In Memory Of Wonder Dog

This post is an old one I did about my Jack a couple of years ago. Many of you knew him as Wonder Dog. In fact, I actually wrote this when we lived back east and I write a column for the local small town newspaper. It shows his personality. We lost Jack a year ago right before Christmas and I sure miss him. I think he and Daisy would have loved each other dearly. While Daisy does not replace our Wonder dog, she sure does fill our hearts to the brim.

So, here is the old post called “My Dog Is in The Witness Protection Program”

I had this wonderful dog named Jack. Now, he was extremely smart. All he had to do was see something once and he had it. But, over the past couple of years, I have begun to wonder if he really was not in the witness protection program. He was way too smart and knew his way around electronics.  I mean, seriously…take a look at this face. Have you ever seen a more human expression.

“who me, in the witness protection program?  Of course not. hahaha”

I decided he was an entertainment dog when I saw all the tricks he could do and that he could stand on his hind legs all by himself. Of course, he was a little unnerving when you would turn around and he was standing on his hind legs and looking you in the eye.  I was a little curious that he refused to sleep on the floor like other dogs and mysteriously a bed appeared in one room…and then another room and finally a third room…complete with fleece blankets. I was relieved too when the first bed appeared for he kept on insisting on sleeping with me before that and what a bed hog and cover hog he is. It must have been in his witness protection contract for whatever he wanted seemed to appear mysteriously.

“about time I got my own bed”

It was his unusual penchant for electronic things that made me wonder was he in disguise and in the witness protection program. For example, in the other house we had an electronic door look so that I could unlock the door from a distance. This was for when I fell or was so sick I could not get up. Son would be at the door, arms full and do his funky little knock so I would know it was him and unlock the door. Soon, Jack would run to the remote and push the button before I could get there. I thought “Oh great, I am going to have to pin a key to my clothes for if I go out to get the mail…he might lock me out. He also guarded the door very well, including keeping us out. 

and how do I know you really live here??”

There were also those mysterious CB radio conversations I heard.

“Me on the cb?  Nah”

I would get up and go out in the living room and there he would be, laying on the floor by the table with the CB…the mike on the floor. Maybe he was conversing with those in charge. Who knows.  All I heard was someone on the radio calling out “where’d ya go flyin jack?”.

“Uh, I was just looking at the slipper. I wasn’t gonna wear it.”

And then, there was this thing about my remote control lights. They were being turned off and I was not doing it. And son swore up and down he was not doing it. One day, son started catching jack with the remote beside him, lights off and Jack would be laying up on the couch or day bed or other piece of furniture.

“Why are you always asking if I turned the lights off??”

Ok, I can live with that. But, what about the food missing from the fridge?  We discovered that Jack knew how to open the fridge and we were always finding the empty packages of things hidden under chairs and tables. Surely no ordinary dog could do that. I kept wondering where the pieces of chicken were going or why when he came back into the living room, I heard the sound of a door shutting. And what about those toy boxes?  All over the house I tell you.

“Gotta have something around here to entertain me”

And what about how sneaky he is?  I thought I would teach him to track stuff…you know…smell it and then I would hide it and he go find it. Oh yeah…right.  I was so excited at first cause I would have him sit in the dining room and then smell an item and I would go hide it in the living room and then bring him in and tell him to find it. He would get it every time. I felt like a proud mother.  Then the last time, I was hiding the object and heard a noise and turned and looked and Jack had crawled on his belly and was peeking around the corner watching me. My dog cheats!!!!!!  I bet they taught him that in the witness protection program too. No wonder he found it every time.

“How many times is she gonna make me play this stupid fetch game??”

The last giveaway was he needed to be dressed. He had a robe, a fleece coat, a raincoat…..I mean seriously..what dog would wear all that?  The last year, he just laid around in his robe…..just like an old man…and ate and drank and that was about it. He even grumbled like an old man if he did not get his way.

“About time I got some new clothes”:

And I am not sure how it happened cause the Witness Protection Program is sure not paying us, but we were making his food with fresh chicken, rice and veggies. Now how did this come about??  All I knew was, he had taken over the house, acted like an old man, even sat like a person with his back legs sticking straight out and sitting on his hinny and I truly believe he is someone in disguise.

“You’ would think they would give a man a chair, wouldn’t ya?”

Now, I know you all will not breathe a word of this to anyone. We do not want them to find him or have his picture end up in the news media as a front page tabloid story . So, if you happen to see him taking any rides in the van….would you let me know? We think the keys are up high enough but he has some mighty long legs.

Jack is missed by both son and I and after having him for so long, he will always remain a part of our lives. He was an abused animal that we adopted and I would not have traded having him for anything in this world. He had personality like Daisy and would talk at you and be spunky. So, here is to you old friend..our very special “Wonder Dog”.