We got our first JRT 18 years ago.  My husband and son went on a hunting trip to Tennessee with no intention of coming home with a dog.  I was at work and received a phone call asking how I would feel about them bringing home a Jack Russell Terrier puppy.  I didn't know much about Jacks, but I love puppies and quickly gave my approval.  So, for the low, low price of $100, they were on their way home with the little guy.   They drove the many hours from Tennessee and instead of stopping home, came straight to my work.  It was love at first sight.  Upon closer inspection, his fur seemed to have things, many things, moving through it.   I had always had dogs but never had fleas...until then.  Boy did we ever have fleas.  Poor little guy.  I got him right in to the local groomer for a flea treatment, before even bringing him home.  My son said his name would be Dodger, and our lives were never quite the same again.   

Dodger and his trusty sidekick, Marley, a chocolate lab mix we got soon after, were the dream team of the dog world.  We had hit the jackpot.  They brought us so much joy and just made our lives better.  They were both unique characters, that made us laugh almost daily.  Our son was like a flopping crappie when he slept, and Dodger eventually took up sleeping between my husband and I every night.  We would go to bed, Dodger would jump up, crawl under the covers, turn all the way around, and lie down with his head right between us.  He would nudge my hand every time I stopped petting him, nudging a bit harder each time I stopped.   

Sadly, about five years ago, we lost them both within just a few months of each other.  That's the problem with dogs.  They just don't live long enough.  We held them until the end, and as hard as it was, I'm so glad the last thing they knew was us petting them and telling them it was going to be OK.  It was devastating to lose each of them, but we knew it was the most loving thing we could possibly do.  They had the happiest lives that any dog could have, and our lives were definitely better because of them.