Blue

Story and photographs by Neville Cole

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. I say why would you want to?

Old dogs got it all worked out. They appreciate the finer things in life: good food, good company, a nice nap in the sun, and the occasional stroll in the park. Old dogs don’t make a fuss unless they really have to. Old dogs are nearly always close by. Old dogs make me look forward to being an old man, almost.

My old dog is Blue. She recently came back to live with me because a young dog decided she was past her prime and tried to rip her head off. Blue was beaten and miserable when she arrived at my door and the big wound across the back of her neck took forever to heal.

But with time and peace and quiet some of her old vim and vigor has returned. A nice bone from the butcher makes her deliriously happy and when Lisa talks to her in a high sing song tone she gets downright puppyish.

It’s nice having an old dog around. Granted, I live alone most of the time and my kids, when they do turn up, are all grown. I don’t need protection or entertainment from my pet. Someone who will listen to my complaints and rambling thoughts and doesn’t require all my attention in return is pretty much perfect for me.

Right now Blue is taking a nap at my feet. That’s very comforting for a writer.

She is at me feet a lot. Blue has this way of showing respect. She wants me to always be in the lead. This is fine except when I try to walk into a room she is already in. If that happens she tries to bulrush past me before I reach the doorway so she can follow me into the room.

As a result almost every time I move from the bedroom to the living room or vice versa I have to be sure to dally at the doorway and dodge the bustling black and white blur determined to find her proper place in line.

I guess I could try and find a way to train Blue not to do that; but really, why bother, she’s an old dog and pretty much set in her ways. One day far too soon I will be too.