Comfortable with me

I DON'T HAVE A SHOT OF JOHN'S
DOG, SO I'LL USE ONE OF LADY
RUNNING WITH AN UNKNOWN BOXER.

I don't know what year it was, but I know it was since 2007 (the year the local dog park opened).

Lady and I went to the park regularly, and a man I knew only as John brought his dogs to the park. On this day, John had an old dog that was named Nacho or Taco or something like that; I don't think I saw this dog more than two or three times.

I had "met" the dog before, but, for some reason, he paid more notice of me on this day. He came over, said hello, got rubbed on the head, then laid down beside my left foot, actually leaning against my shoe. John joked that he knew who the dog wanted to go home with.

I realized the dog was just comfortable with me, and he felt safe. Sadly, I don't think I ever saw that dog again. Some time later, I asked John if the dog was OK, and he said it had passed on.

It's funny what you remember or think about, and I just thought of that old hound (probably part basset or part beagle).

It never occurred to me to take the dog home; but I wish he'd lived longer. It would have been great to see him again.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com  TWITTER: EDITORatWORK

Other entries from The Dog Blog

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2015)

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• OOH! OOH! The stereophonic huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

EDITOR@WORK blog entries

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

• Good Samaritan

• The PRESS cap and my friend Mike

• Watching TV

• No luck with Billy Sims

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer outta there!