Brand New Addition to Cockroft Family!

Here's Charley!Or "Charley Checker," as I like to call him, or "Charley Parker" as Martin calls him.  After dithering for many years about a dog, and finally giving up the idea when we decided to move west last year, we yielded to the ache of our 'dog-shaped hole' and started the process of adopting a Jack Russell.  We wanted the intelligence of a lab with the small size of a bitty dog with the incredibly cute face and spunky personality--and most of all, we wanted a dog who is gentle with all children.  I think we have found him.  Though we'd always intended to wait until our lives were completely in place next year to adopt a dog, Martin suddenly started bringing home dog books from the library.  Then he pointed out that if we found a dog now, he'd be able to be around for the initial process: training, walks, etc.  I steered him quickly away from golden retrievers, who are fabulous dogs but are not the easiest inside dogs (clean-up wise, especially when you're in a small house--we would never have considered any dog that big in our current cozy house).  And we wanted an inside dog.  I began singing the praises of Blooper (no joke), the insane but hilarious Jack we grew up loving, as well as his blind sidekick Jack, Truffles, who melted my mother's heart.  

  Not wanting to make the same uneducated blunders we did last time we adopted dogs (two coon hounds who wanted to run, jump, nip, hunt, and cared more for their food than for us--when one ate a hole in our dry wall, we gave him to a farm), Martin plunged full-swing into research.  And then in the spirit of "can't do any harm,"  he started looking on line for Jacks.  And he found a whole WA/OR society dedicated just to Jacks, to their rescue and placement in loving homes.  The very 'maybe' was becoming somewhat inevitable.  I was on the fence about the whole thing, but I could see Martin was longing after a dog, so I told him that if it looked possible in every aspect, I was happy for him to pursue it if he really wanted to.  He pointed out that Merry was growing up so quickly, and soon it would be too late for her to experience the incredible gifts that having a dog had given him as a child. . . .oh, all right.

One thing happened quickly after another.  Our landlords were gracious enough to agree to a small dog in their house, and the adoption agency was incredibly helpful and lovely and so were the previous owners.  So, before we knew it. . . .

Charley, a five-year old 'broken-coated' Jack Russell, joined our family on Sunday morning.  We have worn him out and wearing him out has worn us out--so I have little energy to tell the story now.  I just wanted you all to see the sweet guy.  Needless to say, the girls, who have been waiting for about a million years for a dog of their own, are utterly delighted.  In a few short days, we've taken Charley on countless walks, explored the many clever tricks he already knows, including playing dead, rolling over, twirling in the air as he jumps, and putting up both paws when you say "Hands up."  He was well loved by his last family but their schedules grew far too busy as they grew up, leaving this brilliant guy in a dog run ten hours a day.  But times, they are a'changin' for Charley.  He's a happy dog who is sleeping like a baby right now, curled up next to Merry in bed. 

 

Furthermore, it so happens that Martin, a sworn 'big-dog' man, has fallen for this guy.  He's walked him for hours, reminding him (with the help of a pocket of treats) how to heel and sit and stay.  He's initiated him into the wonders of the dog park.  He's even taught him how to climb boulders.  I kid you not.  I've never seen anything quite like it.  But I guess he's a northwestern doggie.