Jake

Where do good dogs go?

Have you ever had a dog, a special dog? One that had been with you for years, rode every path, swam every river,traversed every canal you encountered on those long horse back trips?Especially the rides in the Fall when the trees are so brilliant in color, the air smells crisper than fresh linen sheets, and the sun is not hot. A dog that shook your hand not because he was taught, but, genuinely loved greeting you. A dog that slitted his eyes, and smiled out of the side of his face when he was up to no good at all! A fellow that was such a gentleman that he always sat in the passenger seat of the truck and hung his head out the window so as to not breath on you with bad breath or slime your windows (LOL). A dog that waited outside the grocery store for hours waiting for you to finish your shift as the check out lady. A dog that saved more than one life.

Once you might remember when several of we, ladies, trekked across New Mexico in search of the Four Corners, for it was trekking that we did, in Heidi's old Volkswagen, which we learned only in the middle of a horrible, freakish, snow storm, had no heater, it was Jake, if you recall, we bundled next to for heat, in our frozen state. He let us, and we lived. Our good fellow is to be featured on the TV program Incredible Pets for the good deed it was deemed that he did, when Heidi and I were hiking in the mountains and again got caught in a Spring snow storm. The downward trail became so slippery neither Heidi nor I could keep our footing. The edges of the path were steep and one miss-step would have sent us careening over the side. Jake seemed to understand our plight as he nosed my palm repeatedly. I didn't understand his meaning until he knocked me off my standing and I grabbed hold of his fur on the way down. He started to pull me along the trail. It was then I realized, Jake wasn't having any problems traversing the trail. His claws held steady his advance. I stood, holding onto him, as step by step, I could feel each of his shoulders slowly laboring under my weight as he led me a few yards and deposited me on a wide part of the trail - only to run back up the icy path to get Heidi and do the same. He did this time and again, for over a mile of the trail, never once faltering, or forgetting one or the other of us, nor losing his footing or his patience.

Did you have a dog that bit anyone who came close to you while you laid for a month paralyzed on your back with a broken frame from when that damn horse dumped you? A dog you'd had longer than kids or husbands, or any other relative, short maybe of the longevity, perhaps of your mother, except in my case where even then Jake out-lived this matriarch. A dog that licked the tears from teen daughters' faces, and wrestled with their boyfriends - only the ones he liked that is (LOL). A dog that rescued his companion, Gizmo, from the swift flowing waters of the Rio Grande, although fatigued himself. An animal so beautiful even as he lay unable to get up but for his arthritic bones and advancing age, people remark "what a beautiful dog", dumbfounded to learn he is seventeen??



Jake died August 19th early in the morning as I lay next to his side. I am still awaking in the night to the sensation of a dog lick on my face. I miss Jake dearly.