Dog Days

Thinking back to the days of my youth and the dogs that have graced my life, I would like to share some of their names and what I can remember of them and the spots they still hold in my mind. The first dog that was introduced in my life, I can’t really remember, but because my parents told me stories of him. Although I cannot remember his name, I must include this almost mythical beast. He was a Great Dane and became my self appointed babysitter. My parent’s house was near busy highway, Rt. 711 and If I wandered too near, that dog would grab the seat of my pants and drag me back into the yard.

The next dog I’ll mention is Laddie. He was my Uncle Charles Bottomley’s dog. It was black and brown with a white patch of long hair on its chest. My uncle would talk me into holding onto the leash, then call from across the yard, “Here Laddie.” I would be jerked off my feet, but I refused to release the leash, and would be pulled along with my feet barely touching the ground while Uncle Charles laughed.

I’m sure there were other dogs, but the next I remember was Bimbo. He was my mother’s dog, a Jack Russell mix and smart as a whip. His territory in the winter was our basement. My mom, Sybil Beck would sometimes give Bimbo a bone to gnaw on. If he wasn’t chewing on it, he would bury it in the coal bin. When my parents tossed on a shovelful of coal in the furnace, I’m sure he lost several bones before he decided to rescue them before they too disappeared. Mom said, “When I entered the coal bin, Bimbo would sit there with the bone between his feet. After shoveling the coal and hanging the scoop shovel back on the peg, Bimbo would dig a new hole to hide his prize.”

I found a pup behind our home and took it to my grandparents Miner. When Gram Rebecca saw it she said “Look at those paws. It’s going to be a big dog.” She named it Laddie and decided to keep it. Laddie followed my granddad Raymond around the farm. That was a Godsend. This was the beginning of Granddad’s dementia and Laddie was his guard and guide. There were several times Granddad would wander the fields and thickets on the farm getting confused, and Laddie would always lead him home.