In my blogs, I tend to feature Caesar more than Jeter simply because Caesar is my hiking partner, while Jeter often holds down the fort and is an excellent cuddle partner. I have to admit, it’s much harder to write lengthly blogs about cuddling with your dog than it is to write about hiking adventures.
But, I don’t want people to get the wrong idea. I love, love, love Jeter! So this blog will be all about Jeter, his wonderful features, his weird personality quirks, and how to deal with a clingy dog.
A quick back story of Jeter… Jeter was born in 2012. I brought him home on my birthday, August 11, 2012 and he was around 12 weeks old, so I just assume his birthday is May 11. Jeter was absolutely adorable as a puppy. He had a big round head (still does), floppy ears (still has those too!), and was more than happy when I brought him home with me.
Long story short: Jeter was likely abused before he came to me (you can see Jeter’s full story in the top tab under his name). Though he was super cute, he was also kinda gross. He was thin, covered in scars, and had fleas and tapeworms. Despite being icky, I’m glad I brought him home so that I could clean him up and give him a good life.
Over the years, Jeter developed what I call “interesting quirks.” Even early on, Jeter exhibited signs of jealousy and anxiety. As many know, Jeter and Caesar can’t be together because Jeter has tried to kill Caesar. The interesting part of this is that it’s only when I’m around. I’ve seen the two get along in the yard before or have heard about them ignoring each other when my mom would baby sit them.
I’ve always joked that if Jeter were a human, I’d probably have to get a restraining order. He has a constant need to be around me. When I put him in another room so that I can spend time with Caesar, Jeter cries his head off. Often, Jeter will nudge my hand if I stop petting him, he will press his head to my chest so I can hug him, and he often tries to sit on me (since he doesn’t know his size). Sometimes, even when he is right next to me, Jeter will cry until I give him attention.
Unlike Caesar, Jeter is physically very healthy, but mentally, I think something might be going on.
Above everything, Jeter has taught me patience. Jeter is not for everyone. While everyone who meets him finds him to be very cute and cuddly, every person who has lived with me since I got Jeter has found him annoying. Jeter is simply misunderstood.
Sometimes it doesn’t matter how you raise a dog; some are just different. Like people, dogs have different personalities. Caesar and Jeter have been raised exactly the same, but their genetics are entirely different and what happened to them before I came into the picture is entirely different.
Caesar was a healthy puppy who spent the first 8 weeks of his life with his siblings and mother. Many experts agree that it’s vital for puppies to stay with their moms and siblings for at least 8 weeks. The mothers teach their puppies right and wrong, and spending time with siblings allows for socialization and much-needed playtime in the early stages of their life.
Puppies taken too soon often have behavior issues – they aren’t taught when “too much is too much,” how to interact with others, and other life lessons.
I have no doubt that Jeter was taken from his mom too soon. Plus, in the condition he came to me in, I have no doubt that his life was traumatic before me.
Empathy plays a huge role in my life. I try my hardest to always empathize with others to see why they may be reacting the way they are. My desire to empathize with others also includes animals. I am always trying to understand what makes people (animals and humans) do what they do.
When you learn to empathize, it can help you become a more loving, understanding, and patient person. While Jeter can frustrate me at times, I always try to come from a place of understanding when trying to correct his behavior.
Admittedly, I don’t have the proper training to fully help Jeter. But I know that negative punishments are often useless on even the most well-behaved dogs. Instead, when Jeter screams or begs for attention when I am done giving it to him, I ignore his behavior.
Ignoring his behavior usually makes him stop, but I’ve yet to find a way to prevent the behavior to begin with.
Jeter is needy, and at times it can be very cute. Whereas Caesar never wants to lay with me or be hugged, Jeter is like a giant teddy bear and I love falling asleep hugging him. I know, more than anything, Jeter just wants to please people and he wants to feel safe and loved.
Recently, I started Jeter on CBD to see if I can help him find a more calm and relaxed state of mind. While I think he’s adorable, cute, and oh-so-kissable, I’m sure that it’s not relaxing for him to be full of so much anxiety.
Despite his issues, I’m glad to have two dogs that are insanely different. I’m glad to have a dog that loves me, wants my attention, and wants to sleep in every day. I’m also glad to have another dog who wants to be on the go, is up for any adventure, and likes to give me space.
Having two widely different dogs has made me appreciate what each has to offer.
Good boy Jeter!