Last weekend I mentioned to my mom that Jibini would be turning 9 this year. Having known him since he was a puppy, she couldn't believe he was already 9. There are times when it seems like only yesterday I had a wriggling, 9 pound mischevous ball of curly-tailed terror wreaking havoc on my home. And there are days when I look back on the past 9 years- how far Jibini and I have come, and how many transitions we have been through together, and it seems like an eternity. Yes, we're taking a sappy, long-winded trip down Memory Lane, you have been warned.
I look at Jibini's face today, beginning to show a bit of grey in the muzzle, and it's hard to believe I was 19 when I first brought him home. My age was a fact I tended to downplay when among "dog people"- it seemed few people would take me seriously at 19, believing all college-age kids were flighty morons who'd dump a dog after the novelty wore off. I knew myself better than that, and thankfully I was able to find someone willing to trust me with a puppy. It was love at first sight the day I met him. And after reading all the Basenji horror stories, it came as a suprise when my apartment didn't spontaneously combust when Jibini crossed the threshold. In fact, overall he was a "mild" puppy, compared to some of the stories I've heard. Beginner's luck?
While I was smitten with Jibini from the start, it seems the rest of my family & friends took some time to discover Jibini's good points. If I recall, my mom was a bit baffled by the Basenji's odd manner- having been used to a butt-wagging, slobbery, fawning Boxer for the previous decade or so. Whereas Jibini was aloof but affectionate in his own way....and as a puppy, he was kind of a jackass. I don't think my mom really fell in love with Jibini until he began to mature- but I do remember coming home from the road with him one day and my mom was just raving about how "sweet and cuddly" Jibini had become. Of course, I had him 24/7 and I knew he had always been sweet and cuddly- it just took some maturity before Jibini could be sweet and cuddly for a larger percentage of the day.
Jibini was about 2 years old when I first started driving a truck. For about 2 years, it was just me and him. Together, we managed to travel through all of the lower 48 states, leading to Jibini's claim to fame- the Basenji with the most "territory" claimed for his own. Yes, he's peed in all the lower 48 states (and I believe he's pooped in 47; somehow we missed Vermont). Life on the road can be lonely, but Jibini kept me entertained. He adapted to the truckin' lifestyle quickly, and came to love meeting new people & exploring new places every single day.
My career in trucking was not always a basket of roses, and Jibini was there with me when I hit some hard times. When the day was long, miserable and I was questioning the point of it all, I had a warm furry body to cuddle with under the covers and somehow I felt that things would be all right, somehow.
Jibini helped me realize what a "catch" Fred was when we started seeing each other. I'd long since realized how invaluable Jibini was as a "date gauge". He would absolutely let me know if a guy I was dating was not worth my time...he told me who the jerks were. He left little doubt in some cases; doing things like getting up on the back of the couch, straddling the guy's head so that Jibini's nutsack rested prominently on the guy's forehead (this was before we had him neutered) or repeatedly jumping into the guy's lap and aiming his paws for a tender spot in the anatomy. Without fail, any guy who did not pass the Jibini test would show his true colors very shortly. Fred was the first guy who passed the Jibini test with flying colors- in fact, after Fred spent some time with us, I began to wonder if Jibini was a traitor, he became so attached to Fred. And sure enough- the one guy who met with Jibini's wholehearted approval is the one guy who ended up being the right one :).
Two years ago we adopted Tana, and part of me felt guilty for taking away Jibini's spoiled-rotten "king of the castle" status. I figured since Jibini was raised with another dog (Sweetie the Boxer) that he might enjoy having another Basenji around. He didn't warm up to Tana as quickly as I'd hoped, but gradually he developed a grudging acceptance of her, treating her as if she was a pesky "little sister". When nobody's watching, he will allow her to snuggle with him, and will lick her dry whenever she goes out in the rain.
And then came Chloe....her added presence in the "pack order" took several weeks to iron itself out. If Jibini was grudgingly accepting of Tana, he wanted nothing to do with Chloe for the first month. Today, he will occasionally clean her ears or lick her dry when she is wet...hey, it's progress. He has adapted to the idea that he isn't the "only dog"....but I still make sure to spend "one on one" time with him to remind him that he is still Number One, my main man. He and I have been together for half a million miles, and our time together is something I will always cherish. 9 years ago I never would have imagined- in a MILLION years- that I'd be living in South Dakota of all places, apprenticing to be a dog trainer, living out in farm country and shopping for a shotgun. Somehow, Jibini has seen me from 19 year old suburban college kid with no clue as to who I was- to the person I am today- and I will never forget that :)
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