Kojak, the dog

I’m lucky, I had my fair share of pets. There were turtles, birds, beta fishes, goldfishes, cats, and dogs. There were also chickens, and I think even ducks and rabbits, even if briefly. No animal species made bad pets by itself. For example, the dogs, they were excellent companions. Loyal, happy to see you after a long day, and so fun to play and live with. So, I don’t have any issues with dogs, specifically. But there was one of my dogs in particular that was terrible. His name was Kojak.

Kojak, the TV series

I remember next to nothing about this TV show, but I remember watching it when I was a child. It was about a bald cop fighting crime, who apparently was constantly sucking on a lollipop. For some reason, we as a family thought it would be fun to name our new dog Kojak. I think this was probably appropriate, since this was a tough guy.

Climbing to the roof

He was a mixed-breed of the fila brasileiro with other unknown breeds. In spite of the fila normally being a massive breed, Kojak was very lean and athletic. It must be admitted, he was very protective of our home and what was considered his territory. I believe there was no chance of us ever being robbed with him around. He would climb a wall at least 6 feet tall and cat walk over it. He would then reach to the end of it and jump to our roof. We would hear him going back and forth, surfing over the roof tiles, barking like hell at any perceived threat.

Fifth time’s the charm

The fila by itself is a dangerous dog and even banned in some places. Kojak was very unpredictable, and would bite me for no reason. Once my mom was roasting a chicken. I reached to the oven and opened the door to take a peek inside. I didn’t realize that he was guarding it, I didn’t even dream he was going to attack me. But then and there he bit me. I began screaming and my mom came to see what was happening just to find him glued to my arm. That was his worse attack on me. I still have the scar, and I was actually bitten five times in total by him.

I don’t exactly remember what happened to him. Maybe my parents tried to spare me of the details, I was so young. But I think he was euthanized. It is sad to think about this now, because liking it or not, he was our pet. I understand the need for it. though. He was posing a risk to our family. He was also a risk to others.