The Best Dog in the World

When I was a teenager, my Dad bought a chubby yellow labrador retriever who was initially more interested in his food bowl than the people around him. Dad chose to name him Jick and the little puppy soon became an important member of our family.

I'm writing about Jick because I had a dream about him last night. It's funny - unlike many, this dream still seems very vivid to me.

As a dog and a pet, Jick had lots of great habits and a few really annoying and/or disgusting and/or embarrassing proclivities. He was a big, strong dog and so had difficulty being led on a leash - like most labradors, he had a powerful neck and shoulders, so he had a tendency to drag his walker after him as he ran. Also, he had a tendency to greet visitors in a most personal way. When a new or even familiar person (family included) walked in the door, Jick liked to sneak up behind him, put his nose in to the space where legs meet bum, and lift forcefully. Also, Jick liked to sit under the table at dinner, place his head upon someone's knee, and happily drool away until someone gave him a tidbit of food. Sometimes, when dinner was over, your entire thigh, leg and foot would be soaked with sticky slobber.

Despite these less than savory habits, Jick was a wonderful dog. Like many animals, he had great empathetic strengths. I can remember that there were occasions when I was suffering from teenage angst and Jick would creep upstairs to my room, nose the door open, and sit quietly beside me until I got control of myself. He liked to play games, too - if you sat next to him silently and stealthily acted like you were going to touch his cheek, he would pretend to not see you out of the corner of his eye, and then, when you got just close enough, he would just barely miss you with his tongue.

Jick developed diabetes in his later years. As time went on, the disease caused other problems and concerns, and it was decided that Jick should be put down. I felt that it was the right decision, and yet, I still regret it sometimes. Like the ending of all things dear, it was painful. I wasn't home at the time, but I cried when my parents told me he was gone. Whenever I walk through the front door of the house on a visit home, one of the first things that I do is turn to the back door, looking for Jick. I miss him every time he's not there.

Thinking of that dog brings fond memories to mind. It's amazing that an animal can mean so much - I look forward to the day when we can add a happy, loving dog and companion to our own small but growing family.