Every dog has his own language. They speak to us by the wag of their tail, by nudging us with that wet nose, by the kisses they give us, by jumping on us when we come home from work, by looking at us adoringly. They may bark, howl, or squeal but they each speak their individual language. Everyday they tell us they love us, need us and want our companionship in a variety of ways.

I want to tell you the story of the language of Jack. Jack was a border collie mix that was adopted from a no kill shelter. Jack had heart worms when he was adopted, and the heart worms were successfully treated. The period of quiet required during treatment made Jack a silent household member. One night after being crated Jack began barking – he found his voice and was not to be quieted.

Jack loved toys. There was not a squeaky toy that he did not love. The more noise it made the better. One night while watching television I heard a lot of noise. Scratching and barking from another room in the house. Being engrossed in a TV program I did not immediately respond. When I finally went to investigate, Jack had torn the bottom front off the sofa trying to get to one of the toys that had slide under the sofa. My inattention cost me a sofa but Jack retrieved one of his favorite toys.

Jack had a sister named Little Bit she weighed 70 pounds. So the name was a bit deceptive. Every day when I came home, they put on a special show for me. They would wrestle and tussle, growl and roll around. Sometimes one thought they were going to tear each other apart. Jack always let Little Bit pin him, but Jack knew who the real winner was. As Little Bit neared the end of her life, every night Jack would sit across the room from her and bark as if he was possessed. We did not know it at the time, but Little Bit was getting sick and Jack was telling us to pay attention that all was not well with Little Bit. When Little Bit passed, Jack’s nightly howling stopped and he seemed to sense that Little Bit was finally free of pain.

Jack loved to sing, and he had certain songs he really loved – Happy Birthday, Lean On Me, The National Anthem. Jack would throw his head back, and let it go. Jack knew he was part of a happy family and loved to sing with them. If he heard certain songs, he would nuzzle you so you would be reminded to sing. Jack’s love was joyously expressed in his singing.

Jack spoke to us and gave us love each day. As he was nearing the end of his life Jack had his own special way of telling us one more time he loved us, thanked us for our time together, and left his love in our heart forever.