Jak has been a member of the family for eight years. A true friend, loyal and protective, good with children, livestock and snuggling when you need that special friend. He is a pound puppy of mixed ancestry, one would guess maybe a little Golden Retriever and a dash of German Shepherd. Your guess is as good as mine.
He believes deep down that he is what other farm dogs are modeled after. Every morning rain, shine or blizzard, he is out there with me. He will trek through the mud, break a path in the snow and protect me from all monsters that may be concealed in the trees and bushes. The truth of the matter is that just having him out there is a big help. It is always nice to have company.
But his biggest enjoyment in life are his walks. Every day we try to work in a trip down the road and across the creek. A chance for him to catch up on the news of the day. Reading the path the coyotes took and scanning for vermin. Then checking the raccoon’s obituary recently hit on the road. But the chase is on when he comes across a feral cat. Sadly the headline always reads the same, dog loses cat in bean field. But after a while this probably all becomes old news to him and possibly a little boring.
So once a week we hop in the truck and drive into town. While one of us shops at the grocery, the other heads down the street with Jak, decked out in his Sunday-go-to-meeting blue collar and matching leash. As he excitedly walks down the street, he checks out the news on every telephone pole, tree and mailbox. He sniffs up and down and all around so as not to miss any gossip. After reading the news articles on who was here, who ate what, he leaves his own editorial and moves on. You can easily see that this is a big deal and we try not to rush. We finally pack up and head for home, his head hanging out the window. Filled with all the news of what’s happening in the world of dogs. I would have to guess it is a lot like the Sunday comics, something to look forward to and enjoy until the next delivery.
