Wednesday, July 22, 2009


Once upon a time there lived a little girl with long blonde hair.

This little girl lived in a house with her mother and father, her big brother Chris, Aloyisius the dog, numerous goldfish, and a canary called Dudley.

Once day the little girl went to school for she was 'a big girl now', and her BFF at the time told her that her dog had had puppies. Consequently, when our heroine arrived home from school that day, she nagged and nagged at her mother to bring one of the puppies home. She promised faithfully, she would look after 'it'...she would bathe the puppy, feed the puppy and generally love the puppy within an inch of its life and so like many other times, the mother acquiesced.
Mother only had to coerce father into allowing yet another canine into their household. One look at her dad with her large greeny blue eyes was enough for him to lose his control over the family issues...and the dog was hers.
We shall call this dog Jack, for that was his name. Jack lived a full and productive, happy and inquisitive life. He was labelled 'Hyperactive Jack' early in the piece but that nom de plume later became 'Jacky Boy.
Jack saw the comings and goings of two other dogs in this family. First as mentioned before was Aloyisius...a gorgeous short-haired/long-haired terrier who stood as high as a full grown labrador. The second dog, Elroy was mainly labrador and fortunately there were never any squabbles between the dogs. There were enough squabbles between the children of the household (as there invariably is) and the dogs were well fed and given free reign of the house on occasion, plus the big backyard.
Did I mention that Jack was a fox terrier...with something else in him to make him a bit stockier than the usual foxie... He kept up with the other dogs, who unfortunately, and through no fault of their own passed away early in the piece due to illnesses that are beset upon dogs from time to time.
As like in other families, the novelty of caring for Jacky Boy quickly wore off, and it was left to the little blonde haired girls mother and father to feed the dog, bathe the dog and take this dog to the vet for the odd check up.
Time went on...seasons changed with regularity and the dog experienced many adventures in his own mind both inside the property and outside the gate when allowed.
He went for drives with the family and never knew the protocols of self control. To be allowed in the car meant excitement plus for Jack and he would scamper all over inside whilst the car was travelling in search of a new view and fresh air.
Eventually, Jack became an old dog. The son by now had passed away...gone to be with the dogs that were earlier in his life. The canary had long gone as had the fish. Mind, they had been replaced by more fish and more canaries but it was difficult to work out when the chain of domesticed other animals began and ended.
Jack continued on though...living his life in a suburban backyard, hankering for the evenings when he was welcomed into the house by the mother and father. He would bee line for the kitchen for this was the place of the wonderful smells. Many an hour was spent sniffing around hoping for a tasty morsel (which, I might add was given) by either the mother and /or the father.
He was a well fed and basically content dog and enjoyed his later years also.
Jacks fur began to turn grey after a while. He developed selective deafness, especially when called from the front yard. He never missed a meal time though I might add, even if he was on the other side of the property!
Jack developed some tremors to add to his deafness and the mother and father were pretty sure his sight was failing also for he had now reached the status of 'Old Dog'.
The mother took him along to a vet for various ailments one day. The vet told the mother Jack had a heart murmur but it was mild and would not cause any problems. as far as she was aware.
About a week or so later, the mother arose one morning found Jack lying on his side outdoors which was unusual at that time of day. On investigation the mother found the beautiful old boy well and truly gone to where all good dogs go when they are longer of this life.
This beautiful boy lived (as we worked out) a whole 18 years of life.... Not bad for a hyperactive jack russel. He outlived his two canine companions as well as a human pal. He never once bit or growled at anyone...Jacky Boy was a very special dog and I am so glad to have been a part of his life, even if I, the mother, did turn out to be the primary feeder.
Rest well Jack.

2 comments:

  1. Jack was a very lucky dog to have had such a loving, devoted 'mother' when abandoned by the fairy goddaughter of the house (who is normally such a loving and devoted girl?) Bye bye Jack, go find the boy.

    XXXX

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  2. A lucky Jack indeed to have had such smart parents to give him a home while all along knowing the fairy goddaughter's interest in care and feeding would wax and wain they kept up his care and were loved by him for a very very long time.

    Atta boy, Jack, good sleep good dog!

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