JJ: I never met Jeter, so there isn’t much I can say in this post. I hear his name often, and my Mommy has posted side-by-side pictures of Jeter and me with tennis balls in our mouths to show one of the things the two of us have in common. I have a strong nose, so I smelled the presence of other Goldens who once roamed these halls, with Jeter’s scent the strongest. He gave off a scent of a very good dog!
Jeter with ball
JJ with ball
Alanis: You missed out on one of history’s most unusual (in a good way!) Golden Retrievers, JJ. Jeter had an obedience skill that, honestly, befuddled those who came into contact with him. I wasn’t yet around during his training heyday, but Daddy always talks about how Jeter picked up on things in an instant when he went to school. He often would look at Daddy, essentially telling him “Hey, dude, YOU are the one who is doing this wrong, not me!” A dog who, at 3 months old, was able to sit and stay for minutes without moving – regardless of what people tried to do to distract him. A dog who would never run out the door first for a walk. It didn’t matter if a command was given or not – he just knew not to go out that door first. He wouldn’t go down the stairs first. He wouldn’t touch his food until he was given an OK. While many dogs do this stuff, the amazing part about Jeter is that he never wavered, and was able to do this from an extremely young age. I can sit and wait for my food now, but when I first got here? No chance. I was insane, and wouldn’t stop barking until Mommy put my food on the floor (and I was the THIRD dog in the chain, so that was a LOT of barking!)
He was a lot more than just obedience, but that was the part that always stood out to me. He would put me to shame. While I am not a typical Golden in other ways, Jeter set an obedience bar that can’t be matched. Think about this: He never chewed on walls. He never jumped on a table or surfed the counters. He never dug a hole in the backyard (something I understand Josh would do when he was younger!) All the things that ALL YOUNG Golden Retrievers do, he never did. His brain was wired differently than most dogs – his entire life was dedicated to pleasing his owners with extreme enthusiasm. It is like he had a sixth sense for knowing what he wasn’t supposed to do.
He also was a tremendous playmate. We both loved to play ball, and would often chase together when one was thrown in the yard. Despite my youth advantage, he would often beat me to the ball. We ran around late at night while Mommy and Daddy TRIED to watch television. We would wrestle, play tug, and do whatever else came to mind. When was the game over? When Jeter said it was over. He would just jump on the couch and go to sleep when he was finished. I learned to respect Jeter when he did that, and would often lay down right next to him. We were bonded.
Jeter had to wear multiple hats for a few years – he had to be the dog that would keep up with my insanity while also sticking by Josh, who was entering the “retirement” part of his life. He was able to give Josh what he needed, while also giving me what I needed. As he was doing that, he also acted as a therapy dog to my Mommy when she was battling an illness. Talk about being a dog with many talents – be quiet and respectful when Mommy was sick. Be crazy and insane when Alanis wanted to play. Be gentle and kind to his older brother. Walk quickly when with me, walk slower when with Josh. Run around with me. Wrestle with Josh until he was tired. Don’t ask me how dogs are able to wear so many hats while often not missing a beat. No dog had to do more of that than Jeter did.
Josh and Jeter, hanging out like the best friends they were.
He somehow only lived for eight years. He somehow was able to do so much in what amounts to a small sample of time. This is how we live, though – we never once care about a stupid clock. We don’t care about what happens when the clock hits zero, nor do we know what that means until it is upon us. If you know the story of Jeter, you know he died rather suddenly of cancer. He felt it. He knew he wasn’t the same. He also didn’t care. He couldn’t play for as long as he used to, but he still played. He couldn’t walk for an hour around the neighborhood, but he still walked. His appetite went away, but he still ate what he could. HE LIVED his life from the day he was born until the day he was taken away too soon. If any dog is the poster child for just living your life and leaving the drama behind, it was Jeter.
Alanis watching over her big brother…
As you can see from this picture, you may think dogs don’t understand, but we do. I knew something was wrong with my buddy, and I kept close to his side that afternoon. I wasn’t the same for at least a month. Eventually, in the time between Jeter’s death and JJ’s arrival, I was able to find ways to entertain myself. It wasn’t easy – I was out of sorts. I didn’t really like being the only dog.
I am trying to pay it forward the best I can – training JJ the way you trained me and the way Josh trained you. I am sure I am not as good at it as you two were, but I have started to hold my own and assert some authority over the not-so-little guy. It is sad that you only missed him by a couple of months, but trust me – he knows who you were.
Happy 9th Birthday, Jeter! Your legacy is forever entrenched and will never be forgotten. I miss you.
Me: It is still hard to believe that Jeter has been gone for seven months. We were blessed to have him for eight years. We wished it could have been for eight more, but we are still grateful to have experienced the eight years he gave us. Alanis eventually figured out life after Jeter left us, and JJ has allowed her to regain a lot of the pep in her step. JJ is a completely different puppy than Jeter was. He is the Golden Retriever you read about in the Golden Retrievers for Dummies book. Counter surfing, table surfing, chewing on things he shouldn’t, etc. I can only imagine Jeter looking at him and thinking “what is wrong with you, pup?”
I hope you were able to enjoy your birthday with Josh and all the other dogs on the other side of the bridge today, buddy. Hopefully, your friends made you some meatballs and served you some ice cream before you went out to play some fetch…