When John was young, he longed to have a dog, as so many boys do. His mother, who was a wonderful woman but who had no understanding of pets, said “No, the dog will just run away.” When John was a grown man, he made up for lost time, and he’s had dogs most of his adult life, primarily English Setters.
Major was found as a stray in 2017. He was discovered cowering next to the dead body of his canine friend on an Oklahoma highway median. Picked up by local services, he was adopted directly from the shelter by a couple who had already adopted a SWESR dog in 2014. Major was young, estimated to be about 2-years-old, and the couple weren’t sure they could handle such a young Setter. Shelter management told this couple if things didn’t work out to return Major to them. His energy was too much for their lifestyle, and Major was returned to the shelter within a month, with the couple having taken him on one long walk during that time and reporting that he was “wild on leash”. Fortunately, an experienced SWESR foster also volunteered at this shelter, and she arranged to for Major to come into SWESR rather than go back to the shelter.
At this same time, John and his wife were looking to add to their pack, which already consisted of SWESR alumni Pippa and Chiefie. They fell in love with Major’s handsome looks and, as quickly as they could, the entire pack drove from northern Minnesota to Oklahoma to pick him up. This included driving through a torrential storm his wife remembers to this day due to the forcefulness of the rain and wind. On the return trip to Minnesota heads turned whenever they stopped at rest areas to walk the dogs. Three gorgeous tricolor English Setters getting out of one car was a noteworthy sight for most people!
It took Major a little while to earn full house privileges, so when John and his wife had to be out at the same time, Major was placed in a 3-season sun room with comfy furniture, water, and multiple, large screened windows. On one particular day, about a week after Major joined the family, he was put into the sunroom with several open windows and the ceiling fan on to provide good ventilation for him.
John came home from lunch, carrying leftover walleye tacos. As he approached the house, he saw Major lying on the front porch by the door. “That’s odd,” John thought, surprised his wife would leave any dog, especially a new dog, out front alone. Then he realized Major was off leash. At the exact same moment Major realized his beloved new father was home and jumped up to greet him. For a split second John thought Major might be trying to run away (his mother’s warning always in his subconscious) and what ensued became comedic family lore. The walleye tacos went in the air as John practically tripped up the stairs to get to Major, who by that point, saw delicious food flying around and was trying to eat as much of it as possible before John grabbed him. Dog and man, both scrabbling around as quickly as they could for very different reasons!
But how had Major gotten out? A look in the sunroom provided the answer. Major had burst through a screened window and jumped 10 feet to the ground below. Thankfully he was completely unhurt, and he was never left in the sunroom unchaperoned again.
Major was initially wild on leash, but only because he wasn’t used to walking with one. He soon settled down and enjoyed multiple daily walks in the Minnesota north woods. Despite having a Setter interesting back yard, all the dogs preferred walking along the dirt roads and really only wanted to be out back in the winter, when John and his wife would shovel and snow blow a “doggy autobahn” in the large fenced yard. This was no little task, as by the end of winter the accumulated snow could grow to more than three feet in height. Every year the design was different and became more elaborate, and Major would happily trot around the perimeter road and through the roundabout.
Major decided early on that John was his special person. His humans don’t know if it was throwing yummy fish tacos at him during his early days that solidified this feeling, but it is clear John meets all of Major’s emotional needs. They snuggle together on the sofa in the evening, sleep together at night, and walk together during the day. Now that John has retired, their shared time has increased even more, and Major is a very contented boy. His parents joke that Major probably should have been called General, as he loves a schedule and can be very bossy while demanding the entire pack stick to it. John reminds Major that the human is, in fact, alpha in this family and makes Major wait a few minutes for whatever he is requesting, but it’s clear Major is practicing his patience skills while his people get their act together.
Major is now 11 and has adopted a regal, elder statesman personality. He loves his walks in his new neighborhood in the foothills of Colorado’s San Juan mountains. Many of these walks require stopping so people can admire his handsome good looks while his parents educate Major’s admirers that no, he is not a long-haired Dalmatian, but rather is a purebred English Setter.
The future is always uncertain, but one thing John knows for sure: Major will never run away. They have a best friend in each other for life.
