I am struggling to find the right way to tell people that my dog, Jack, died yesterday. You may be asking why do you need to tell people? Well, I don't really know that either. We had someone coming by to feed him and give him water while we were out of town. Yesterday, they came over and the gate was open. It was a rickety gate that I had been meaning to work on. We think the big winds blew it open. Jack got out and excitedly hit the alleys. He got into the backyard of a nearby house. There were dogs in the neighboring yard and Jack probably ran back and forth until he got too hot. He laid down there in the yard and didn't get up.
*Disclaimer* If you can't understand how someone can be sad over the loss of a pet, stop reading here.
I feel like there are a lot of people that would like to know. Jack had a way of winning people over. I can think of several kids and adults that were a bit apprehensive about dogs in general and in spite of his snorting and panting he was able to win them over. If you hadn't met Jack, but you friends with me then you are probably aware of how much I loved that dog.
Again, some people may not understand the greatness that was my English bulldog, Jack. Many people see a dog that couldn't handle the exertion of a walk around the block. He didn't fetch, he didn't bark, and he didn't roll over. In another words, he was no 'Skid Boot' (google it).
When I was five, my uncle Jay returned from Marine boot camp to live with us. He brought me a t-shirt with that had a bulldog on the front wearing a red Marine shirt and a green helmet. The caption going across was "Little Marine". I immediately wanted an English bulldog. I remember seeing bulldogs in the cartoons and always felt that it was the coolest dog ever. When I had a chance to ask for one for a graduation present from my in-laws I went for it. I don't think Janice thought it was the best thing I could ask for, but she obliged. After they had the chance to keep Jack for a weekend they were fans too. We got Jack just weeks after moving into our current home, five and half years ago.
People saw this lazy dog that seemed to sleep more than he did anything else. While sleeping he often passed gas. While sleeping, he would often whimper and move his feet as if he was running. Alison often wondered if he was dreaming that he was a fast dog. Yes, Jack would lay around most of the time, but he always wanted to be in whatever room I was in. When I ate dinner he would come and lay down behind my chair. If I was in the living room he would lay under the coffee table, inching closer and closer to my bare feet. His favorite place though, was on the cool tile in the den at the step into the kitchen. This step was also "time-out" for our children. Jack had to listen to a lot of crying and angry kids. Jack would just get up and stand at the back door to be let out. Jack loved kids and he loved James and Maya in spite of their pestering. Proof of this was in spite of Maya often yelling at Jack to "stay away", "move!", or just simply "No, Jack!" she balled for 15 minutes when we told her about Jack. She doesn't quite understand yet, but she was quite upset. She repeatedly said, "Not my bulldog." James has been very sweet to me.
I am going to miss the company that Jack provided me when everyone else went to bed. I am going to miss him knocking on the back door to be let in. I will miss him standing motionlessly while 'Salty', James's lab puppy, bounced around him trying to play. I will miss watching Alison pet Jack with her foot (he was often in need of a bath).
I am going to miss him because he was my dog.
*Disclaimer* If you can't understand how someone can be sad over the loss of a pet, stop reading here.
I feel like there are a lot of people that would like to know. Jack had a way of winning people over. I can think of several kids and adults that were a bit apprehensive about dogs in general and in spite of his snorting and panting he was able to win them over. If you hadn't met Jack, but you friends with me then you are probably aware of how much I loved that dog.
Again, some people may not understand the greatness that was my English bulldog, Jack. Many people see a dog that couldn't handle the exertion of a walk around the block. He didn't fetch, he didn't bark, and he didn't roll over. In another words, he was no 'Skid Boot' (google it).
When I was five, my uncle Jay returned from Marine boot camp to live with us. He brought me a t-shirt with that had a bulldog on the front wearing a red Marine shirt and a green helmet. The caption going across was "Little Marine". I immediately wanted an English bulldog. I remember seeing bulldogs in the cartoons and always felt that it was the coolest dog ever. When I had a chance to ask for one for a graduation present from my in-laws I went for it. I don't think Janice thought it was the best thing I could ask for, but she obliged. After they had the chance to keep Jack for a weekend they were fans too. We got Jack just weeks after moving into our current home, five and half years ago.
People saw this lazy dog that seemed to sleep more than he did anything else. While sleeping he often passed gas. While sleeping, he would often whimper and move his feet as if he was running. Alison often wondered if he was dreaming that he was a fast dog. Yes, Jack would lay around most of the time, but he always wanted to be in whatever room I was in. When I ate dinner he would come and lay down behind my chair. If I was in the living room he would lay under the coffee table, inching closer and closer to my bare feet. His favorite place though, was on the cool tile in the den at the step into the kitchen. This step was also "time-out" for our children. Jack had to listen to a lot of crying and angry kids. Jack would just get up and stand at the back door to be let out. Jack loved kids and he loved James and Maya in spite of their pestering. Proof of this was in spite of Maya often yelling at Jack to "stay away", "move!", or just simply "No, Jack!" she balled for 15 minutes when we told her about Jack. She doesn't quite understand yet, but she was quite upset. She repeatedly said, "Not my bulldog." James has been very sweet to me.
I am going to miss the company that Jack provided me when everyone else went to bed. I am going to miss him knocking on the back door to be let in. I will miss him standing motionlessly while 'Salty', James's lab puppy, bounced around him trying to play. I will miss watching Alison pet Jack with her foot (he was often in need of a bath).
I am going to miss him because he was my dog.
Jack does not like the dog door.
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