My best friend is back. Spring is here. Everything is happening at the same time and it’s almost too much for one dog to handle.
I’m Jasper, and I want to talk about Augie.
Who Is Augie
Augie is a yellow Labrador Retriever. He lives at my grandparents’ house. He is my best friend on this planet, and I say that with full confidence and zero hesitation.
Here is what Augie is: fast, big, enthusiastic, good at ball, better at body-slamming than any dog I know, loud about it, happy about everything, and deeply committed to the friendship we have built together.
Here is what Augie is not: subtle. Augie does not do subtle. When Augie arrives somewhere, you know it. When Augie is happy to see you, there is no ambiguity. When Augie wants to play, the only reasonable response is to play.
I respect this about him.
The Friendship Backstory
Augie and I have been friends for years. We did not become friends gradually. We became friends immediately. First meeting, we ran the yard together for approximately forty minutes without stopping. That was the friendship, established.
Every time we see each other, we do this again. We run. We chase. We wrestle in the way that looks alarming to humans but is completely fine to us. We investigate the same smells from different angles. We compete over toys without it being a big deal.
Augie is the kind of friend who makes every situation better by being in it.
Spring + Augie = Optimal Conditions
Here’s the thing about Augie in spring: there is no better combination.
In winter, the yard is cold and the ground is hard and you can only run so much before your paws get cold and you need to go inside. In summer, the yard is hot and you need water breaks and nap time becomes mandatory.
But spring? Spring is perfect running temperature. The grass is soft. The air is warm but not hot. The yard is big and open and there are bunnies to chase (unsuccessfully) and smells to investigate and enough energy to do all of it twice.
Augie and I covered that yard last week like it owed us something. Every corner. Every inch. We ran until we both flopped in the grass, which is the correct way to end any serious yard session.
What We Do Together
We run. This is the main activity. We run toward each other, we run away from each other, we run parallel, we run in circles. We run with purpose even when we have no specific destination. The running is the point.
We find a ball. Whoever has the ball is the one being chased. The object is to keep the ball as long as possible. There are no actual rules. There is no official winner. It doesn’t matter. The game ends when both of us are too tired to chase anymore.
We investigate together. Two noses working the same area get more information than one nose. I pick up something interesting, Augie comes over to check my finding, we both process it. It’s collaborative.
We just exist next to each other. After the running and the ball and the investigating, there’s a phase where we just sit together in the yard. Not doing anything specific. Just being there. This might be my favorite part.
Why Dog Friendships Matter
There’s a kind of energy you can only get from another dog who understands exactly what you’re doing and why. When Augie is there, I’m more myself somehow.
I’m a happy dog. I have a good life. Good humans, good house, good food, good walks. But the days I spend with Augie are different in a specific way.
Spring with Augie. Best combination. Best season. Best friend.
Let’s go. 🐾