Traverse City Record-Eagle

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  • Haley Kolar says her golden retriever, Jake, is like a brother to her — they run, take naps and go swimming together. Jan-Michael Stump

    kolar
July 13, 2009

Jake's the 'brother' I always wanted

Jake's upbeat personality means we always have fun

BY HALEY KOLAR

Up until eight years ago, I was an only child. But on a blustery Valentine's Day morning when I was a meager 9 years old, I first met my new "brother."

Fate was held in my hands when my Mom and Dad told me I was able to name the newest addition to our family. After testing out many different names to call my new friend, I decided to name him Jake Valentine.

Jake quickly became a playmate of mine, and a good secret keeper. It was reassuring to know my best friend never would judge me, or make fun of my overused jokes. Jake and I were true companions at first sight!

Jake's upbeat personality never lets him miss an opportunity to have fun. Our favorite activity together is hunting the gophers on our property. He triples as a sniper, watch man and a tracker, while I act as an intimidating sidekick. After intently watching a particular gopher, Jake tends to track its most followed paths. Here, is where I come in: after Jake's "cue," I shove a garden hose in the "freshest" hole, and wait while the gopher scurries out to the other end of the hole, where my brother waits for the attack. Jake feels restless knowing gophers and other animals are on our property.

My brother has always been a great protector. When I fall, he is quick to bound across the room and lend a nurturing kiss on the cheek. When I am frightened, he is close to my side and ready for the attack. Now, as a mature man of 8, Jake spends the majority of his time guarding my house. He understands that aircrafts flying thousands of feet above our home is a threat. Jake's entertainment provides him with a great work out, as he frequently finds himself chasing planes off our property until they are out of sight. He is on call 24 hours a day, and will always warn others if a plane is near. Jake hopes to someday be an aircraft director, but he is quick to lose direction at times.

When Jake gets turned around, he sometimes has a hard time remembering his manners. Oftentimes when Jake is hungry he begs to get what he wants; but who can blame him, a man's gotta eat when a man wants to eat! He also forgets to be polite when company comes over to our house. My brother tends to get a bit rowdy, regardless of the visitor. As a people guy, my brother is quick to his feet when greeting people. While Jake won't exactly jump into a hug with you, he will jump around you.

After spending so much time with my brother, I find we truly do have a lot in common. We both have soft locks of hair, deep brown eyes, the desire to dig, dark skin, shedding hair, cold noses, inviting smiles, natural highlights, a taste for red meat, precise sight in the dark, white teeth, long noses, toned legs, funny dreams that make us twitch in the night, big feet, inviting demeanors, a good sense of smell, a love for treats, stray eyebrow hairs, floppy ears, and big hearts!

As an only child, I like to consider my golden fetriever my brother. Standing by my side, he is always a great listener, and keeps a smile on his face, even when I have nothing important to say. Jake never runs out of ambition to play, and loves meeting new people, just like myself. I will always consider Jake Valentine as the loyal sibling I never had and the best friend I have always wanted.

Haley Kolar graduated from Elk Rapids High School in June and will attending Grand Valley State University this fall.

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