Gator is my nearly 14 year old Jack Russell Terrier. My blog is a mix of history, breed information and stories related to Gator and the boisterous breed known as the Jack Russell Terrier. Whether you are the owner of a JRT or another breed, you can appreciate the life and times of living with a dog.
Gator’s story begins in a rural Pennsylvania farm town. My now husband decided to surprise me with a birthday gift..a dog; not just any dog, but a Jack Russell Terrier. He told me that he had run into a funny puppy while at work one day and decided we should get one. Bill grew up with dogs of various breeds, I never had a pet in my life. You can imagine my surprise at this gift. I knew nothing about dogs, let alone the needs of my feisty puppy!
We made the journey to Farmville (from our suburban Philadelphia home) one rainy Sunday night. We made our way to a small diner and met up with the breeder. She was super nice (and a Veterinarian to boot). She presented me with my gift, a little brown and white dog. He was cute! I didn’t know what to call him, or really what to do with a puppy, but I knew I would figure it out. She told us she had named the puppy Pumpkin (a nod to his coppery brown fur) I thought the name was cute, but I knew it wasn’t his forever name.
On the way home, the puppy laid in my lap and tucked his head in between my side and my arm (something he does even today). Every now and then, the puppy would pop his head out, snap his jaw closed and lay back down. We drove by a restaurant called Gator’s and the name stuck! My puppy had a name – Gator.
Gator made his presence known in his new home by urinating on the carpet..the first time for this event, certainly not the last! Over the years, I’ve cleaned up more messes than I could count. My brood has expanded to include a six year old Labradoodle (Reagan), an eight year old girl and a four year old boy (Clair and Colin). We use a lot of paper towels and clorox wipes!
Over the years, Gator has been my constant companion. He has made me laugh, tested my patience, entertained me and provided more joy than I could have imagined. I invite you to come back and visit this blog frequently. Welcome to Gator’s Tale!