Dogs of the past... Jessie

This beautiful girl was my very first dog after college. This is JJ's Tartan Sunset Lass, AMBOR CD, HIC, CGC, TDI, known as Jessie. Jessie was a Border Collie/Golden Retriever/Sheltie mix that I got from a neighbor's backyard "oops" breeding. She came from a litter of 4, with her being the only female. I had seen the puppies every day on my walk to get the mail. I wanted a dog so badly once I graduated from college, that I didn't really think about what type of dog I really wanted. Jessie was a cute puppy and that's all that counted for me back then. Born on June 8, 1986, she was MY first real dog as an adult. We had Miniature Poodles growing up, but this was truly just MY dog. I didn't know anything about crates or obedience training, but I learned quickly.

Jessie was the puppy from H E double hockey sticks! She chewed everything, destroyed anything and basically wreaked havoc on my house. In desperation, I enrolled her in an obedience class in hopes of having someone help me train her before she brought the house down around my ears! She chewed woodwork and carpets and was the most difficult dog to housebreak. Maybe because of the dirty conditions she was raised in, maybe because she was just a stubborn brat! Finding that class, opened up a whole new world to me and gave me a whole new group of friends... dog friends!

Not exactly a stellar student, Jessie did cooperate at least. But she wasn't really interested in being an obedience dog. I took her to an obedience fun match and showed her for the first time. She won 4th place in her Pre-Novice class and I received a big trophy and rosette. I was hooked. Jessie was not. She saw no point in the whole heeling thing. No point in coming when called each and every time. No point in staying anywhere for any length of time. Her goal in life was to be my companion and house couch potato. Her dream would come true with the addition of Kastle...

But she was a darling dog, with a sweet gentle temperament and personality. She raised my baby ducks so well, that Kastle couldn't work them. She would steal strawberries from my strawberry patch the day before I was ready to pick them. She'd show up at the back door with strawberry seeds on her face. One winter when my sister still lived next door, they left a case of beer on the back porch which froze then began to foam and leak. Jessie was found licking the beer bottles and enjoying every minute of it. She also loved a good slurp of Schnapps if she could beg it. She had a wry sense of humor and never met anyone she didn't like... ever. When I first met the hubby, Jessie was unconvinced that he should be in our lives. She put him to the test every time he came to the house. While Kastle was readily accepting, Jess had to be bought and bought she was... Hubby spent a considerable amount of money on toys and goodies to convince Jessie that he was worthy. She eventually gave in and came to love him. She ended up a true Daddy's girl. What a girl she was...

We lost Jessie to old age about 4 months short of 16 years. She outlived everyone of her littermates as well as her parents. That's what a good home and love can do... Things her siblings and parents sadly lacked. It was an honor and a blessing to love her... She is still deeply missed by us.