Ike Comes to Visit

It has been said that animals have a sixth sense. Now it’s entirely up to you whether you believe that statement, but I am someone who does.

My husband Michael and I absolutely adore our English Bulldog, Capone. While I haven’t always been an animal lover, I must say that I have recently jumped in head first to join the club.

At 3 ½ months old, Capone fits the bulldog stereotype to a tee: affectionate, not exactly athletic, and definitely mellow. The perfect addition to our family, you’d have a tough time convincing our parents, brothers and sisters that he’s not a child. In fact, if you try to convince my brother, Capone’s “Pupfather” and sister-in-law, Capone’s “Pupmother” otherwise, you might have to brace yourself. (That’s another story in itself that will have to wait!)

Back to the story at hand…

For the past several weeks, we had a feeling something had happened. It started with a slight change in Capone’s demeanor. All of a sudden, our pet dog became quite irritable and would start barking for no apparent reason. If you know Bulldogs, you know they’re notorious for chewing on things, but not barking. In fact, they only bark when they want something.

So we checked…Hungry? Nope. Bathroom break? Nope. Go for a walk? A joke, right? You get the point.

Oddly enough, he’d get into these barking fits around the same time each night and it happened for a few weeks. I was a little spooked because it was almost as if he could see something we couldn’t.

So, Michael and I put on our detective hats and attempted to figure out the answer online. We looked on several websites, but to no avail. We then decided to email the breeder and ask about the demeanor of Capone’s parents. We also asked if, by some long shot, something had happened. Sure enough, Champion Ike, Capone’s father, had passed away several weeks ago; right around the time his fits began.

Mystery…solved?

As I sit here writing this, I can’t help but think to myself: “Is it possible that, even though Capone’s father lived nearly 300 miles away, did Capone already know? Even though he hadn’t seen Ike in months, could he have possibly sensed it? Do dogs really have a sixth sense?”

When Michael and I get home, we’ll share the sad news with Capone. We both have a feeling that Capone will be okay, because he sensed it awhile ago.

I’ve come to realize that Capone wasn’t barking at shadows. He wasn’t barking because he was hungry or wanted to play, but he did want something. Perhaps, our little pup Capone simply wanted us to know that his father, Ike, came to visit, one last time.