Who Let The Dogs Out!
Yesterday about 1:15pm, I got a call at work, “The dogs have gotten out and I can’t find Samson!” I’ve written here before about my life for the past twenty years living with Jack Russell Terriers. And in case anyone wonders, Jack Russells are born hunters. They are curious, tenacious, single minded little hunting machines. Their lives are not complete without something, usually a varmint of some sort, to worry, badger or spar with. And it’s not the first time my dogs have managed to get outside the fence. This time made all the more troubling because Samson is virtually blind. Having lived with glaucoma for a number of years, Samson has had one eye removed and the remaining eye is severely limited. So I excused myself from work and rushed home to mount the search and rescue operation.
Stories of Jack Russells are legendary and I’ve heard many over the years. Like the one about the terrier that was hit by a car and presumed dead; so much so, that the family dug a hole and buried their friend in the back yard. Well, apparently the little fellow was only stunned because sometime during the night, the dog dug himself out of his grave and the next morning greeted his astonished owners at the back door. Then there was the story I heard about a pack of terriers that lived on a plantation in South Africa. Every morning before the humans went outside, the pack was released and promptly cleared the grounds of any cobras that might be around. Once the cobras were dispatched by the darting and dodging terriers, the people were safe to step outside. And I can’t tell you how many times over the years I’ve heard someone say, “you know, the number one killer of Jack Russell Terriers is cars.” I have only lost one terrier over the years due to an accident. And it was my own fault. Axl, a big tan and white smooth coated terrier found a spot under a gate and got inside the horse paddock. As he ran after a galloping horse, Axl was stepped on. He ran a few more steps and laid down. A few minutes later he was gone. Broken back I suspect. I know terriers will be terriers, but I hate knowing that I lost one because I had not properly secured the dog yard.
By the time I got home, over an hour had passed and there was still no sign of Samson. It’s hard to imagine that a blind dog could go far. A search around the grounds and a quick drive through the nearby subdivision yielded no results. So I put on my knee high rubber boots and a long sleeve shirt and headed off into the woods. My property is fairly wooded and a creek runs along the south eastern edge. In fact the creek is the property line. The creek however is at the bottom of a steep gully. This time of year the sides of the gully are alive with poison ivy, Virginia creeper, vines, thorns and new sapling trees. Along with the towering pines and oaks, the woods are quite uninviting. After a few minutes of carefully walking through this jungle and calling Samson’s name I came to a clearing which seemed to form a little bit of a trail. I followed this “trail” all the way down to the creek. Suddenly, I heard a rustling in the underbrush. I looked and there he was, nose to the ground, tail in the air, muddy and wet. I’m sure he wondered what all the fuss was about. I gathered my buddy under an arm and hiked back up the gully.
So, you think you want to get a Jack Russell Terrier? They have quite the personality. They are cute, smart and a few have made pretty good TV stars over the last several years. They can even become something of a lap dog or couch potato intent on living the good life. But don’t let all of that fool you. For when adventure calls, the Jack Russell Terrier will not hesitate to answer, and you’ll spend much of your time and energy protecting your Jack Russell - from himself!
Tags: Jack Russell Terriers
