All That Jaz

A Lab Story

Nope, we weren't even in the market for a dog -- haven't had a pet for over 20 years. I've been retired for three years and totally enjoyed staying home...being fat, sassy and lazy and home alone all day -- just me.

Well.......what did I know? Evidently, not much. Last September. 2004 -- in fact, the day before I turned 60, a mutt appeared on our carport. Hubby saw her when he went out to go to work that morning. A friend rang the doorbell late afternoon and I saw this cute little black puppy and thought it belonged to her. NOPE, she said "it came from under your car." She (the dog...not the friend) had on an old ragged collar......but she was nothing but skin and bones.

I was in the house looking for something for her to eat when hubby got home from work. Took a deep breath and prepared my speech because he truly isn't an "ANIMAL" person.

Well, surprise, surprise, he said "sure, feed her."

Little did we know then that we were totally opening our hearts for more love than we had ever bargained for.

First we walked the neighborhood looking for an owner. I waited almost a month before I finally took her to the vet. First trip to the vet revealed she weighed 27 pounds. She was so skittish of the vehicle that I had to pick her up and put her in.

Didn't take long after that for her to become the ultimate "Driving Miss Daisy." She refuses to get in on the driver's side. She's trained me rather well: I open the passenger door of the Tahoe and she jumps right in. When we return home, she sits and waits for me to come around and let her out.

Let's see. hmmmm -- I said 27 pounds. Well scratch that, she now weighs in at 60.4 pounds and is a total INSIDE dog and keeps us both jumping. To begin we just left her outside and she stayed really close to the house.

Then I had her spayed and she was so uncomfortable that first night that I invited her inside. Oh my, bad mistake. She immediately got right up under my feet at the computer. For the first few nights we closed the door and tried to keep her in one room. HMMM -- well, not a BIG problem.....but she did decide to READ a few of my books that were on the bookshelf.

Me? I read the words. Jaz? She decided to chew. OK, this isn't going to work. Left the door open and gave her free run of the house and everything is just grand. She sleeps right by GranDad's side of the bed until she knows we are all tucked in. Then she goes to her bed underneath the window.

Never have I seen a dog so easy to housetrain -- two accidents and after that she scratches on the door: says "Let me out, let me out right now!"

According to the vet's calculations/best guess she is a year old in May, 2005. Vet also says she is mostly LAB with possibly a little terrier...actually we're thinking maybe some Pit Bull. But, if that is the case, then she has none of the BAD Pit Bull characteristics.

OH -- as to how she got her name. That first afternoon, I said "Jazzerina" and then said "nope, make that "JAZ." When my two sons were young and we had pets, we always had an awful time deciding on names. Miz Jaz's name just rolled right out of my mouth.

Her very favorite place in the whole world is right under my feet at the computer. Oh yeah, we're bestest buddies and she's like my second skin.

And, for sure, she celebrated Christmas with us. She got as many gifts as our kids did. LOL

I think my "YANKEE" daughter-in-law summed it up best when she called my big hunka black dog a Texas All Breed.

Hey -- it can't be all bad. Even my doctor says that folks who have pets live longer. LOL