Finding a Place in the Pack

For the first time in his 10-year-old life, my Jake became a pack animal yesterday. I think he wanted to show the other dogs in Congressional Cemetery that dogs from Virginia know how to do more than fetch tennis balls.

Jake had been invited to join Jacob and Amos in a walk on familiar territory for them, but a new place for him. It would seem that Congressional Cemetery draws dogs from all over Capitol Hill. It’s a great place to let them run free off-leash because there is a large iron fence surrounding the place.

After we entered through the main gate, I could see Jake had a real dilemma on his hands because every gravestone begged to be decorated. Soon however he was distracted by all the other dogs, who were racing at full speed in and out among the stone markers.


Jake’s typical reaction is to totally ignore other dogs and spend all of his energy looking for a ball of any sort that he can convince someone to throw. But today, he ran non-stop for 45 minutes instead while I walked and talked with my friend through the beautiful old cemetery.


As a result, Jake has been rather comatose since coming home.


He’s actually resting up, because next week his boy is coming home for the first time in over a year. Our son, who has been living in Hamburg, Germany, for the past year is coming for a visit. There will be no doubt as to whose room Jake will be sleeping in. They have actually been known to be playing with Jake’s Kong in the wee hours of the morning.

Although I was frozen by the end of yesterday’s walk, it was a fun outing into the District. Jake was delighted that this car ride didn’t end at the vet’s office, but rather at a place where he could run with some new friends.