Teach Me How to Jimmer

As you may have already heard, our little Jimmer was in a fatal accident on July 6th. It is a terrible loss for us and we are still struggling to adjust to life without him. We were lucky enough to catch most of his little quirks on camera. Looking at them helps us to remember how happy he made us instead of how sad we are that we lost him. We want to share some of the pictures that embody just who our little Jimmer was.

More often than not, he sat awkwardly like a human. This became even more funny when he learned how to shake and would try to do so when sitting like a human - it normally ended up in him falling over.

He certainly loved his sleep and would usually do so curled up in a ball of some sorts. He also liked to sleep somewhere close to us whether on the couch right by us or on the floor beside the couch.

He didn't particularly love baths, but he put up with them really well. He put up with pretty much anything, really, as long as it made us happy.

The first few days we had him, he was terrified of pretty much everything and wouldn't go more than 5 feet away from us. This got better with time, but he always was a very cautious puppy.

Speaking of cautious, his first few trips down the stairs were quite an endeavor. His leash quickly became something that empowered him. Whenever he was afraid to try a jump or go somewhere unfamiliar, he was much braver when he was on his leash.

He LOVED other dogs - all shapes, sizes, and breeds. Although he was only 10 pounds on a good day, he acted like he was just as big as the biggest dog around. Size was not an issue for our Jimmer.

He was a very good traveler, however, he didn't really act like a dog in the car until the last month or so when he found out how great it was to stick his head out the window. He would run from one side of the backseat to the other so he could see and smell everything.

Sometimes he pick the most awkward spots to fall asleep. You can't help but think this is absolutely adorable though.

A lot of the time he was a quite cuddly puppy.

He was always eager to please.

True to the Jack Russell he was, Jimmer loved to dig and he was GOOD at it! He practiced almost every night on his bed (more on that later) to perfect his skills. 

After he was neutered, he was a little confused due to the anesthesia and ended up sleeping under his bed instead of on it.

When we got Ameya, they quickly became inseparable. On of the things they loved doing was sharing the same toy. They had lots of options for toys, but they always had to play with the same one at the same time.

We didn't see him pant until we had him for at least 3 months. Doesn't he look so happy?

We got him in the winter and he was prone to being cold. He was always pleased when wrapped up in a blanket.

...or laying on our heating pad. I don't think either of us used the heating pad after we got Jimmer. He quickly claimed it as his own.

One night while digging in his bed, he ended up getting stuck inside of it. I was so confused when I woke up to him wearing his bed as a diaper.

As awkward as he was sometimes, he also had a very regal side.

This is one of our favorite pictures of him and his calm temperament.

Two of his favorite things were digging and playing in the grass. When he was actually digging outside he didn't mess around. If given the chance, he would cover every inch of his body in grass - including his head which is buried here in a fresh hole.

Also true to his breed, he could be very focused when anything seemed out of the ordinary. He would pay rapt attention and lift his little foot as if he were hunting.

He was also a very accomplished wrestler. Most of the time he would let Ameya win, but every once in a while he had to prove who was stronger.

He had no problem getting comfortable just about anywhere. He particularly liked it when he had a pillow to work with.

When we first got Ameya, he would not allow her anywhere near the inside of his crate. It was a big moment when they were able to share one for the whole night.

Again with putting up with whatever we wanted him to do. If we put him in between the cushions, he would stay there until his body weight dragged him down. He was very good at humoring us.

It was a rare occurrence for him to do anything belly up, but the heating pad helped him get out of his comfort zone a little. He seriously hated being on his back. Even if we tried to scratch his tummy, he wouldn't have it.

The first few days we had this bed, he thought it was a huge chew toy and struggled so hard to drag it all around the house. Once he realized it was a bed, however, he used it to practice digging which was almost always followed by a power nap.

 When Jimmer would dig, man would the dirt fly. Depending on how soft the soil was, it would fly feet behind him. We had to give him his space so we didn't get a dirt shower. No good dig was complete without his white paws turning brown because they were so caked in dirt.

He was such a loyal dog. He would follow us around the house no matter what. If he was sleeping and one of us moved he had to know where we were and what we were doing. He would even follow Tiffany into the kitchen or bathroom despite his severe dislike of any sort of hard floor. We could always count on him to be right on our heels. 

Hunter loved to take Jimmer with him to frisbee. He got so much attention and got to play in the grass for hours at a time. After playing so hard and having so much fun, he would pass out in the car before they could make it home.

These two loved each other so much. We often joked that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. But really, he was like a big brother to her. This is one of the rare moments when they weren't playing/wrestling with each other.

Jimmer loved the sun. Even when it was really hot outside and he had just come in from a walk his spot of choice for a nap was wherever the sun was. He also really liked to be perched on things. If ever he had the opportunity to be on something (pillow, blanket, etc) he would take it.

He struggled so much with potty training. What makes it even better is that he would know that he did something wrong after he pottied inside. Whenever that happened, he would go to the edge of the carpet as far away from Tiffany as he could because he knew he was in trouble. I think it was his way of trying to apologize.

 He loved to lay his head on our legs when taking a nap. That way he could be close to us and rest up.

If they were in the car together, they would battle over who got to sit in the drivers lap. Hunter handled it much better than Tiffany did. They often fought for attention in general. If one was getting more than the other, they made sure it was quickly corrected. This picture was taken just hours before his accident. 

Because the accident occurred at Tiffany's parent's house, we were able to give him a proper burial and have a little funeral. This is our little Jimmer's grave. Poor Ameya still isn't really sure what happened to her big brother. At times, she walks around the house whining, looking for her partner in crime.

We hope this gives a sense of what made Jimmer such a special and unique dog. We love him so much and he will always hold a special place in our hearts.