s starting to trust his place in the pack. He knows he’s loved and nothing bad will happen to him, even if he talks back. That’s why mom said Jack was good for being bad. Funny, huh?

Codie

A Legacy

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Codie

Codie barked last night. Around 2am I heard the coyotes howling. At first I thought they were after the chickens, but for once I kept still and then I heard her.

Codie slipped into the bedroom and whispered for me to be quiet. It was dark but I couldn’t see her anyway since she no longer wears her fur.

Codie told me she has been watching the changes in our pack and she is pleased. She said Tess is the perfect girlfriend for me and she is glad I have someone to pal around with.

Then Codie asked me to listen carefully and remember her words. Codie said she put it in mom’s head to foster Darcy. She said the dogs who have crossed the rainbow bridge can choose to intervene to help dogs who still wear fur.

Darcy

Codie was afraid that if mom and dad didn’t take a foster dog soon after she passed, they never would. Codie knew they still grieved for her, but Darcy would teach them how quickly they could come to love another dog.

Codie said Darcy was a special soul. You could see the kindness in his eyes. She knew that Darcy didn’t have long to live and he had a purpose to fulfill. So Codie arranged for Darcy to come to Asherpark.

In no time at all everyone who met Darcy fell in love with him. He asked only to be part of our pack, and he was.

All of a sudden Darcy was called to cross the bridge. Everyone was terribly sad. The people wept. But Darcy fulfilled his purpose. He showed us there is always room in our hearts and pack for another rescue dog.

Jack

A week after we lost Darcy we brought Jack home. Codie said that Jack is Darcy’s legacy of love. We wouldn’t have Jack if we hadn’t let Darcy into our lives.

Then Codie was gone. Her silent barking stopped. I so wanted to ask her more about her life without fur, but I am grateful for the time I had with her. Come back soon Codie. We will never forget you. Never.

Tess

Trouble in River City

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Tess

See that happy face? That’s Tess showing her good self. Yesterday she showed her real bad self and mom was NOT happy.

The papers from the shelter said Tess is an Australian Shepherd like me. Tess says nobody asked her when she got picked up as a stray. She would have told them she’s got lots of border collie in her background.

Anyway, you know we live on some acres. We have goats and chickens that live together in their own space.

When Tess first saw the goats she went crazy, but now she can behave herself when she’s around them. You can see in this picture she’s giving them the stink eye, but she’s not barking.

Tess and the Goats

If you look real close at the gate you can see that it’s a little off plumb. If the people don’t get the peg just right, Tess can stick that nose of hers in between and force the gate open.

Well, somebody was careless and Tess got her chance. She pushed the gate open and in we went. I went off to inspect the goat droppings. Tess headed straight for the chickens. Nobody noticed for three or four minutes. That was plenty of time for Tess to corner a bunch of the chickens and grab a mouthful of feathers.

The chickens started screaming. Mom came running. I grabbed a couple more goat raisins while Tess kept the chickens pinned up against the fence.  Mom grabbed Tess and put her flat on the ground. She told Tess in no uncertain terms that the chickens were not her personal squeaky toys and to leave them alone.

I kinda felt sorry for Tess. She was so excited about her first taste of chicken but boy did she get in big time trouble. I quick ran back on the right side of the gate. Tess had to heel all the way back on a short leash. She was temporarily insane but quite pleased with her bad self.

Tess drank a bucket of water and crashed on the patio. Jack didn’t have a clue what happened. He slept through most of it and woke up just in time to see Tess slinking back through the gate. I told him later about Tess having taste of chicken. He laughed and said he’s glad he’s not a herding dog. Whew! That was a busy day. Anyway, gotta run.