We bought J.D. on January 1st 2010; almost a year ago. What a year it has been!
I quit my job at the beginning of February, and that's really when the prophetic journey began. I would get the kids ready for school and when the bus was leaving, J.D. and I would venture into the buttercup trails. He was so small back then.
I received so much pleasure from watching him jump and leap in the snow. He loved the freedom of walking without a leash. The winter created trails that he could not venture from, so I didn't have to worry about him running off into the bush.
It didn't take J.D. long before he was quite familiar with the trails. He soon became comfortable and would run a little farther away from me. The hard part was at the end, when I had to get him back on the leash. He never wanted to loose his freedom, but I knew it was unsafe for him to walk on the roads without a leash.
I would watch J.D. run ahead so I couldn't catch him. I sensed that God was speaking to me. I desired to walk with my puppy, to play with him and enjoy him during our special time, but he was too busy lapping up his freedom. Still, I enjoyed watching him run, jump, and discover nature. I looked forward to our time in the trails.
Spring time kinda ruined everything. The trails were muddy and wet, so we had to come up with a different plan. Jody and I started taking him out on Government road. We would drive and J.D. would run beside us. The hard part was getting him back into the vehicle. And what we didn't know, was J.D. was becoming comfortable with the road and he didn't fear the dangers of the new path.
When things started drying up, I attempted to take him back into the buttercup trails but he was too big and fast. I couldn't get him back on the leash, and getting him home was a disaster. Instead, we ventured onto a different route; Heart Lake. The area was perfect; no other cars, the scenery is beautiful, and there's lots of water for a thirsty dog. And, we learned a secret: J.D. would get in the car to rest once he was EXHAUSTED. Finally, we knew how to get him.
Heart lake is swarming with rabbits; a dream place for a rabbit dog! Once he catches a smell, there's no stopping him. That's exactly what happened in July. We thought we lost him forever. We called out to him for 4 hours, but he didn't come to us. We had to leave our puppy in the dark rainy bush and go home.
At 2am I herd a dog whine at my bedroom window. "J.D.!" I said, and I ran to the door. It was him! He made it home. I wondered if he would ever take off on us again. We stopped going out to Heart Lake.
We were spending the night at the camp for Sarah's birthday. Sarah and I were meeting Jody and Mystie out there. As we came around the corner our free running J.D. was there, in the curve. He didn't fear our car and he jumped right in front of it. I thought I killed him, but it turned out I only popped his hip out of place. That stopped our walks altogether for about 6-8 weeks.
We started teaching J.D. to come when we call him by rewarding him with hotdogs. We started in the house and then outside. It didn't take long for him to learn the routine; walk, then come to the car and get a hotdog.
Two weeks ago I didn't have a hotdog. I called and called but he just looked at me. I got out of the car and kept calling to him and pointing at the opened car door. I had his attention, but I could tell the command was not computing. Then all of a sudden I saw it click. His ears perked up and he ran full blast at the car and jumped in. I wondered if it was a fluke, but it wasn't! J.D. knows what we want him to do, and whats even more awesome is that he wants to do it!
I has taken a full year, but J.D. knows our voice and hears our commands. He trusts us and desires to obey. We are his masters, and we adore that little guy.
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