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JOANNE MacDONNELL 1937-2004 |
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for TheColumnists.com. It was first published in 2000. |
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from another planet
By JOANNE MacDONNELL
of TheColumnists.com
An hour of Grace should have done it.
Unfortunately, it didn't.
Let me explain. Grace was a Jack Russell Terrier I obtained earlier this year from a JRT Rescue in Santa Cruz.
For some reason, I had become transfixed by the breed, probably because I wanted to get a dog that was smart, and JRTs are known for--among other things--their intelligence. But, in spite of their magnificence and intelligence, the American Kennel Club does not recognize the Jack Russell Terrier.*
There were lots of warnings in the books I had been reading: "JRTs are not for everyone," most of them cautioned. Another JRT book bore the ominous title "How to Survive Your Dog's Adolescence."
Like that.
The
books aside, I should have had an inkling of what was to follow
when I spotted the rescue worker being dragged up my front walk
by an amazing platinum-haired creature on a leash.
That creature was Grace.
She was a lot larger than I had expected and had long legs that
would have made Cyd Charisse and Tina Turner green with envy.
And Grace had four of them!
She was one year old and had been abandoned by her former owner. Immediately, my heart went out to her. She was a beautiful dog and obviously an intelligent one, I thought, as she entered the house with a bang, intent on casing the joint.
The rescue worker handed me the leash, departed and then there we were--Grace and I, alone. Unfortunately, I had strained my back and was not exactly mobile. I sat on the couch, holding Grace tightly by the leash and talking to her gently.
I have had dogs all my life but I had never encountered one with the strength of Grace. It was all I could do to hold her. I told her to "sit," which she did. I was beginning to think Grace and I were off to a good start when the horrible thought occurred to me that I was going to have to sit on that couch until someone came home.
Trapped, you might say.
I
kept remembering that "Jack Russell Terriers are not for
everyone." That is an understatement if I ever heard one.
Another phrase from my reading came back to haunt me: "JRTs
are hunting dogs--they love to dig and they pursue anything that
moves."
That last point became evident when my two cats ambled down the
hallway to investigate what was going on in the family room.
Grace got one whiff of them, broke loose from my grip and took
off like a rocket. She chased them into the living room and up
the fireplace.
As Grace stood guard and barked, the cats stayed in the chimney, doing whatever cats do in a sooty, cramped chimney.
By that time, the phone was ringing. It was the rescue worker, asking if I wanted her to come back and get Grace. I wondered how she knew, but was thankful she hadn't returned to Santa Cruz.
"Yes, I think you had better," I said reluctantly.
So, that, then, was my hour of Grace that should have been enough--but wasn't..
Enter Sadie.
One month later, I acquired an eight-week-old wire-haired JRT from a breeder in Avenal. I had been told by my dog friends (human) that a puppy reared with cats would tolerate them whereas a year-old dog would not. I decided to give it a try.
Sadie was very small when I got her. She has since grown to where she is almost the size of Grace at our first encounter. Eddie, the Jack Russell Terrier on TV's "Frasier," she is not, but I love her dearly.
I decided to take no chances this time and acquired a trainer who taught me such things as letting the dog know who the "alpha" person was in the household.
Ha! The trainer taught me; unfortunately, the trainer did not teach Sadie, who immediately decided she was the "alpha" person in the household.
Sadie and the cats bonded immediately. Sometimes they even share the same food bowl.
The
only person Sadie jumps on is me. She is always so glad to see
me when my husband brings her in from her evening revelry. She
bounds straight for me and leaps on me with abandon.
Ouch.
Her toenails need clipping, too. The result: My arms, legs and whatever else is not protected are covered with scratches.
But at least I now know why the American Kennel Club does not recognize Jack Russell Terriers.
They're not terriers -- they're terrors!
*EDITOR'S NOTE: The American Kennel Club now recognizes the breed, but the official name has been changed to the "Parson Russell Terrier."
©2000 by Joanne MacDonnell. The photos are courtesy of the official website of the Jack Russell Terrier Assn. They have been altered for artistic purposes.
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