Digby Dog

It’s a very sad day in our house today as we say goodbye to crazy dog #1 – Digby.

Digby was my first real pet, an Australian Terrier who always looked like he was smiling and who really wanted nothing more than to please you. Digby loved a lot and was much loved, despite at times being pretty annoying...kinda like anyone who you love a lot I guess.

When R was little “Dibby Dog” was his best friend and he wouldn’t go to sleep without a Dibby Dog story. Stopping bank jobs, rescuing drowning children, landing planes safely after the pilot had a heart attack, bringing lost children home from the forest: oh, the things that dog used to get up to!

When I split up with R’s dad Digby was my constant companion during a time of sadness and loneliness. He slept at the foot of my bed, followed me around and made me get off my arse and go for a walk when I would rather have drowned my sorrows in bottles of cheap sauvignon blanc. He was there for the good times, the sad times and the silly times (Digby, I’m sorry for the time we had too many wines and spray painted your hair blue like the rest of us). A good old mate.

Once S came along almost 5 years ago Digby moved a lot of his love from me to S. He loved S so much and it was mutual. Forget babies and separation anxiety, Digby could give any of them a run for their money and when his beloved S was away, Digby cried and cried until he returned. Even when S was just in the toilet with the door shut having a crap, Digby cried outside wanting to be let in. Goodness knows why he’d want to go in there. Actually thinking about it now maybe what made him cry was the smell seeping out from under the door - it’s made me cry before.

Digby has had a pretty good life and on reflection he’s lucky to have made it until he was 11. He’s escaped from home so many times and lord knows how many times he has just about been run over, especially in recent years when his eyesight has nearly gone as has his hearing. Last year he and his crazy dog sister both ate rat poison and ended up needing a blood transfusion from a golden retriever. I swear Digby retrieved balls like never before after that!

Digby leaves behind crazy dog #2, Milly, and boy, is she going to miss (annoying) him. So will Scout, our family cat that Milly is always chasing but who Digby so loyally protected by straddling Milly and humping her until Scout got away safely. A cunning manoeuvre. I blame the Australian in him.

RIP Digby Dog xxx