Memories of an old friend

Jake

January 1, 1984 - January 1, 2000

I remember it was cold that February in 1984, there was snow on the ground and My wife, (now EX-wife) Amy, and I were going out to Angel's house to pick out our Christmas present from Foot. It seems that Angel's dog, who was half German Shepard, half Timber wolf, had been fooling around with the neighbor dog who was a very large, black Chow. Foot's Christmas present to me was one of the puppies that were born right around the first of the year.

I think there was about 6 or 7 puppies, all of them were black. Most of them were playing and fighting with each other but there was one over in the corner, all alone. He was much smaller than the rest of the puppies and seemed to just want to be left alone so he could get some sleep, so I just had to go and wake him up. I brought him in the house and sat down and laid him on my chest, he was no bigger than my hand and he went right to sleep, my decision was made.

I named him "Jake", after John Wayne's character in the movie "Big Jake" and he grew into the name quite well because he was rough and tough and didn't take no shit from nobody.

A few months later Amy and a friend of hers,  Annette, who had just joined a softball team, were playing catch in the back yard, little Jake was out there too because I was out there, even from a little puppy, he always wanted to be by my side. Jake and I were playing in the bushes (ok, Jake was playing in the bushes and I was trying to get him out) and Jake ran out and right into the path of the thrown hardball, thrown by Amy and the catch was missed by Annette. It struck him, dead center, right in the head. I ran to pick him up and there was blood coming out of his ears, eyes, nose and mouth and he was unconscious.

"He's Dead!" was my first thought. "The girls should be too" was my second. Back then there were no Animal Hospitals in our area, just your normal vet that of course couldn't be found on a Sunday afternoon but I did manage to get through to his service and left a message. Jake soon woke up and was whimpering and the bleeding stopped. The vet called and we described what happened and he said it wouldn't do any good to bring him in anyway as there wasn't anything he would be able to do for him, we should just keep an eye on him and Jake would probably do one of two things, live or die.

He lived.

Jake is now about 50-60 lbs, with lots of long, black fur and a black tongue, like a Chow, but he has a longer snout. He has the face of a German Shepard and his tail is half and half. It starts out straight and at about half way, it curls up.

He is a character. He does a lot of dumb stuff and all around is a pretty silly dog but most of that I just attributed to the blow to the head, ever since then his eyes looked a little cloudy but the vet said his vision was normal and he never gave a clue that he couldn't see well.

Often we could be found tromping through the woods, making as much noise as possible (Jake wasn't much of a woodsman), scaring up game and then going to smell where they were instead of chasing them (what's up with that?). He really wasn't too good at sled riding either but he seemed to enjoy the hell out of it anyway. He loved the snow, and because of his long, thick fur he could stay out in it longer than any other man or beast. Every first snow of the year I would let him out the door and he would dash out into the new fallen snow and dive right in and just roll and roll in it.

When we moved to Florida I had the truck loaded down and was pulling a U-Haul with two cats, Jake and myself in the cab but, unknown at the time, didn't have the trailer lights wired correctly. Somewhere in south Georgia  at about 11 PM, I was pulled over by a State Trooper. I stopped and was getting my license out, Jake was busy looking out the window when the Trooper appeared at my window. INTRUDER!!!! Jake dives across my lap and almost out the window snarling all the way, the Trooper lunges backward about two steps and almost right into the path of a speeding 18 wheeler. I finally got Jake pushed back to the passenger side but by then I think the cop needed some clean laundry and he didn't seem very happy. He ordered me to exit the highway at the next opportunity and fix the trailer lights and then followed me to make sure I did. I ended up rewiring the lights laying in a puddle of gasoline (the tank on the truck leaked) at midnight in Who-laid-the-chunk Georgia.

New years eve, turn of a century. I had some very important plans to ring in the new millenium, but those plans had fallen through and even my back up plans went down the tubes, looks like it's just you and me again Jake.

Jake doesn't seem to be feeling well, it's like he isn't able to catch his breath, yet he doesn't want to lay down either (Jake? not wanting to lay down? Now I know something is wrong). Being an old dog like he is, he usually spends most of his time sleeping. his panting seems to be getting worse as the night goes on. At midnight I kissed him and wished him a happy new year and told him we made it to the next century  and to his 16th birthday but he only gave me a strange look, as if he was worried or something. Something is tell ing me that Jake's time is about up and I think he is dying.

I didn't get much sleep as I kept getting up to check on him, I don't think he got much sleep either. The next morning when we went out for our walk he wasn't as frisky as he always gets about going out and I was worried to see he just did his business and then just stood there, "What? no smelling the whole neighborhood today?" I finally coaxed him back in the house and went into the bedroom to read, Jake came in and laid at my feet but it sounded like his panting was turning to gasping.

At about 11:10 AM, Jake came over to the side of the bed and laid his muzzle on my arm, I put my book down and petted him and talked to him and his back legs gave up on him and he was starting to slide down the bed as his front legs started to go. I got off the bed and, kneeling on the floor, I put my arms around him and slowly lowered him to the floor. I stayed that way with him and stroked his head and spoke softly to him, trying not to cry. A minute or two later his eyes wide, as if frightened, turned to look at me one last time and then, without a sound, he passed away, still in my arms.

Jake was the most loyal and true friend I will ever know. He was trusting to the end and his love was totally unconditional. He was always there for me when I needed him, even when I wasn't always for him.

I will miss him for the rest of my life and look forward to being with him again when I get to where he is now.

there is no end, only new beginnings.....

.....I will see you again, my friend

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