A Girl And Her Dog

I was a shy, introverted kid, which made me more drawn to animals and nature rather than people.  I grew up in a suburban neighborhood and most kids, when there was a new baby in the hood, would get all goo goo and excited…not me…only when new puppies or kittens appeared did I come out of hiding!

My first introduction to dogs was my grandparent’s Boston Terrier, Penny, who I was enamored with from the time I could walk.
Thankfully, both my parents were dog lovers, so as soon as they were able to afford their own house, when I was 3 years old, we were joined by a male black and white Cocker Spaniel named Brig who became my best friend and constant companion. 

He was a sad sack looking dog, with droopy eyes and often matted coat and really didn’t have much of a personality, he tended to be a very serious sort of canine.  He did come alive, however, when there was a bitch in heat somewhere in the vicinity!  The smell of love sure did travel as he would end up miles away courting some new sweetheart.  At times, he would stay away for days coming home bedraggled and covered with bite marks where he had jousted with other suitors for the pay of the lady.  Remember, those were the days, in the early 1950s, where people let their dogs and kids run loose to experience life to the fullest and didn’t worry about kid and dognappers.  Looking back on this, I am appalled, I would be scared to death that something would happen to my dog if it weren’t always under my supervision.   Different times, different ways.

Our house was situated at the end of a dead end road so my parents could look up the street and see the houses on both sides.  They would tell everyone that they would always know where I was as Brig would be lying on the front lawn of the house I was at waiting patiently to accompany me home. 

As I grew older, he and I would spend our days exploring the woods in back of my house.  I was lucky in that even though I was in a suburb of Providence RI, behind our house were hundreds of acres of woods to wander in.   Feathery leaved Atlanthus trees and mighty Oaks towered  over the underbrush of bramble thickets and poison ivy, blueberry bushes and honeysuckle vines. There were mysterious “Indian” caves next to a large swamp where ducks and geese would nest.  Several brooks, which exited the swamp, provided fun for wading and catching eels.  There were even old, scary, vine covered shacks to fuel the fantasies of ghosts and hauntings.

On summer days, I would pack a lunch, my guide books and binoculars and Brig and I would be off to spend the day exploring new areas of the woods, identifying trees, plants, insects and  birds.  He would spend hours sitting loyally by my side as I sat listening to the sounds of nature or telling him of my fears and sorrows.  A better friend a girl couldn’t have had.

As much as I loved him, I longed to have a German Shepherd.  Rin Tin Tin and Roy Roger’s Bullet were big TV stars in those days as was Lassie but the German Shepherd’s were the ones I had fallen in love with.  A second dog wasn’t in the offing so I treasured my dear companion until the age of 12 when failing health took him to the happy hunting ground of girl dogs.

I came into this life loving dogs and that love has never faltered, they are the greatest friend a human could ever have and I will be owned by them until the day I leave here.

Until next time:  Hug your canine friends and treasure them each day as they are truly angels in disguise.