This photo was taken around 1974
Tichy around 1978Titchy was a right humbug and had a mind of her own. When she was hunting you could call her untill you were blue in the face, she would just take no novice of you untill she had dug out or caught the prey she was hunting.
Titch died at a good age of sixteen and was still very active to the day she died although her eye site was not that good by then. It was not long after losing Titch that my next Jack Russell arrived on the scene, and he was a right diamond. His name was Ben. Ben had a temperament to die for; he was friendly, good-natured, playful,full of energy which you would expect in a Jack Russell.
I had given up Ferreting and rabbiting at this stage has the market had changed and there was not much call for Rabbit meat. Ben was not much of a hunter I had even known him to sit with a Cat and that’s really rare in Jack Russell’s.
The wife and I had taken up walking and hiking as a hobby and spent many holidays and short breaks in the Lake District, Yorkshire and the Peak District of England. Ben would come with us on all our walks. Some walks could be 10 to 20 miles. That didn't bother Ben he would never give up always by your side enjoying the adventure.
Everybody loved Ben; I used to tell people he started out as a Great Dane and wore himself down to a Jack Russell in size as the day went on. I worked in the construction industry as a bricklayer by trade. No health and safety then like today’s regulations. From the age of around ten months Ben would come to work with me every day.
For the next couple of years my wife and I adopted our son’s dog, you caused it
a Jack Russell. Dusty was a bitch a rough haired version. We would take Dusty
out daily on many of our walks and hikes. Dusty also had a good nature and
being a typical Jack Russell would dig, chase and see anybody off who she did
not like. Dusty did not like Postmen or any type of delivery person. It was
quite comical at times seeing a delivery person walking down the drive trying
to shake Dusty of their trousers leg. But she didn’t really mean them any harm
more playful than anything.
Dusty
When we moved to the location we are at now it felt like the time to have our
own dog again. You guessed it; a Jack Russell it had to be there was no second
thought on maybe a different breed of dog.
Dusty playing with Sweep when she was a pup.
Sweep arrived on the scene in January 2000. What a bundle of joy she turned into if it moved Sweep chased it. We have nearly 10 acres of ground with 6 of those being meadow land. Sweep was always kept well occupied.
Sweep was brought from a local Jack Russell breeder, is kennels were like a five star dog hotel. He breeds them out of love for the breed and not for the money.
Sweep picking the Lottery Winners.
However, can't remember ever winning.
In Autumn 2000 we thought it would be a good idea for Sweep to have a companion to keep her company. It turned out that Sweeps mother had just had another litter of three pups by a different dog (farther). One had black patches, one with brown patches and the other strange as it seems was all brown. We first decided on the brown patched puppy, they were only a few weeks old at this stage so it was too early for them to leave their mother. When we arrived back at home after leaving the kennels all excited on once again being proud owners of our next generation of Jack Russell. Sitting talking we both looked at each other and said “I really liked that all brown one, did you”? A phone call to the kennels and we changed our minds for the all brown puppy.
Broome is name or otherwise known as Broome The Dog. We often think he is not a dog but a teddy bear.
Why, because if you try and sit him up he cries and moans just like a ‘Stiff teddy bear’ when you speak to him he answers you back with is growls. But we would not part with him for the world.
In early 2003 we thought it would be a good idea to mate Sweep to let her have a litter of pups.
After making arrangements with a suitable dog from the kennels she came from. Sweep was left at the kennels for the mating period to take its course.
Sweep had four pups but sadly one was still born.
Sweeps Pups Polly, Bobby & Suzie.
Poor Sweep had a real hard time delivering her pups and had to have a hysterectomy. This took Sweep around eighteen months to get over and back to her full strength again.
Sweep was a wonderful mother
Yes, we could not resist keeping one of the pups that’s when Bobby arrives on the scene, he’s real name is Bob Tail.
I’m sure Bobby’s got every Jack Russell character rolled into one in him. He is a little smaller than Sweep and Broome, but what he loses in size he makes up in character. Fearless, boundless energy, alert, adventurous you name it Bobby’s got it.
And that Folks is Sweep, Broome and Bobby, ‘The Rat Pack’.
The Rat Pack
Sweep Bobby Broome
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