My husband had never owned a dog when he was growing up, but he loved them and dogs loved him. He said dogs that would tear up anyone else in his neighborhood would fawn on him like a little puppy.
So after we were married and in our own house, he insisted on getting a dog. I was not included in that selection.
In Green River, Wyoming, it was amazing the animals that ended up in the local shelter. My hubby, Dan, came home from work one day, all muddy, with an equally muddy stub-tailed, dark on top and speckled-white on the belly female puppy. He said he’d gone to the shelter and looked at the dogs. He saw her and asked about her. They told her she was a full-blooded "dingo" (a nickname for the blue heeler breed because they have the wild dingo in their ancestry-Ed.) and just about to be euthanized as no one had wanted her.
Dan said, “I want her.” And just like that, we had a new dog. He named her Dingo. (We were not very original with the names!)
Dingo went with Dan to work—he worked construction, (hence the muddy condition for my first impression). She climbed ladders at the work sites, stayed in the truck when he told her to, and all sorts of other wonderful tricks. She was a very personable dog and didn’t mind cats (which gave her brownie points with me.) When we moved to Tennessee in 1982, she helped navigate in the rental truck.
Dingo had a few interesting habits to go along with her amazing feats. She loved apple cores. When I finished a nice juicy apple, I’d better save the core for the dog. Dingo had the apple munched and gone in less than ten seconds.
She also enjoyed firecrackers. Seriously, you heard me right! Dingo chased, and often caught, firecrackers. The little ‘bees’ that bounded across the pavement were her favorites. She loved to chase and she often caught them, but she dashed after Black Cats with equal enthusiasm. When we lived in the country community of Niota in McMinn County, we’d set off the fireworks out on the road that ran in front of our house. Very little traffic, especially after dark on the Fourth. The kids would fire off bottle rockets and us grown-ups would shoot the fountains, have ‘tank’ battles, and light strings of Black Cats. Still, the height of our evening was Dingo chasing firecrackers.
I was always afraid she’d burn her mouth, but she never did. We have never had a dog since then who ate apple cores, or chased and ate firecrackers. Every Fourth of July, whether we shoot off our own fireworks or go to a big show, we fondly remember that dog. Everyone should have at least one strange, fun dog like Dingo.
Susan Kite is the author of six young adult fiction books. Check them out at www.bookscape.net. Also check out her YouTube channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUt-IjAUPMhw987DgpW_DHg Ms Kite is a proud member of Author’s Guild of Tennessee.