I'm JackJack and I am a canine explorer! I live in West Michigan and like to share stories of my adventures. Come along with me as we explore the Michigan and learn about wildflowers, woodland critters, and life's lessons that get me thinking as we journey down this path called life together.
Moving on – moving out – moving up. All terms hoomans use for going places. My canine adventure is a day late this week because my hoomans have been on the move. A lot of stuff has been coming and going in and out of my house. The hoomans have been busy moving the Grands into “assisted” living. The only thing not moving these days is me!
I am not sure why some hoomans make assisted living sound like it is not a great thing. I am here to tell you – being assisted is the only way to go. My assistance includes all my meals and treats (twice a day and don’t forget the snacks – thanks). My flea meds, vet appointments, nail care, and transportation all rely upon my hoomans. Hoomans open and close doors for me and even towel off my paws after a swim in the creek.
I am not sure why hoomans think that being independent is somehow better. These past few weeks I have had to be more independent and I got to be honest – it’s not all that great. I’ve had to entertain myself, walk myself, and most days even cuddle down in the blankets by myself. I have learned that being too independent can be lonely.
I think we’ve been conditioned to believe it’s important to do things on our own. That somehow doing things yourself is better than asking for help. The truth is, we all need to be assisted in one way or another. We need each other to socialize, share treats, show-off tricks, and get belly rubs. It not only is important for our brains but sometimes things are next to impossible to do alone. How am I supposed to rub my own belly?
We also need to provide assistance. Helping each other feels so good! I remember one day last winter when my hooman was hiking in the snow. She dropped her glove on a steep part of the path and she could not reach it. She called me over and asked me to retrieve it for her. Naturally, I helped (and having four paws made this an easy task). She was SO GRATEFUL! She cuddled and kissed me. She told me I was good and brave. I will never forget how great it felt to feel so needed.
So friends, as we go into a new week, if you find yourself needing some extra help do not be too “independent” to ask. Let someone who loves you lift a paw on your behalf. Remember, being assisted is a two-way street. Nothing feels better than helping out a friend in need.
Bark at you next week!
Your friend,
P.S. You can keep up on my daily adventures by following my Facebook or Instagram! Please also share and forward to a friend. Thanks!
Well friends – this week I’d like to chat with you about discipline. Being the world’s bravest canine explorer, I feel like I need to test the limits from time to time. Wander off the beaten path and all. However, even world famous explorers need to follow rules. The trick is to know what rules to bend and what rules to break (without too much fallout).
Now that I am 28 (or 4 in hooman years), I have learned a few tricks on how to stay disciplined and live my best dog life. I hope sharing them with you can help you lead your best life too. Fair warning – it is not easy and it takes a lot of practice!
Lesson 1: Compromise
When trying to stay disciplined – don’t forget to compromise. Take my hoomom’s flower garden for example. I am NOT under NO CIRCUMSTANCES allowed in the flower garden. So whenever I get even close to that lucious landscape – I am told to GET OUT! Buuut…if I keep my toes on the sidewalk and give my hoomom a smile, she just might allow me to wander in for a quick drink out of the bird bath. As long as I don’t sniff around and attempt to water the flowers (you know what I mean). So the lesson here is to use your canine cuteness to bend the rules as far as you can to get what you want. Also, compromise watering the garden with just a quick trip through the tulips for a drink instead.
Lesson 2: Look away
Cookies seem to be my biggest nemesis when it comes to being disciplined. When the hoomans leave cookies on the coffee table, it takes all the discipline I can muster to not gobble them down and act like the cat ate them (and we don’t even have a cat). So in order to combat this temptation, I look away. I don’t even tempt my taste buds by sniffing in that delicious direction. Sometimes if I find I can not follow the rules – I remove myself from the situation all together. If you have a cookie eating problem, I suggest trying this technique!
Lesson 3: Go for it
Realize some rules are made to be broken – like getting on the furniture. If you are not allowed on the furniture, I suggest putting your nose close to your hooman and making small noises to get their attention. If that does not work – you might have to break the rule all together and just jump on the couch. Sometimes this technique works. It just depends on how tired your hooman is that day. I suggest gauging your hooman’s mood and if they seem to be in a somewhat happy mood – go for it. Chances are you will get away with a nice nap in a cozy spot.
Lesson 4: Who cares?
The absolute most difficult thing to do – is to be disciplined when nobody is watching. Sure I could water the garden when my hoomom isn’t home, but I know that would be wrong. Plus she somehow knows when I have been in there and that makes her very upset. When breaking rules upsets the people you love – you know you have to stay disciplined. Knowing what is important and what can be overlooked will help guide you in the rule breaking. Always ask yourself who will really care? If it is someone you love – you should probably follow the rules as much as possible (furniture does not apply here).
Lesson 5: Forgive yourself
Doing the right thing just because it is the right thing to do is hard. I know I will not always be able to look away from cookies on the coffee table. So when I slip up, I try to forgive myself. Not too many canines can look away from a delicious treat – especially one at eye level! It is important to know that mistakes will happen and then give myself some grace when it does.
So friends, as we go into a new week try and stay disciplined. In the end, as long as we try to follow the rules, compromise when necessary, not hurt the ones we love, and give ourselves a break when we slip up – that’s about the best we can expect. Keep trying to do the right thing and don’t ever give up!
Welcome to the dog days of summer! This month is a great time to get out exploring. Wildflowers are big and bold this time of year. Just like fireworks in the night sky – my woods are exploding with July colors.
Many of the flowers I shared in the JUNE Wildflowers post are still blooming – but here are five more of my top picks to add to your wildflower seeking adventures. I hope the dog nose sizing scale helps you put into perspective what to look for – wildflowers are all shapes and sizes.
Wildflower Size Scale:
Flower size
Small dog nose (like a dime or smaller)
Medium dog (like my nose the size of a quarter)
Large dog (larger than a quarter)
Plant height
At the paw (ground level 1-2 inches)
My dewclaw (3-4 inches off ground)
My dogleg (6 inches or more)
#1 Michigan Lily (orange)
Height: higher than my dogleg
Flower size: bigger than a large dog nose
This is the biggest wildflower I have EVER found – almost as big as my ear! It is bright orange with dark brown spots and is native to my Michigan woods. Its big blooms bow down and if you touch them – they will reward you with their orangey pollen all over your coat. They must be tasty too since my deer friends love them, but I don’t recommend eating them (remember wildflowers are not food).
#2 Indian Pipe or Ghost Plant (white)
Height: my dewclaw
Flowersize: small dog nose (or smaller)
As you can see, these wildflowers resemble a pipe sticking out of the ground, but when the sun shines on them they appear to glow and are transparent – like a ghost! This plant does not require sunlight to produce food – so it can grow in dark places like the forest floor. They are also often mistaken for a fungus because it does not have any green leaves.
#3 Self-heal (purple)
Height: my dewclaw
Flower size: medium dog nose
The plant is about 6 inches tall and grows on the side of my hill and the best part…you can eat them! Hoomans put the stems and young leaves in salads but I don’t eat salads so I am not sure how they taste. I don’t think hoomans should eat them though unless they research them. Don’t take my word for it. I am just a dog.
#3 Philadelphia Fleabane (pink and white)
Height: dogleg or taller
Flower size: medium dog nose
Don’t worry – you will not get fleas from this flower! It’s as innocent as a daisy and looks like one too. The petals are thin like little threads and are very light pink or white. The flower closes at night – so they always look like they are budding in the early morning. In my woods they grow close to the water in the sandy gravelly soil.
#4 Nightshade (purple)
Height: my dogleg or higher – climbing vine
Flower size: medium dog nose
This is one of my favorites – also called bittersweet. The purple flowers turn into red berries by mid-summer. It climbs like a vine on sapling trees and twigs at the waters edge. In the fall the flowers turn into bright red berries. Never eat berries unless you know if they are safe. I do not suggest eating these berries – their name “bittersweet” suggests they would taste aweful!
#5 Monkeyflower (purple)
Height: my dogleg (or taller)
Flower: large dog nose
These are funny flowers and remind me of snapdragons in my hooman’s garden. If you squeeze the blooms together – they are supposed to look like a smiling monkey. I dunno tho – just looks like a pretty flower to me! I found these growing TALL along the waters edge.
Well, there you have it friends, five more flowers to hunt for this month. I hope you enjoy this July special edition of my Canine Adventures. Leave me a comment or send me a pic of what you are discovering on your own outdoor adventures. Now get out there and smell the flowers!
Jack Jack at your service! This week I was invited to a local day camp to show hooman pups how to be kind to canines.
To be honest, I wasn’t overly excited when I first learned I was going to be a part of a service project. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was going to spend it in the park with my favorite hooman. The idea of staying on my leash and being pawed by hooman pups all afternoon did not have me chasing my tail in excitement. None-the-less, my hooman loaded me up in the car and off to camp we went.
When we got there, I could not believe my eyes – the park was full of close to twenty hooman pups – all running free! As I got closer, the head hooman blew a whistle and all the little hoomans ran to one area on the grass. It was pretty impressive the way all those pups knew how to sit and be quiet at the same time!
I was a bit nervous as I waited to be introduced, but once our presentation began – I settled down a bit. I got to show off all my commands, then I had to sit very still while each pup practiced how to approach me (they offered me the back of their hand with fist closed so I could sniff them out). When the hooman pups first formed a long line to meet me, I thought this was going to take furever. The last thing I wanted to do was to be pawed all afternoon, but I waited patiently as one-by-one the little hoomans took turns practicing their dog safety skills.
As they did, they would make comments about me. Things like how my fur is soft or that I was nice. One little pup even said I was funny! If he thought my sitting still was funny – I blew his mind when I high-fived him! From there I got creative. I played dead, rolled over, and shook hands. By the time I got through all twenty little pups I was exhausted!
After almost an hour in the hot sunshine, I completed my demonstration and the little pups erupted with applause. Then one-by-one they took a turn at giving me a treat and thanked me for coming. I was such a hit that they asked me to come back and visit camp again!
I didn’t realize when I first started this service project that I was going to have so much fun! I thought the best time at the park would be spending it with my hooman, but it felt really good to give my time away. In the end, I think I had THE MOST fun out of all the pups in the park! Turns out when I made time to serve others – it brought me joy in return.
So friends, as we head into another week, find some time and give it away. You might think you have absolutely no extra time to share, but trust me, the satisfaction of serving others is a gratifying adventure you do not want to miss.
If you need help finding a place to lift a paw – message me at barkingwithjack@gmail.com and I will be happy to help you find a place to volunteer in your community. And as long as you are on your google machine, click here and “follow” me on my facebook page. I am trying to be more social! 🐾
I’ll bark at ya next week!
Your friend,
P.S. Feel free to forward this to a friend and help me share my Canine Adventures with more explorers. Thanks! 🐾
I never really cared for the command “leave it”. It never fails. It seems whenever I catch a whiff of a deer sneaking around my woods, and I take off to investigate…I hear my hooman off in the distance shouting “LEAVE IT”. Even if I am hot on that whitetail trail, I do my best to be a good boy, and return to my hooman’s side. My hooman is usually overjoyed when I leave my woodland friends alone. She claps and smiles and rubs my ears. Often repeating how good I am! So, “leaving it” does pay-off.
Sometimes tho, I don’t want to leave it. Sometimes I pretend NOT to hear my hooman. Like when I find a fresh salmon skin on the side of the creek. My racoon bandits are often generous and leave me some of their tasty leftovers. My hooman does not like it when I eat these delicious snacks and usually loudly repeats the command “leave it – leave it – leave it” as she trys to pry my teeth open while I am desperately trying to swallow my fishy treats.
The times when I don’t “leave it” – my situation usually ends badly. I have chased deer in the wrong direction and gotten lost. I have eaten old fish that didn’t agree with me and gotten sick. I have even chased woodland friends up trees and barked and barked so they would come down – only to be ignored.
Leaving it is hard to do. Sometimes leaving “it” can be a feeling. Once I was too close to the road and a truck blew his horn at me. Scared me so bad I just started running! My hooman had to call me back so I could find my way home. I still think about that truck and when I do – I can feel that scared feeling creep back like it is happening all over again. I know I should “leave it” and stop thinking about it – but sometimes I just can’t. Upset feelings and problems are much harder to leave than tasty treats or woodland friends. Sometimes they haunt me in my sleep and I twitch in my dreams.
To get my mind off it, I usually bark out to my buddy Nixin and meet him at the no-dog-dog-park (the NDDP). This is the park that is supposed to be for dogs but no dogs are ever there when I go – thus the NDDP. Nix knows what I mean, and how important it is to just run free for awhile. It’s important to have a friend to help you “leave it” when times get tough.
So friends, if you find yourself twitching in your dreams or chasing something in the wrong direction – take my advice and “leave it”. Stop all that you are doing and return yourself to those who love you most or spend some time with a good friend. Leave your troubles at the gate – even if only a moment.
I went into the BIG town this week, friends! My hooman loaded me in the car and we hit the road. Our mission: visit the grand-hoomans. They live an hour outside of my woods – so I don’t get to go see them very often. Once we got to Grams place in Big town, I gave their place a sniff down, walked the perimeter of the yard to ensure our safety, then spent the afternoon kissing and cuddling my Grands. Gram gave me one of her famous back scratches and I showed Gramps a trick or two.
I love spending time in Big town with my Grands. That is why I was so surprised we had to cut our visit a bit short. Turns out we had an errand to run – my hooman needed to stop for canine supplies. So I gave my Grands a press goodbye, jumped back into the car, and before I knew it – arrived at a strange and wonderful land called the “pet store” and there my canine adventure began!
When we first arrived at the pet store my senses practically EXPLODED. There were so many sights and smells. My hooman gave me a job to pick out a new treat and I couldn’t wait to get started. Only where to begin? There were rows and rows of stuff. One row just for balls – all shapes and sizes. Another for stuffys, a row for collars and leashes, racks of clothes, bins of bones, and aisle after aisle of FOOD!
My head was spinning and I could not stop panting. Birds, reptiles, and gerbils oh my! I was so overwhelmed – I had to take a break in the furniture section where I tried to regroup by testing out the canine couches (not too shabby).
After a quick break, I collected myself and re-engaged to find some treats. I became mesmerized at the pup pastry counter. I am not sure how long I was staring at those delicious cookies and cakes but knew my time was running short. I double backed down the food aisle, and settled on choosing some good old fashioned milk bones – then called it a day.
On the drive home, I got to thinking about my pet store adventure…it felt like we were there a very long time – waaaay longer than the time we spent at the Grands. And there was so much stuff! The task of picking out a treat became exhausting – and picking out treats is one of my top skills. That got me wondering…why do we think we need SO MUCH stuff? I mean, I like a memory foam bed just like the next hound, but I don’t NEED one! Pup pastries? Extra dog coats? Really not necessary.
Giving kisses to my Gram, cracking up Gramps by showing off my “play dead” trick (gets him every time), belly rubs, walks, and a reminder every so often that I am a “good boy”. That’s the kinda stuff I need. And I am guessing – you probably need more of that kinda stuff too.
So friends, as we go into this next week…let’s change up our spending. Spending time with each other is way more fulfilling than wading through aisles and aisles of stuff. When we have each other – we already have everything we need. Spend your energy making memories with those you love instead of spending your time shopping for stuff you don’t need.
Choose the right stuff and spend wisely.
I’ll bark at you next week.
Your friend,
P.S. I am pretty social – let’s be friends on Facebook and Instagram! You should also sign-up to get my canine adventures right in your inbox – SUBSCRIBE here (it’s free)!!
Woof is me! Just yesterday I was running through the yard, sniffing all the great smells and rolling in the grass. Today my head hurts, I am tired, and all I wish is to be left alone. I almost took my hooman’s head off earlier when she wanted me to play fetch. When I am not feeling well, none of my favorite things are enjoyable. Hunting for wildflowers, laying on the deck, not even sneaking up on the squirrels at the bird feeder can bring me back my joy. Illness has a way of robbing me of my happiness. Good thing it’s just allergies!
I have heard so many of canines who have had back luck when it comes to their body just not working right – things waaaay worse than sinus pressure. Stories like the ones of Great Grampa Kirby and his bad balance. I guess he would fall quite a bit toward the end of his time here. The hoomans would have to pick him up because he was so weak. And my cousin Riley, one day he was fine, the next his ability to run was gone! The thrill of racing along-side his hooman’s quad ATV – now just a memory. Even one of my closest buddies is suffering. He went out for a walk, got bit by a bug, and the next thing he knew – he had something called Lyme Disease. Now he has to choke down peanut butter covered pills twice a day!
You just never know when illness will strike or who may be suffering. That is why it is so VERY important we show compassion to those around us. We can never be sure what others may be going through.
I am so glad my hooman recognized I was not feeling well. Instead of playing fetch, we just laid the grass together. (I think my clue of flopping down and rolling on my back helped). I didn’t mean to snap at her. It was just at that moment, I didn’t want to be ordered around. I was too tired to try to explain myself.
So friends, if you happen to run into a buddy that’s a bit snarley or just not their playful selves, show them some kindness. They may have something really bothering them and just don’t want to bark about it. It is ok for us to not know all the details of each other’s lives. Just be patient and try to understand.
In the end it all boils down to that age old command we all know so well…BE NICE. I’m headed back to the couch.
This week I was reunited with my litter sister! The last time I saw her was four-and-a-half years ago. Her name was Moon Mist back then and my name was Twist. We were the “soda pop pups”, named after the old fashioned Faygo pop and were surrendered to live at Bellwether Harbor Animal Shelter.
I wasn’t sure what to expect at the reunion, since I haven’t seen my sis in so long. Surprisingly, it was not overly eventful. There was not any growling or barking. We didn’t raise our hackles, we just sniffed and wondered around the yard. It wasn’t until we walked for a while that it sunk in…Wynter is my canine blood!
Jack reunited with Wynter.
It was an odd feeling. I don’t really recall being “related” to a canine. All the family I am familiar with has been hooman. Sure, Nixin (my best buddy) feels like family, but he is a whole different breed. Wynter looks like me! She climbs on things like I do. Her tongue hangs sideways out of her mouth like mine, and her ears flop crooked – just like me.
Wynter (right) and Jack (left).
I like having a canine relative. One that I can share memories with – who was there for the big life changing moments. Wynter knows what it was like being dropped off at the shelter and taken from mom when we were only five weeks old. She was there when I first met my hoomans. She’s shared some of the scariest and most wonderful moments of my life. I never realized until we were reunited how important it was to spend time with family. Those who can look back in time and feel all the feelings that big life moments bring. The scariest fears and the most wonderful joy.
Jack in the back – Wynter in the front.
When Wynter and I were reunited – it was like no time had passed at all. We played and chased. Sniffed and wandered – but mostly it was nice to just lay in the grass and be together. That’s what makes having a family so great. We were able to just be ourselves.
So friends, if you have family that you haven’t seen in awhile – it’s time to schedule a renion. If the idea of that makes you nervous – don’t worry. Once you’re reunited, all the love and memories will come flooding back. It’s important to relive the good times with those that made those good times so great. Bark with the old dogs, who can fill in the blanks (if your pupper memory is hazy), and surround yourselves with those who have loved you from the very beginning.
If you’ve lost one of your pack – it’s even more important to keep in touch. Keeping the memory of those that passed on, alive in our hearts. Share in the laughter (and sometimes the tears) – with those that know you best. So make sure you meet up with your family this summer – you won’t regret it. The only thing to lose is time.
June is a time for serious discovery in my woods. I gotta pay close attention when looking for wildflowers in June because sometimes the flowers are hiding UNDER the leaves! Wildflowers are all shapes, colors and sizes. Many wildflowers in my woods are tricksters. They have multiple names as well as imposters that look like one thing but really are another. Pay close attention as you are out and about in June. Look over and under plants and you may be in for a surprise!
Here are my Top 10 wildflower picks for June. Along with my sizing scale (as I see it) – so you know what to look for as you go out on wildflower seeking adventures of your own.
WILDFLOWER SIZE SCALE:
Small dog nose (size of a dime)
Medium dog nose (like mine – the size of a quarter)
Large dog nose (larger than a quarter)
PLANT HEIGHT:
At the Paw (ground or up to 2 inches off the ground)
My dewclaw (3-4 inches off ground)
My dogleg (6 inches or more)
#1 Wild Lily of the Valley (white)
Height: paw
Flowersize: small dog nose (or smaller)
These are native to Canada so sometimes called “Canadian Lily of the Valley” or “False Lily of the Valley”. They look like tiny stars on top of two leaves. They grow very close to the ground so watch where you’re exploring or you will squash them!
#2 Sasparilla (white)
Height: my dogleg or taller
Flower size: large dog nose
This is one of those sneaky plants – the flowers are hiding under the leaves. They look like white round puff balls. Sasparilla is a tall plant, some would argue it’s a shrub – but is actually categorized as an herb. It has been used to treat sores and burns among other things. It is sweet and has been brewed in root beer! I don’t advise anyone eating plants unless they research them themselves – so please don’t take my word for it. It’s safest to look – don’t taste!
#3 Fringed Polygala (pink)
Height: paw
Flower size: medium dog nose
This is a pretty cool looking little flower also called “Gaywings”. It comes from the milkwort family and looks like a pink airplane. Fringed Polygala lays close to the ground and their bright pink color makes them easy to spot.
#4 Woodland Phlox (purple/blue)
Height: my dogleg
Flower size: large dog nose
These flowers light up the woods. They are a blueish purple color (I think) and can grow taller than me! They are sometimes also called “Wild Sweet William”. They grow all over my forest. I know summer has arrived when the Woodland Phlox comes out to play!
#5 False Solomon Seal (white)
Height: my dogleg
Flower size: small dog nose
These are some of the imposters I was telling you about! The leaves look like Solomon Seal and the flowers look like Wild Lily of the Valley. That’s probably why they are also called “Starry False Solomon Seal” or “Starry False Lily of the Valley”. I forgive them for trying to trick me though cuz their starry flowers turn into red berries in the fall – and that’s pretty cool.
#6 Solomon Seal (white)
Height: my full dogleg (or taller)
Flower size: small dog nose
The real deal not to be confused with the imposters! Solomon Seal flowers dangle under the leaves – so you gotta be looking for them. They are also called “Ladder-to-Heaven”. Probably because the flowers are staggered like little steps. They can be hard to see, so I am standing behind this one to help you out. See the dangly buds? They will bloom into little white flowers. Cool dontcha think?
#7 White Baneberry
Height: my dogleg
Flower size: medium dog nose (clumped like a lilac)
DANGER! These are super cool plants but are very poisonous. The stems turn bright pink and the flowers turn into white berries. White baneberry is also called “Dolls Eyes”. I guess cuz they kinda look like dolls eyes? I dunno but they are cool to look at – just don’t eat them. I am not sure if it is true but I heard if a hooman eats these berries – it can cause their heart to stop! Who knows what it could do to canines…
#8 Ox-eye Daisy (white)
Height: my dogleg (or taller)
Flower: large dog nose
Ox-eye daisies are tall and look just like a daisy you would see in a garden – only these daisies have thin stems and grasslike leaves. They are also called “Dog Daisies” which makes no sense to me, but I often find them in open fields where they can be in full sun. They originated in England where they are referred to as weed since they are known to spread. If you don’t see them in June – don’t worry. They usually bloom all summer long!
#9 American Speedwell (blue/purple)
Height: my dogleg
Flowersize: tiny – a very small dog nose
This type of speedwell has tiny flowers with four bluish-purple petals. They are also called the American Brooklime because it grows along shallow streams. I found this one growing right next to the creek in wet sandy soil.
#10 Dame’s Rocket (purple/white)
Height: my dogleg or taller
Flower size: medium dog nose (grows in a bunch)
These brightly colored flowers will not last long so go find them while they are out! They have many names like Gilliflower or Summer Lilac. They say their scent becomes more potent in the evening and is also called “Mother of the Evening”. I found these in a sandy open area of the woods. As you can see they are very tall!
So friends, those are my top 10 picks for June. I hope you enjoyed this special edition of my Canine Adventures. Leave me a comment or send me a pic of what you are discovering on your own outdoor adventures and get out there and smell the flowers!
It’s graduation season friends! I have quite a few loved ones that are officially “educated” and ready to start the next phase of their lives. It wasn’t so long ago when I graduated from the animal shelter. I’ll never forget the moment I met my hoomans, and my canine adventures began.
I was so excited! As my family finalized my adoption – I bounced around my kennel, tackling and rolling around with my litter sisters. I could not contain my energy! But once I simmered down – I realized I was also slightly nervous. Being adopted meant I would have to say goodbye to my shelter friends. All of a sudden the idea of leaving my familiar kennel became scary.
Jack Jack’s adoption picture – 2019
Graduation season can be hard on everyone. That is why it is so important to be brave. Grads headed down a new path, litter brother and sisters that are staying home, parents letting a pupper leave the safety of the pack – it all takes courage. I had to be brave when I left the kennel, and I am so glad I did – because I gained a family!
I can hardly believe that was almost five years ago! I am no longer that hyper little pupper (although I still have a wild side). I realized pretty quickly that just because I graduated, I did not stop learning. I still learn something new everyday, like don’t eat bees (long story for another time), hooman socks are not to be confused with stuffy toys, and never eat a whole suet cake (bird food is for birds).
I also know that it is important to venture off the beaten path, but just as important to stay on track. My hoomans give me a lot of leash to explore but it’s nice to stay tethered so I don’t get into danger. But most important – no matter how old I get or how far I wander – I will always have my family. I know that wherever we are in the world – being together is the place we all call home.
So friends, as you head into graduation season, remember it is ok to feel all kinds of mixed up feelings – scared, nervous, and even a little sad. New adventures are supposed to fill you with suspense – so be brave and remember all the lessons you have learned so far. Don’t wander away too far or you will get lost. Check in with your pack from time to time (or they will come looking for you). And most important – know that no matter where your adventure takes you – you can always come home.
Jack Jack Canine Explorer 