A Dog Named Angie
By Barbara Sue
When you are part of a large family (9 children) there always has to be a dog somewhere. Our dog was called Angie. She was part collie and other parts unknown to us, who loved her from the start, and did not care what her heritage line was.
Angie was very good with all of our family, especially the youngest children. She loved to play soccer with the girls, pushing that ball along with her body, sometimes scoring more goals than my sisters.
Her claim to fame involved baseball. My brothers played baseball in our big back yard. They had 3 bases set up, one by the corner of our garage, 2nd base was in the middle of the yard in front of our big tree, third base was at the corner of our neighbors garage to the left, and home plate was home base where it all started. The boys taught Angie how to hold the bat between her teeth in her mouth, how to swing the bat to make contact with the ball, and how to run the bases. She took to baseball like you wouldn't believe, and many people did not beleive our stories of our games with Angie. Only when they saw her in action did they believe. Angie got this toothy grin on her face before she stepped up to the plate. At first we thought she was smirking at us, but we soon came to realize that she was grinning at everybody who was watching her. This smiley, toothy grin of hers also made her well known in the neighborhood, as we never had to ask her to do this in public, she always did it when meeting new people or when playing competitive games with us.
The first time she waddled up to the plate, or strutted as my brothers called it, she picked up the bat, swung it from side to side a couple of times, then stood at the plate. She always let a couple of balls go by before she found one to her liking and then she swung that bat, hit the ball, dropped the bat and run to first base, hesitated, then ran off to second, we were so amazed that we let her get to third base before she held up. From my brothers she had seen them come a little of the bases and go back and forth, like they were trying to steal a base, she loved this. Sometimes she would go round and round in circles, just a little of the base, then run back to the base, or she would lay down on the base and fake it, as we called it. The first time she made it back and crossed the plate because someone elses hit had brought her in to score, she jumped up at the catcher and licked her so hard she fell backwards.(the catcher fell) Then Angie ran to the base where the hitter was and body slammed him also. So a good time was had by all, those playing and those watching...
We even had a dog hat especially made for Angie, the logo on the cap was, A, Dog . It was red and it was well loved by her..
Over the years with us all, Angie learned to play basketball, she wasn't too good at baskets, but she sure could guard her man, or woman, and make it very difficult for them to shoot a good basket. Especially when she grinned at them.
She loved croquet and ruined many a good wicket, but they were replaceable. Our Dad had put 2 golf ball holes in the ground, one at one end of the yard, and the other and the other end. Angie was the best golf ball retriever in the neighborhood. We all knew she wanted to try and swing a club, but it was deemed too dangerous for her to do so, with the younger children always standing around and wanting to play also.
She loved to be hooked up to the small wagon we had, and pull the smaller children in the grass-she never seemed to get tired of this. As long as she was a part of our family she acted like a member of the family would act. Another thing she loved to do was take the bubble wand, dip it in, the with the wand between her teeth, swing back and forth making bubbles for everyone.
She participated in the back yard little pool parties we had, using 4 or 5 small plastic pools.(we needed that many in order for everybody to share)She loved to put her front paws in the water and splash anyone who happened to be in the pool she chose to play in. Never once did she jump into the pool, it was as if she knew she might hurt somebody.
Angie was our guard dog, she also had a snarl look she could put on her face on command, and anybody that didn't know here would think she was guarding us. She was our play friend, we could always choose Angie to be on our side for a sporting event, because she could pull her own weight and more, by distraction also.
She was a good babysitter for the smaller children.She knew what they were allowed to do and would let them know whan they were doing something she thought they shouldn't be doing.
We had her for 5 long fun-filled years before she left us. What a sad day for all of us when we knew it was time to let her go. We never forgot her, and at every family cookout, social gatherings, or looking at old picture albums, Angie's name always comes up and she brings a smile to our face, especially when we all compete to mimic the grins and snarls she used to make and how much we all still miss having her around.
Thank goodness we have the memories and the picture of her, even that tattered, torn cap that reads: A. Dog.
When you are part of a large family (9 children) there always has to be a dog somewhere. Our dog was called Angie. She was part collie and other parts unknown to us, who loved her from the start, and did not care what her heritage line was.
Angie was very good with all of our family, especially the youngest children. She loved to play soccer with the girls, pushing that ball along with her body, sometimes scoring more goals than my sisters.
Her claim to fame involved baseball. My brothers played baseball in our big back yard. They had 3 bases set up, one by the corner of our garage, 2nd base was in the middle of the yard in front of our big tree, third base was at the corner of our neighbors garage to the left, and home plate was home base where it all started. The boys taught Angie how to hold the bat between her teeth in her mouth, how to swing the bat to make contact with the ball, and how to run the bases. She took to baseball like you wouldn't believe, and many people did not beleive our stories of our games with Angie. Only when they saw her in action did they believe. Angie got this toothy grin on her face before she stepped up to the plate. At first we thought she was smirking at us, but we soon came to realize that she was grinning at everybody who was watching her. This smiley, toothy grin of hers also made her well known in the neighborhood, as we never had to ask her to do this in public, she always did it when meeting new people or when playing competitive games with us.
The first time she waddled up to the plate, or strutted as my brothers called it, she picked up the bat, swung it from side to side a couple of times, then stood at the plate. She always let a couple of balls go by before she found one to her liking and then she swung that bat, hit the ball, dropped the bat and run to first base, hesitated, then ran off to second, we were so amazed that we let her get to third base before she held up. From my brothers she had seen them come a little of the bases and go back and forth, like they were trying to steal a base, she loved this. Sometimes she would go round and round in circles, just a little of the base, then run back to the base, or she would lay down on the base and fake it, as we called it. The first time she made it back and crossed the plate because someone elses hit had brought her in to score, she jumped up at the catcher and licked her so hard she fell backwards.(the catcher fell) Then Angie ran to the base where the hitter was and body slammed him also. So a good time was had by all, those playing and those watching...
We even had a dog hat especially made for Angie, the logo on the cap was, A, Dog . It was red and it was well loved by her..
Over the years with us all, Angie learned to play basketball, she wasn't too good at baskets, but she sure could guard her man, or woman, and make it very difficult for them to shoot a good basket. Especially when she grinned at them.
She loved croquet and ruined many a good wicket, but they were replaceable. Our Dad had put 2 golf ball holes in the ground, one at one end of the yard, and the other and the other end. Angie was the best golf ball retriever in the neighborhood. We all knew she wanted to try and swing a club, but it was deemed too dangerous for her to do so, with the younger children always standing around and wanting to play also.
She loved to be hooked up to the small wagon we had, and pull the smaller children in the grass-she never seemed to get tired of this. As long as she was a part of our family she acted like a member of the family would act. Another thing she loved to do was take the bubble wand, dip it in, the with the wand between her teeth, swing back and forth making bubbles for everyone.
She participated in the back yard little pool parties we had, using 4 or 5 small plastic pools.(we needed that many in order for everybody to share)She loved to put her front paws in the water and splash anyone who happened to be in the pool she chose to play in. Never once did she jump into the pool, it was as if she knew she might hurt somebody.
Angie was our guard dog, she also had a snarl look she could put on her face on command, and anybody that didn't know here would think she was guarding us. She was our play friend, we could always choose Angie to be on our side for a sporting event, because she could pull her own weight and more, by distraction also.
She was a good babysitter for the smaller children.She knew what they were allowed to do and would let them know whan they were doing something she thought they shouldn't be doing.
We had her for 5 long fun-filled years before she left us. What a sad day for all of us when we knew it was time to let her go. We never forgot her, and at every family cookout, social gatherings, or looking at old picture albums, Angie's name always comes up and she brings a smile to our face, especially when we all compete to mimic the grins and snarls she used to make and how much we all still miss having her around.
Thank goodness we have the memories and the picture of her, even that tattered, torn cap that reads: A. Dog.
posted by James at 10:31 AM
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