Digby had a big sense of humor. Not only did he make us laugh many times, but I truly believe he made himself laugh more. Kinda like Fruity.
Digby was a dog that challenged me from the start with his mischievous ways. Once he got it in his mind to do something, there was no stopping him. Literally. But one of his favorite pastimes was letting out a random howl at unsuspecting pedestrians while in the car. Sounds harmless? No.
The first time this phenomenon happened was while we were at a park. A person with a cane, a very elderly person with a cane, was walking slow. Apparently too slow for Digby. He didn’t trust the speed nor the big stick of this person.
And as the person got closer, just close enough, Digby stopped and let out the loudest howl I had ever heard. Just one howl.
But it only took one to cause this person to throw the cane straight up in the air, into a tree, then back down on the ground with a thud as loud as a heart attack.
Which is what we all had. Digby was pleased with the reaction. Brickle not so much. Just like Digby let out one howl, it only took one second of correction from Sheriff Brickle with a prompt nip to Digby’s mouth.
Which scared the elderly person even more. Digby just thought he had healed the man! He could walk!
And from this day onward, both Digby and Brickle stuck to this routine. And I stuck to my routine of being utterly mortified but then laughing inside.
Over the years, we would recognize when it may be about to occur, this howl explosion. It would happen if someone was carrying something suspicious, or walking suspicious. It would happen when someone was walking too slow, or too fast. Brickle and Digby didn’t get the nicknames Sheriff and Deputy for nothing!
And when it was about to happen, I could say, “don’t do it, Digby.” And lessen the howls, but it never truly stopped. Especially on that day when it was late. It was about midnight and I was alone with the boys driving back to a campsite from visiting my parents.
We pulled up to a light in a not so safe part of town. I thought Digby was asleep. And truth be told, I was a little nervous at that light. There were a lot of people walking around and toward our car.
They may not have meant any harm. But I was still nervous. Nervous about the girls in high heels being approached by men who looked desperate. And I was feeling bad for everyone.
Until the howl broke the silence of the night. With one swift howl, Digby let out a howl that traveled from the Jeep to the pedestrians on that city corner and to the next universe.
The men looked shocked and with one motion, scattered into the night. The women? Oh, they didn’t scatter to our dismay, but all of them took off those high heeled shoes and threw them at our Jeep in protest at losing business!
Digby was proud. Brickle took to his correction, grabbed Digby’s mouth and when the girls saw this commotion, ran barefoot into the night. The light changed. On we went.
This occurrence of the random Digby howl also followed us in the RV. But the RV made it a little harder for people to know where that noise was coming from.
So he increased the volume. I wish I could hear it now.
Digby’s sense of humor made me laugh years later at the spectacles he created. I truly know he meant to make us laugh, but make himself laugh too.
And making yourself laugh is truly a gift if you can do it and not take yourself too seriously!
-Girl Person
Venmo travelingdogs2
Thank you, Digby for the best laugh I have had this weekend. It’s cloudy and gloomy here, but reading your blog, made me laugh and smile! Thank you!