Author: JackJack Canine Explorer

Woof – what a week friends! Our Michigan temps dropped so it was at least 20 degrees colder this week! Old Man Winter blew in a fresh blanket of snow too…grrrr! While I usually enjoy snow, that brief spurt of warmer weather put a little pep in my step. I was starting to feel like spring was on its way. Now, with four inches of snow and a wicked chill in the air – I’m feelin a bit on edge. The below zero windchills had me locked in doors with nothin to do but nap. Once I had my fill of sleep, I became bored. That’s when it happened…I dropped the ball. 

I have a toy basket that is full of all kinds of balls, chews and stuffys. So when I get bored, I usually have plenty of things to play with to keep me busy. I am a Jack Russel-Beagle-Hound, so I try really hard to keep my energy under control. Only this week, I accidentally destroyed all my stuffy toys. I am not sure what came over me – I just could not stop myself. I tore into those stuffys, ripping and tearing. Covers were torn, stuffing was flying – until I emerged victorious with the squeaker from each of my toys. Ha! Take that purple spider! Stick it Mr. Crocodile! 

Then my hooman entered the room. Evidence of my pent up energy was all over the living room. She was not impressed. Instead she told me that she wasn’t going to buy me any more stuffys if I could not take care of them. This was very upsetting news. As I watched my hooman walk around the house, picking up shredded pieces of stuffys past, I started to wonder if other canines have ever had this experience.  

So I barked out a call to my nephew Disco. Disco is newest pup to our pack. He is a black and white (versus a white and black like me). He is a bit taller and a lot leaner. He was rescued from a shelter in Michigan but is originally from Tennessee. That means he has a laid back southern kinda vibe. I wanted to know if Disco had ever had that out-of-canine experience where he just got into destruction mode and couldn’t stop. Since he is still a pupper, I felt like I might have a pal that could relate to my predicament. Sure enough, Disco shared with me his love for chewing remote controls. He knows it is wrong – but said sometimes the temptation to chew gets the best of him. 

This got me to thinking…regardless of how hard we try to be good – sometimes we just drop the ball. For Disco, temptation for those tasty remotes was just too much and he lost control. For me, my energy overwhelmed me and I became reckless. Sometimes we just make bad decisions and before we know it – stuffing is everywhere. 

So friends, as we go into a new week, let’s remember we all make mistakes. We can try our hardest to exercise self-control and resist temptation, but inevitably we will drop the ball. When that happens, know you are not alone. Give yourself a break, start over and try again. 

Bark at you next week!

Your friend, 

Hello friends! This week brought record breaking warm temps to my Michigan woods. Which means it was time to get back out exploring! It is VERY unusual to hike down the ravine in February. Usually my trail is full of ice and snow so I have to keep my adventures closer to home. But this week I was able to wander down the hill to see how the January snow storms changed the woodsy landscape.

It’s always a surprise to see how Mother Nature changes the forest after a long winter. Sometimes the creek gets pushed to carve deeper into the hillside. Sometimes the snow and ice move old logs around and create new rapids. Or in the case of a big snow melt, I can expect to find springs that pop up to deliver freshwater to the creek.

As I trotted down my familiar trail, daydreaming about what adventures lie in store – I was shocked to discover my usual path was MISSING! Mother Nature can be a trickster but certainly she did not steal away my favorite trail…did she?

Massive trees covered my usual route. As I squeezed my way around an old cypress tree, the mud began to squish between my paws. The detour had me a bit nervous since the ground felt soft and unstable. Just as I got back on course, I discovered yet another obstacle. This time, a giant hemlock, next a downed pine tree. Turn after turn I discovered more things blocking my path, and I had to keep rerouting – veering off my normal trail. 

At first, the new way of doing things was exciting. But eventually it became tiring, reconfiguring new unfamiliar directions. As I wiggled and worked my way through downed trees, I realized my old path was gone. Hiking in the ravine will never be the same and I am going to have to get used to finding a new way. 

Sometimes adventures are like that – obstacles get put in our way and we have to overcome the barriers. We get forced in new directions and it is up to us to figure out our way through. Eventually I made it up the hill and back to the house. My hooman was there with a towel to dry off my muddy paws. It was nice to be back home warm and dry. 

So friends, as we head into another week…keep pushing on. Mother Nature will put up roadblocks. When she does – keep trail blazing! Obstacles are inevitable. We may not always feel like we are on solid ground. Our paws may get muddy, and we may find ourselves wishing for simpler times. But know that as you work to forge a new path, your effort will pay off and eventually you will find your way back home. 

Bark at you next week!

Your friend, 

Hello friends! I am happy to share that this month marks my ONE YEAR anniversary of Hiking Jack’s Canine Adventures! My first blog posted on February 20, 2023. Since then I have shared 40 stories with you and made many many new friends. Thank you all for tuning in every week and sharing in my adventures. Some of my favorite stories are the tributes to my loved ones like Cheers to Old Dogs in honor of my Great Grandpa Kirby and A Grand Adventure in remembrance of my Gram who passed away earlier this year. 

I have learned many lessons over this past year like how to try not to compare myself to others and have Dog Envy and how important it is to stay healthy like when I was in Spring Training. I also know now the importance of having the Right Stuff and that Sharing is Caring. I also discovered multiple wildflowers special editions as the forest came to life in May, June, July, August and even September.  

I hope you have enjoyed my adventures as much as I have enjoyed sharing them with you. If you have any lessons you think I should learn – feel free to share your ideas with me. As we go into a new week let’s take a minute to look back through the pictures you have stored away of the last year and share them with your friends. If you have time, click on some of my photos of our past canine adventures and let me know what was your favorite. 

Bark at you next week! 

Your friend, 

Happy New Year friends! Sorry I have been a bit off the grid lately. The holidays came and went and my canine exploring fizzled. I am not sure what exactly happened. One minute the house was full of food and laughter and the next minute my brothers were gone – along with all the tasty treats! Family returned to their homes away from my home, my hoomans went back to work, and the twinkly holiday lights were turned off. My days that were once full of music and dinner scraps returned to just me and the quiet ticking of the living room clock.

As January began to blow by it brought with it “arctic blasts” that made it too cold to be outside. This meant my opportunity for outdoor canine adventures dropped below zero along with the Michigan temperature and my bad attitude. I started to feel like a pretty down dog as the winter blues took hold. I felt as though there was nothing for me to do but bury my face in the couch pillows and wait for spring.

I was going on week three of this frosty slump when my hoomom decided to intervene. She clipped me in the car and drove me to town for a special adventure. Before I knew it, we were walking into the do-it-yourself dog wash. It took some milk bone bribery to get me to walk the plank into the tall tub, but once I was in…it was pure utopia. My hoomom lathered me up with warm soapy water and spent extra time rubbing behind my ears. She kissed my nose and kept telling me I was a handsome boy. I really started to believe in this “self-care” stuff and slowly began to relax. A day at the spa was just what I needed to melt away my winter blues. 

So friends, as we head into the last gloomy week of January, check-in with your friends. If you haven’t seen them around – you might have to take some time to plan a special adventure. If you are the one suffering from the winter blues – maybe draw yourself a bath and remind yourself that what goes down must come up. This week we will begin the month of February – so spring will be here eventually!

Thank you for all of you who sent me messages and checked in on me. Now it is my turn to check-in on you. Send me a message and let me know how you are planning on beating back the winter blues. 

I look forward to hearing from you – bark at you next week!

Your friend, 

P.S. Please feel free to share this story with a friend. It could be just the thing to cheer them up today!

One of the hardest commands for me to obey is WAIT. Usually just about the time when my adventure is really about to get interesting is when I hear that stern, sharp command – WAIT! A call from my hooman, stopping me in my tracks. Sometimes when I am told to wait – I just ignore it. I act as though I did not hear the word. “Just keep your head down and keep sniffing”, I say to myself. “Don’t make eye contact”. But ultimately, my hooman will continue with the command – so eventually I have to give in and return to her side. 

A famous singer once said “the waiting is the hardest part”, and this time of year – I have to agree. We are in the final countdown until the fat man flies and delivers baby Jesus to his manager (or something like that). Only then will I get treats put in my stocking. So until the magical day arrives – I have no choice but to WAIT. *sigh*

Since I have all this time on my hands, I decided to take myself for a little walk and think about all the waiting I have left to do. As I trotted down my tree line trail, I began to think about Christmas. What surprises lay in store. I began to hope for bully sticks and milk bones. Maybe an extra squeaky or stuffy. My brothers will be home and they are always up for a wrestle or chase. When we play together the joy spills out of them with sounds of laughter. Remembering their joyous sounds all of a sudden made my heart fill up a little.

Enjoying these memories made me want to relive more of my past Christmas celebrations. I sat in the woods and thought about Grandpa. He will probably be sitting in the big chair. He lets me sit with him and then usually sneaks me cookies. My tail began to wag at the idea of spending time with Grandpa (and cookies). My tummy began to flutter a bit at the idea of seeing all my favorite hoomans again. 

Since it was starting to get dark, I decided to turn toward home. The pretty lights were all aglow and my tummy flipped again. The sight of the porch all lit up, ready to welcome family back home began to fill me with hope for more fun memories. The thrill of Christmas began to build inside me. All of a sudden, the burden of waiting was replaced with pure anticipation of the joyous moments yet to come. 

So friends, as we head into the last week before Christmas, my wish for you is that you too are filled with the anticipation of Christmas. If you find yourself scrambling to get things done or feeling  stressed – take yourself for a walk and enjoy the holiday lights. Let hope build inside you until you too are ready burst with joy and all the goodness of the season. The feeling of Christmas is one full of faith, hope, and love – and all of that is definitely worth the wait.    

Have a Merry Christmas and I will bark at you next week!

Your friend,

Hello friends! This week has been a bit strange in my house. My hoomans decided to bring a live tree IN DOORS! At first I thought they might be losing it, but then my hooman started putting all kinds of delicious treats under it. So I decided, “who am I to judge?”. Almost every day this week, my hooman came home with some sort of tasty surprise and put it under the tree. 

As I was sniffing out the situation…I discovered new squeaky balls, a big box of milk bones, and a GIANT bag of kibble. I knew I was a good boy – but man almighty I must have been extra good to deserve all these amazing treats!

This strange behavior continued as my hooman dug through my toy basket. She washed squeaky balls I no longer play with, packed them up, and put them by our back door. Well, since those are MY toys, I decided I would just go and unpack that box. 

I tiptoed into the mudroom to retrieve my pink spiky ball. As I was busy retrieving, I knocked over a box of milk bones. CRASH! I was busted. My hooman rushed in to discover me with my snout in the box. I quickly snatched my ball and hightailed it outta there.  

She caught me in the living room. “Release!”, she commanded me to drop the ball. “Nope”, I decided. “Release!”, she said again – a bit louder this time. “Ummm…not gonna do it lady”, I thought. “Jack – RELEASE!”, she demanded with a bit of anger in her tone. Now, I know when my hooman uses my name in a command – she is not playin. But I was not giving up. This is MY ball. So I clamped down and gave her my best puppy eyes. I can be serious too.

Then my hooman sat down next to me. I thought for sure she was going to try and trick me and pry the ball out of my mouth, but she surprised me. Instead, she told me a story about a dog named Buster.

Buster is a shelter dog. He has been living at the animal shelter for almost four years. He is smart and silly and very kind, only Buster has not had any luck getting adopted. Nobody knows for certain how Buster ended up in the shelter, but what we do know is that he really likes spiky balls (exactly like mine). So my hooman thought since Buster doesn’t have a family to buy him toys, we could help make Buster a bit happier this Christmas if we gave him the toys I no longer play with.

I had to think about this. I wandered over to the delicious treats under the tree. I do have quite a bit of tasty goodness there. Then my hooman told me all those treats are for the shelter dogs too! Whaaaat?! This was very upsetting news. Not only was I supposed to give up my toys but NONE of the tasty treats were mine to enjoy. 

My hooman then told me that there are quite a few canines at the shelter that are waiting to be adopted. Some animals do not have families yet. The idea made me sad. All of a sudden, I wanted to help Buster and his friends. It was hard giving up my toys and the thought of all those tasty morsels – but once I found the courage to release my toys it made it easier to give up the treats. The idea of helping Buster be a bit happier at Christmas time along with all the other shelter dogs – somehow made me happier too. 

So friends, as we go into the final stretch of preparing for the holiday season, find the courage to release some things for those in need. It doesn’t have to be much. Maybe you have something you no longer use that you could give to someone who may need it more than you. Take it from me, once you find the spirit of giving you will be pleasantly surprised how much joy you will receive in return. And really – isn’t that what Christmas is all about? 

Enjoy the season of giving and I will bark at you soon!

Your friend, 

P.S. Many animal shelters are nonprofit organizations and rely on support from the community. If you are feeling called to give – consider supporting your local shelter and helping out my friends like Buster. The shelter I came from is Bellwether Harbor and they are also in need of support if you would like to help!

It’s my birthday! I am a full FIVE years old now. I am full grown and an official DOG. Long gone are my puppy days (and my excuses for bad behavior). As I got to thinking about this five-year canine adventure that I have been on…I took a little trip down memory lane.

Reliving all the adventures and lessons so far, like the crate days – when my hoomas were not sure if I could be trusted to roam free in the house while they were gone (glad those days are over). Or when I got my first life jacket and learned how to kayak and my hoomom kept falling out of the boat. Or the good old days when my older bros were sent home from college and the whole world shut down. Back when we went on family walks EVERYDAY because the hoomans had nowhere else to go. We really have been through a lot over the years!

As I began to reflect on my life so far, I realized I have it pretty good. I have a family that loves me, a warm bed to sleep in, and kibble in my bowl every morning. So even though it is tradition to receive a gift on my birthday – I decided to celebrate my half-decade of life by DOING something instead. Maybe I could do some self-improvement and work out some of my bad habits, like begging. I am sure my hoomans would appreciate it if I stopped staring and drooling at them when they eat. Or maybe I could get a new skill. I could learn a new trick or command. Hoomans like it when I understand what they are saying. 

But as I began to try and think of something new to do…it dawned on me that I am already pretty BUSY. I have my volunteer time, exploration time, and hooman time. I got to secure the perimeter of the property twice a day and watch out over the yard while my hooman is at work. Not to mention the holidays are upon us, and there is more pressure to go to more places and do more things. And I certainly do not want to cut out things I love like zoomies and evening walks. I am not sure if I can cram one more thing into my to do list. All of a sudden – this birthday gift started to feel more like a birthday burden. The very idea of adding MORE to do made me begin to pant in distress. 

That got me to thinking…what if I gave myself a gift of something NOT to do. What if I picked something to STOP doing? My self improvement could actually be self care. Just the idea of dedicating time just for me versus adding more responsibilities had me yawning into relaxation. So, for my birthday, I decided to give myself the gift of “me time”. At least once a week, I am going to take a moment just to STOP and enjoy something for myself. A quick walk down the driveway, an extra minute at the window, or maybe a quick cozy snooze with teddy.

So friends, as we head into a new (busy) month, take some time to NOT do something. With the holidays upon us it can be hard to add extra – so think about what you might have to take off your plate so you have time to enjoy the things around you. Add YOU to your to do list – if only for a moment. 

Take care of yourself and I will bark at you next week!

Your friend, 

Hello friends! This week is a big week if you live in my neck of the woods. November 15th marked the opening of firearm deer season or as my hoomans like to say “rifle season”. It’s the day when hunters get to go out into the woods to harvest deer for venison. Some hoomans don’t like the taste of venison. I do not understand this, but in any case, rifle season is here and can be very dangerous for canine explorers like me. 

Once the leaves have turned and fallen from the trees – I know hunting season has begun. My hooman ties a silly red scarf around my red collar (so hunters can see me more easily), and out to the woods we go. I do not think the scarf does anything special but it makes her feel better so I deal with it. (If I ever get an unsupervised minute alone with that scarf bad things will happen to it). But I digress.  

Hunters are some of the safest hoomans I know. They know a lot about the woods and use guns for hunting animals to eat. However, they can also be very territorial when it comes to their hunting land. I am not quite sure where the property lines are in my woods, but evidently I’ve got to be careful not to cross them. I was out the other day exploring like I do – sniffing and running and searching for my next adventure – when I was surprised by a stranger! 

Typically I am a very welcoming kind of canine. When I see a hooman, I usually wag my tail and bark with delight. Sometimes I bark with so much joy that my whole body bounces backward! As I trotted down my tree lined trail, I caught the scent of someone new. I increased my pace and woofed welcomes, as I started toward my new friend. But then something didn’t smell right. About halfway down the hill I stopped and reassessed the situation. This hooman made me bristle a bit. 

I quickly stopped my happy hellos and put my hackles up. He didn’t greet me like hoomans usually do. The stranger was not on my side of the creek but slowly started making his way toward me. My hoomom was at the top of the hill and she began to call me back. The tone in her voice sounded urgent and all of a sudden it felt very dangerous. I charged away from the stranger racing back up the hill, my silly scarf flapping in my ears. As I ran away, the stranger began to shout mean and angry words. I am not sure what he said but I could tell they were not friendly. 

That got me to thinking…although I like to think that all animals in the world are nice – some are just not. It can be hard to understand, but it is important to know that not all situations are safe. We need to know when put our hackles up and move away from dangerous situations. While I still do not like my silly scarf, I now understand the importance of being prepared to enter into territories unknown. 

So as we go into a new week… let’s remember to be kind but careful. Always be polite to strangers, but realize they are not friends (yet). Proceed with caution when venturing out (no silly scarf required), and sniff out the situation to make sure it is safe. If you happen to have a surprise guest that you know – greet them with bouncing backwards kind of joy. Remember that sometimes an unexpected visitor can be the beginning of another great adventure!

Bark at you next week – your friend,

P.S. You can find me throughout the week on all the socials – TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. See ya there!

Trick or Treat! Is there even a question here? Nothin gets my tail waggin faster than a delicious treat. I am 100% on board with going from door to door collecting treats – this is a genius hooman holiday! The only part about Halloween where I get a bit confused is the costumes. Lately my hoomom has been dressing me up in different “outfits” and I gotta say…it feels weird.

Now, if you are the kind of canine that likes to wear outfits – go for it. I, however, just don’t enjoy it. I think it is important to let others know when you are not comfortable. Sometimes, we go about our daily tasks making sure those around us feel good about something but deep down inside, we are not feeling so great.

I understand that on Halloween, hoomans (and sometimes animals) dress up to be silly and that is all good and fun. But I am talking about the everyday. The days when you may find yourself going along to get along. Where you may feel that you have to pretend to be something you are not – just because you are worried you may upset someone else. If you find yourself in those situations – you have to let others know. 

Now this is where it can get tricky…there is a very fine line between being honest and being rude or barking about what we think is best versus taking time to listen and be respectful of others. It is very important to consider others’ feelings and their point of view, but if you find yourself doing something that you’re not enjoying or being someone you are not – it is time to speak up. 

Speaking up takes courage and is not always easy. My hoomom really gets a kick out of dressing me in funny outfits (and it makes her laugh a lot), but it does not make me happy. So, I finally had to let her know that although it clearly brings her great joy to put me in canine costumes – I dislike it very much. I didn’t snap at her or anything. I just showed her in a loving and kind way how I felt. And you know what? She understood! Turns out she loves me just the way I am – extra long tongue and all!

So friends, as we head into a new week and a brand new month, let’s practice the tricky business of kindly sharing our true selves, and help those around us understand us a little more. Show off your amazing personality to the world and those who love you will respond with resounding support and accept you just the way you are – I know I do! 

Have a Happy Halloween 🎃- bark at you next week!

Your friend,