Memories of Our Doggies: Dusty and Freddy

A while back my brother sent me several pictures he found of our doggies Dusty and Freddy. These images brought back a few warm memories.

Dusty was a mixed breed who gave us a couple litters of pups. Freddy was a cocker spaniel my brother got in Aspen, Colorado, when he was out there in 1956.

Dusty was the matriarch who took Freddy in and they became good friends except when he needed to be reeled in for doing something Dusty didn't approve of. But all in all, they got along. Oh, the bunny was a friend of Dusty's.

1957 Freddy, Bunny, Dusty

We lived in a large house next to a grade school. There was a minimal playground just inside the schoolyard bordering our backyard. It had a multi-swing set and a slide. The slide was the taller of two slides gracing the schoolyard. It had been separated and moved away from the older slide on the other side of the building in the older play yard.

Since my brother was always trying new things to get our dogs to do –– e.g., Freddy snuffing out a lit match –– he taught our dogs to ... well you will see... not only did he get Freddy to climb up the slide and slide down, he also got the old dog Dusty to do it to! We all cheered and laughed as they took to the ladder, then the platform, then the slide. Of course one of us was at the bottom of the slide to stop the doggie from hitting the ground. No. The bunny never had a chance at it; legs too short, but I'm sure if he could, my brother would have gotten bunny up there.

1957 Here goes Freddy!

1957 Not to be out done, Dusty heads up.

My brother didn't have any images of them sliding down, but you know they did...there wasn't anyway they could turn around!