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 andA Grand Adventurein 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.
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!
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!
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!
Well friends – life has been pretty ruff lately. My football teams playing this weekend were the underdogs, and the only “upset” was mine when both teams lost – badly. Michigan State Spartans and the Detroit Lions. Upset is not a strong enough word to describe how I was feeling. All week long I was looking forward to Big 10 Football and NFL Sunday. I had my Sparty party ready to go with milk bones and chew sticks. My lion mane was fluffed and my schedule was clear. Then one by one my teams took beatings. No fight song. No dancing in the end zone. Just solid disappointment.
I took a ride on an emotional rollercoaster, feeling the highs and lows of every sensation. Shock – what is going on here? Denial – this can not be happening! Anger – Grrrr…how come my team stinks so bad? Depression – maybe if I just take a nap things will look better in the morning.
And don’t forget the embarrassment that comes with such a loss. I picture my fellow canines in the dog park, the fans of winning teams. I can see them now kicking grass in my face and turning up their noses. Ya, I am the mongrel who rooted for the LOSING teams. Woof! I feel like digging a hole and crawling in it for a while.
But the truth is – I am still proud of my teams. Ya they took a beating, but they still finished the game. They didn’t give up. They worked together and although the score was not in their favor – they still persevered.
I suppose it would be easier if I jumped sides. Become one of those “fair weather fans” that talk bad about their teams to save face and not be associated with the losers. Only I could never do that – I love the Lions and I am a Spartan at heart. So I suppose if I need to take a beating in the dog park I will. I will stand my ground for the teams I love so much.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to lend support when the chips are down. When it looks like there is no win in sight. Shocked by the situation and irate that play after play things just are not working in your favor. The good news is, there will always be another game to play – and that brings me hope.
It is important to be hopeful. To know that even though times can be tough, we have others to rely on. Teammates who lift us up and help us off the field when we get hit too hard. Friends who will stick up for us and stand alongside us as we work toward the win.
So friends, as we head into another week, let’s support the underdogs. Cheering each other on no matter the cost. Lending hope that the next game will be better. Reminding each other that when we get knocked down, we’ve gotta get up and push on. Get back out on the field and keep trying. After all, at the end of every losing streak – there is a win.
Happy October friends! I can hardly believe we are headed into another new month – time seems to be flying by! As I trotted along my leaf lined trail this week, I got to thinking about time – how I spend it and who I spend it with. That got me thinking about my best buddy Nixin.
Nix is my closest canine pal. You may think that canines that have similar breeds, run in the same pack. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to me and Nix. I am short and he is tall. I am white and he is black. He is quiet and am LOUD. Nixin and I may not look like we have anything in common, but the truth is we just “get” each other. We haven’t been able to see each other much lately, yet when the two of us reconnect – it is like no time has passed at all.
That’s the great thing about finding a good friend. It doesn’t matter how long it has been since we’ve seen each other or all the various differences between us – we still feel as close as family. When Nixin and I first met, we just “clicked”. Neither one of us were showing off or trying to be faster than each other. We were cool just hanging out and walking around the yard together. True friends don’t need to compete with each other (unless we are in a dog race – of course).
Me and my best buddy Nixin
Sure Nix and I have had our disagreements. Like the time I was over at his place and found a ball in the woods. I was pretty excited about my discovery since it was my favorite kind of squeaky ball. Well…as soon as I squeaked it – Nixin came running. Turns out he had lost that ball and had been looking for it for a while. I felt like “finders keepers” rules applied – so I squeaked it in his face a few times. Then Nixin got in MY face and let me know with a few serious growls that it was HIS ball. So, I dropped it pretty quickly and let him have it back. Sometimes being a good friend means you have to compromise.
I like to think that another reason Nix and I are good friends is because we like some of the same things. Plus, since I am a little more high strung, it’s nice to have a friend that is pretty chill. Since he’s a low-key kinda canine – we balance each other out. Even though we can be quite different, we have a lot in common. We bark at the same things, like the same treats, and have each other’s backs when stranger dogs come into the park. Good friends support each other.
One time, when we were at the park – a mutt named Clyde showed up. Nix didn’t like him from the start. He gave him a low growl that let me know something was up. I kept my distance from Clyde, but Nix wanted to investigate. Being a good friend I joined Nixin in the investigation. Bad idea. Clyde turned on my buddy. He started snapping and growling. I got in there to break it up and that mongrel Clyde pounced on me! He had me pinned to the ground! Then the hoomans got involved and broke us apart.
That’s the great thing about having a good friend – they defend you when you need it and lend courage if you don’t have enough of your own. That ordeal with Clyde was a scary situation, but Nixin was right by my side. Guarding me until Clyde’s hooman could get him out of the park. I know Nixin will have my back if I need his help. A good friend is a trustworthy and helps you feel safe.
So friends, as we head into another week, let’s make some time for our friends. I know we are all busy, but take a minute to recognize all the good things about your friends and spend some quality time together. I’m lucky to have a best buddy like Nixin where I can be myself and I know he can be himself too. Friends should love you just the way you are.
I am glad you are my friends too – please share my story with your friends!
I’m not sure how much u know about me…I am a Jack Russel-Beagle-Heeler. That means I have a very LOUD hound dog bark & aaaall the energy to bark for hours and hours. I bark like nobody’s listening! Acorns fall from the trees – I bark. The wind blows open the screen door – I bark. A stick snaps under my paws – I bark.
Back in the shutdown days, when all my hoomans were home and the only thing to do was go for walks – I didn’t have too much to bark about. But now that we are “back to normal”, all of a sudden, I have A LOT to say. I am not sure why I feel like barking so much, but I share my thoughts about every little thing – even if my hoomans don’t really care to hear it.
The other night, when I went on my afterwork walk with my hooman, the owls were hooting. I DESPISE owls. They hoot “hoohoohoo cooks for you”. GRRRR! Hooting owls really get my hackles up. I was so annoyed – I just started barking. I wasn’t quite sure where the owls were – so I decided to bark while running through the woods. When that didn’t silence the old birds, I stopped running and barked up to the sky. My echoed barks made me sound extra fierce – so I barked even more. Still the owls kept asking “hoooo hoooo who cooks for you?” GRRRRRR!
Because I was barking so much – my hooman started barking too, “QUIET! QUIET! QUIET!”, she barked. So I barked back at her because her barks were making me nervous. I added a little jumping around for extra effect. After a few minutes, it started to feel like a fun game and I began really enjoying myself. I forgot all about those irritating owls.
Then I noticed my hooman did not look happy. So I stopped barking. She stopped barking too. In fact, she stopped talking to me all together and walked back to the house. When she was drying off my muddy paws she said I was being too loud. She told me I have to learn how to be quiet. She said that she doesn’t like my barking all the time.
This got me to thinking…there is a time to bark and a time to be quiet. Sometimes I get confused between the two, but I am learning how to take cues from my hoomans. I realize I do not need to give my opinions on every little thing. It is not easy, but I am trying to speak up when I have a good reason or something important to add to what is going on around me.
So friends, as we head into another week…let’s try to watch our tongues and use our voices for good. Adding to conversations verses just barking. Sometimes when all we do is bark, our hoomans stop listening. If we really want our voices to be heard, we should speak up when we have important things to say and save all that extra yapping for the birds.
Thanks for joining me on my canine adventures. I will bark at ya next week (see what I did there)!
Jack Jack Canine Explorer 