John, my husband, found her on the internet. I spent a year researching different dog breeds and settled on finding a Corgi. I fell in love with the Corgi breed, liking their medium size, intelligence, family loyalty, and cute ways. The downside of Corgi ownership is stubbornness, difficulty training, and a fine, white undercoat of fur shedding year-round. This Corgi would be no match for my stubbornness! We did not suffer from pet allergies and I have a sweeper.
Jade’s internet pictures showed a pretty face, and kohl-ringed amber eyes with a black, tan, and white coat of fur, and, cutest of all, the short stubby legs and long body common to Corgis. My search centered on a young adult dog because I did not want a puppy. Puppies demand 24/7 care to acclimate them to a family in the first six months to a year; like having a baby in the house. We owned two puppies while our children were at home. A puppy would not suit our empty nest.
Cara, a private Corgi breeder, advertised two-year-old Jade for sale because she did not breed successfully. John and I scheduled a time to drive the hour and a half to central Wisconsin in late May. The Saturday before Mother’s Day, I couldn’t wait any longer. I called to ask Cara if we could meet her. “Come on ahead. We’ll be home all day”, Cara agreed. We put together a doggy kit— collar, leash, treats, and a blanket for the backseat of the truck.
Two months earlier, we met a lovely rescue dog, Faye Ray, a lively black lab mix. Her skittishness and fear around new people would make adoption a long road of rehabilitation. To help her overcome her fear of people demanded a lot of patience and skill which I did not have. After searching for months, I sadly walked away from Faye Ray. While looking at Jade’s picture in my hands, I held my emotions close for fear of more disappointment and nervously prayed Jade would be the one.
We rounded a sharp country corner and pulled into the breeder’s large, grassy farmyard. The yard teemed with Corgis of all ages, colors, and sizes. They raced around each other and the family’s children. After meeting Cara, the breeder, and her nine children, I searched the dogs for a familiar face, then John said, “There she is!”
She didn’t race around like the other dogs and puppies but took her time ambling over to Cara. Jade’s beauty and dignity tempered her subdued personality. She kept aloof from the other Corgis with behavior befitting a lady with impeccable manners. Jade and I bonded within the first five minutes. Astonished, Jade walked up to me and sat at my feet. Cara exclaimed, “She’s never sat down next to a stranger! I think she’s yours.” Indeed, she still is my dog five years later.
When she settled in, food and treats were Jade’s biggest motivator for obedience. With a treat in my hand, Jade came willingly to my side without a leash. Unfortunately, Jade put on weight earning me a thorough dressing down from our vet, Dr. Baker. “Corgi backs and short leg joints are susceptible to injury and joint damage if Jade’s weight is not kept down around 30 pounds”, Dr. Baker warned. Every check-up brought a weight management warning and my same response, “Look at me, Dr. Baker”, gesturing to my expanding middle. “It’s obvious Jade and I love food!” Finally, Dr. Baker conceded her excellent health outweighed (pun intended) her need to slim down.
A tree-lined railroad track and cornfields about half a mile away attracted wild animals to our subdivision at night. Deer, raccoons, woodchucks, rabbits, and foxes moved closer to our residential area when the temperatures dropped.
One dark, star-lit evening, I let Jade out for her evening pee. The promise of bedtime treats guaranteed she stayed close to the house without a fence. Jade rarely wandered off and came inside when I called. I kept watch while she roamed outside just in case she found something interesting next door. I walked away briefly then returned to the patio door looking for Jade. I didn’t see her. When I opened the door to a chilly blast of autumn air to call her in, she disappeared from the boundary of her yard. I stepped outside but didn’t see her outside the circle of the porch light. I kept calling for her while my eyes adjusted to the dark. I looked towards the empty lot and saw her moving around. “That’s unusual,” I thought. “Is she playing with another dog?” I was puzzled because our neighbors don’t allow their pets to run free and Jade rarely leaves her yard. Jade and her new friend cavorted weaving in and out and circling one another. The other dog had a sharp face, pointed nose, sinuous body, and a long bushy tail. Jade played with a fox! A wild animal played with my dog! An alarm sped through me like a jolt of electricity when I thought of fox bites, rabies, and a wild animal tearing my dog’s throat in a fight.
Quickly I grabbed her leash and found our flashlight. I continued to call her while I walked toward the edge of the empty lot. My voice took on a panicky edge and I upped my volume and intensity, making threats. “You get back here now or no treats tonight! Jade! I am not fooling around! Come here now!” Her concentrated play with her new fox friend took her full attention.
With the promise of a treat, Jade made her way toward our patio with the fox close behind. “Oh, no,” I muttered. “How am I going to get Jade inside, without the fox coming into our house?” Opening the patio door, Jade and I slipped inside and I slammed it shut. I looked out watching our curious fox walk toward our lighted patio. The fox stopped short of the circle of the porch light and appeared healthy with no mange. Neighbors told us they recently saw a sick fox with mange wandering near our subdivision. My presence by the patio door didn’t scare it away. Was the fox a Freddy or Frannie fox or were her baby kits nearby? Suddenly, it arched into the air coming down on its front feet on a mouse or vole.
Without barking or whining, Jade watched her new friend toss the fresh catch in the air and play with it. With fascination, I watched the action right in front of me.
Then the fox turned, gave me a last look with her catch in her teeth, and loped away. “I better check to make sure Jade doesn’t have any bites or marks from the fox,” I reminded myself. I didn’t find a scratch. She looked up and gave me her Corgi grin. I could hear her thinking, “I love my new friend but she smelled different than my other four-pawed friends. What’s up with that, Mom?” After the fox disappeared, I felt a mixture of relief for Jade’s safety and wonder over Jade’s encounter with a wild fox.
For days, thinking back on Jade and her unforgettable fox and hound encounter, I was awe-struck a wild creature befriended my dog and displayed its playful nature right in front of me.
But Jade’s future held another encounter.
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