Sport is truly my buddy, an absolutely wonderful boy that has passed his great temperament and his joy of life on to his pups. He never ceases to make me laugh and constantly amazes me with his intelligence and his uncanny ability to completely understand every word I say. Sport was our first dog (my husband and I together) and is one of the reasons JonVers is in existence today. Below is a brief story of Sport's love, loyalty and devotion. A very endearing trait and one that makes this breed so very special.

Late Fall/Early Winter 2004

We usually get snow every winter, both the dogs and I love it. This year,  we had a freak snow and ice storm. No one predicted it so very early in the season, most were caught unprepared. We lost power, and since our only form of heat is a pellet stove we went without. Now, there's a lot of things I can handle, but ever since I had frost bite as a small child, extreme cold for long periods of time is not one of them!

Day two....no heat, no hot water to run (we need power to run the pump) I was miserable. Here we are in the living room of our house with the indoor thermometer reading 34 degrees. We were layered like nothing you've ever seen before! I was freezing as I wandered from room to room, and Sport (typical cattle dog) would follow me and then lay curled up against me whenever I stopped. I thought he was curling up against me for his comfort....that was until I decided the only place I would get warm would be in bed.

We wandered out of our frigid living room, fully bundled (not even taking my UGG boots off) I crawled into bed and totally lost it, I'm ashamed to admit. I couldn't get warm.... and as I lay there in misery with tears pouring down my face, what my wonderful boy did next completely and utterly humbled me.

Sport has always slept in bed with us and has always curled up against me, when it's cold he usually places his head over my legs which I always imagined kept him warmer as well. This night I was on my stomach with my hands underneath my body, the bed was like ice. Sport came up and nudged my face in worry, then turned and walked down to my feet, did an about-face and very carefully started to walk up my legs until he was standing completely on my back. He then stretched out over me using his warm, furry body to cover almost my entire torso sacrificing his own precious heat ( a dog trying to keep warm will curl into a tight ball ). He started gently licking the tears off my face and I remember the comfort of his body heat and he stayed in that exact position until I finally went to sleep.

My heart is full....it did not fully dawn on me until the next morning what my best friend and companion had done. Somehow, he knew I needed to get warm and figured the best way to do that was to lie down on top of my back. I am so very humbled that this dog that I love so much in turn showed his complete devotion, love and loyalty in such a way. I will die a thousand deaths when he finally leaves us to go over the Rainbow Bridge. But for now, I thank God every day for creating not only such a special breed, but I thank Him for this most precious gift He has brought me in this stocky blue bundle of energy.  I love you Sport!

JUST A DOG? NOT IN MY EYES!

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog,"  Or  "that's a lot of money for just a dog." 

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog." 

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog." 

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been spent with "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably
understand phases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise" or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person. Because of "just a dog" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and the folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an
embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog".....but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a person." 

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile...because they "just don't understand."

by Richard Biby