Meet Jack

This is Jack.
He is a Walker Coonhound.
We've had Jack for several years now--I think almost three.



When I was a little girl growing up on a farm in northern Indiana, we always had a dog or two around. Usually my dad chose German Shepherds or German Shepherd mixes. There were a couple of mutts along the way too--my favorites. But we never had a hound dog.

We began getting lonely for dog companionship after our hound dog mix of 9 years, Duke, died. So, it was no surprise when one evening Paul came home from work and told me that a friend of his had a hound dog that he was needing to find a home for. This dog, he said, was a Walker Coonhound--a hunting dog. In fact, he had been out on several hunts already. I asked if he was a good hunting dog, and Paul said that he was a "me too" dog. I guess everytime he went out with the other dogs to hunt, they would tree something and start howling, and Jack would throw his head back and howl, "Me too!" That alone made me fall in love with him before I ever saw him. So, one Wednesday afternoon, we went to meet Jack and ended up bringing home a dog, a bag of dogfood and a leash.

There are times that I wonder if we did the right thing--getting another dog. Like when I look out and see him digging yet another hole in the backyard. Duke used to catch the moles, but Jack just digs for them. Like I said, his hunting instincts aren't very strong. Or when I see that ring in our yard where the grass has died, because that's where he runs. Or when I see him do his bathroom duty right in the middle of the backyard. Or when I see a snake too close to the house--one that a dog should be scaring away.



But then I notice his loyalty. I notice how he stands nearby as William goes out in the early morning hours to sled, protectively watching his boy and wondering what fun he has up his sleeve.


Or how gentle he is with the kids. How he wants to be with them no matter where they are...or what they look like!


And how it doesn't really matter if they are actively engaged in playing with him. Just being near his people is enough.



Isn't that what true friendship is all about? I guess I can overlook the many, many holes and the dead grass in our yard. Especially when I hear the kids praying to God every evening to bless JackDog.