Like all of my dogs, Jasper is a rescue. He and his shelter sibling, Lilah, were pulled from a high-kill pound in Louisiana. While our best guess for his heritage is that he’s part Catahoula, we refer to him as a Comfort Hound. If there’s a soft and cushy spot in the house, you can be sure Jasper either is, was, or will soon be stretched out in it. (Unless there’s a cat in it, but that’s another story.)
If you’ve ever slept with a dog (let alone three!), you will have witnessed the ever-expanding dog phenomenon — the one where even the tiniest of dogs seems to spread out and take up more space than can be adequately explained by the laws of physics.
This is why all dogs of the house are politely asked to remove themselves from our bed before we go to sleep. Poor Jasper cannot understand why we would do such a thing.
Our Comfort Hound is also a bit of a mama’s boy. He is just not himself when I’m away. Seeking the consolation of our living room sofa, he’ll sleep and sigh until I get home. But when he sees me packing a suitcase, the dog puts a major sad on.
Outside in the yard, Jasper forgoes his comfort. He’s on duty — and he takes his job seriously. There are deer, raccoons, foxes, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks, and mice that might try to breach our fences and sneak into our yard. This simply cannot be tolerated. The ever-vigilant Jasper will sound the alarm if such an intruder dares approach our land. Who knows what terrible mayhem these evil creatures might cause if ever they were to invade?
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About the author: Susan C. Willett is a writer, photographer, and blogger whose award-winning original stories, photography, poetry, and humor can be found at Life With Dogs and Cats. She lives in New Jersey with three dogs and four cats (all rescues) and at least a couple of humans — all of whom provide inspiration for her work. Refusing to take sides in the interweb’s dogs vs. cats debate, Susan enjoys observing the interspecies interaction among the varied inhabitants of her home — like living in a reality TV show, only furrier. In addition to Life With Dogs and Cats, you can find more Lilah, Jasper, and Tucker (and the rest of the gang) on Haiku by Dog™, Haiku by Cat™, and Dogs and Cats Texting.
