Today’s Walk: When Your Buddy is a Jack

Friday, May 1, 2020

Jack Russell Terriers absolutely love, and I mean LOVE their people. They would defend you to the death. They are fearless and loyal. On a leash, they take their job very seriously. The leash is their cue for guard duty. Baxter is no exception. I have no doubt that need be, he would defend me. To illustrate an extreme, I’ve observed Baxter get on his hind legs and challenge passing automobiles, kinda like the bad accident scene in the movie, “The Horse Whisperer.” (Oops, spoiler alert for those who haven’t seen it.) It’s pretty impressive.

Jacks were originally bred for hunting small animals like rabbit and fox. Baxter is not a trained hunting dog. However, those instincts have not been bred out of him. When hot on the trail of a good scent he sniffs the ground intently sounding like a snorting pig. It makes me laugh every time. Previously I mentioned his love of rolling in animal scat. Great camouflage. Yep, he would have been a great hunter.

Instead of hunting, Baxter is my very dedicated walking buddy. Because he takes his job so seriously our walks at times get intense. It’s clear that it’s his opinion that no other dogs need get near us. He charts our path and is intent on keeping that path clear. So the downside to such a dedicated walking buddy is that on leash he has little patience for other dogs. At the site of an approaching dog, he will break into his Tasmanian Devil routine fiercely barking and spinning around on the leash. Thus sending his message that others must stay away. This behavior annoys some people. Especially the people who like to let their dogs run loose. The ones who say, “don’t worry, my dog is friendly.” This behavior also limits my ability to have lengthy conversations with other dog owners. It also limits when we can walk on the beach. Dog parks, nope, those are definitely out. Another great reason to get out and walk early. #iluvtowalk #walkingmakesmehappy #baxteronthego