Things Jack Russells Eat While Camping

When we go to Algonquin Park for our annual canoe trip we always pack enough food for Skippy. Sometimes, however, her pallet longs for more natural flavours. On various trips, these have included blueberries, toads, voles, and moles; and the occasional tree.

The blueberries were eaten quite by accident. One of the islands we stayed on happened to be covered with them. When you're in the wild, living on mostly processed food, fresh blueberries every morning and evening with desert provide welcome colour and nutrients to the diet. Skippy seemed quite interested in the whole picking process. At first she observed by walking back and forth between us, curious to see what we were doing. Once she understood, she decided to take part in the picking and began eating blueberries right off the bush.

I don't know why this surprised me. Sure, it was funny to see her essentially participating in our activity, but it spoke to a larger social reality. It got me thinking about pack mentality. Skippy was not merely mimicking an action, but she observed and understood the purpose of what we were doing as a group, and then began contributing to the effort. This behaviour that at first seemed quirky and very Skippy-like, was actually very dog-like and quite brilliant.

Skippy continued to impress me. Soon, her ability to catch small animals began to emerge. Now the toad was never actually eaten. She of course obsessed over it, as one would expect, but when she finally grabbed the toad with her mouth with the intention of eating, or so I assume, it was immediately spit back out. Skippy then hacked and began to look at us for help as the unwanted taste lingered in her mouth. She actually learned from this experience and has not done it since, although she still obsesses over them, sniffing them out between the rocks of every fire pit we visit.

If you've never seen a vole before, they are something like tiny mice; no match for a Jack Russell. The slightly larger, mole, was also easily caught by Skippy. She even brought us the carcass, setting her trophy down at our feet, completely proud of her deed: that made two of us. I felt bad for these little critters for a few seconds before I began to wonder: when did my dog become so cool? Is this the same creature that licks my furniture and is daily outwitted by my cat?

This story wouldn't become complete without something a little weird; and even this was probably more comical than weird. On our very first trip with Skippy in 2004 she just started eating trees. We couldn't figure this one out. We really tried, but between the four of us we could offer up nothing other than this was just enjoyable for her, and therefore probably seemed pretty normal in Skippy's world. So what's up with my Jack Russell? She's closet cool, that's what. You just have to take her camping to see it.

I guess I can imagine that this would be fun.