38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} calling all dogs If you’ve got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to tell, email hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but at 15 years old, I’m picking up new skills on the regular. My name is Jake, and I’m a Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, a busy breed that’s notoriously hard to manage. My family loves our intelligence, humor and loyalty, so Lynn and Rick were happy to welcome me into their lives. Tollers love to retrieve—I’ve made fetching an art form— but when I first arrived, I was the one who needed retrieving after I fell under the house’s deck and refused to come out. Later, I deliberately pushed Maisie, another one of Lynn and Rick’s dogs, under the jake DIARY OF A DOG as told to MARGARET KOENIG • photography by ROBB MOST deck, which convinced them to remove the darn thing. Mission accomplished! Despite this less-than-auspicious start, my family fell for my lively demeanor and cheerful attitude. I’m a refreshing change from the high-strung personalities of many tollers. I may be a counter-surfer and a thief, but I almost always return my ill-gotten gains (if I haven’t already consumed them). I mentor my brother Wubbo, Lynn and Rick’s Kooikerhonje, teaching him to howl along with passing sirens and overcome his fear of large stuffed animals. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a heart condition, so Lynn and I took up Rally, a low-impact dog sport. I progressed from novice to advanced so quickly, people often mistake me for a much younger dog. My heart may be weak, but my spirit is as strong as ever.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==