Dougal

Dougal went home to be with God on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. He was suffering from Lymphoma cancer. Dougal took his job of being a terrier very seriously and worked conscientiously to keep his neighborhood free of foxes, bunnies, squirrels, raccoons and the occasional cat. He loved a dip in the Lake as soon as the ice melted and then a chin and back scratch in the grass. After his swim and grass rub down, he liked a game of “I’m gonna get your tail” with his ‘mom’. Being a lover of water caused Dougal to jump into many a fountain around town in the summer. His mom remembers laughing sales clerks at Bath Nurseries the summer Dougal jumped into an old Spanish fountain to cool down in their pottery section. Snow was another favorite of Dougal’s, and all winter he could be seen ‘sledding’ on his tummy. He also loved walking at Fossil Creek Park, and in the forest at Fox Run Park (Colo. Springs). Dougal made friends wherever he went. His amiable attitude caused many bigger dogs to befriend him. He never met an enemy in that regard. As he grew older he became friends with many humans and always greeted them with vigorous tail wagging and a sniff at their legs, allowing them to scratch or pat his back. He also loved babies and children.
At home, Dougal was a superior guard dog. He protected his yard very vigorously as many a meter-reader can attest. He actively policed the squirrel population and created much angst in their world. Numerous times he attempted to climb a tree and bring down the offender. His barking at passers-by, strange dogs, squirrels, cats, and the lawn crew drew many an exasperated response from his people, but they loved his crazy antics. In true dog fashion, he learned to count, turning around three times before lying down to sleep at night. Although perfectly capable of jumping on the bed, he waited patiently every night to be lifted up onto the bed. There he proceeded with his ritual of scratching his plaid blanket into a pile, turning around three times and lying down. Occasionally, he opted for a more human-styled sleep pattern and slept with his body stretched out and his head on a pillow.
Like all smart dogs, Dougal condescended to learn tricks. ‘Sit pretty’, where he sat up ram-rod straight, came easily to him. ‘Lie down’ was next, followed by ‘roll over’. He lowered himself to learn ‘shake paw’, but found that trick came in handy when he was trying to get out of being required to roll over, but still wanted the treat. Offering to substitute ‘shake paw’ when asked to ‘roll over’ became the norm. He became picky over his treats after his mom discovered Gravy Coated Milk Bones and nothing but the best would do after that. Being small, taste boredom struck half way through a seven pound sack of dog food. He convinced his mom to keep three varieties on hand so that he wouldn’t have to starve. Dinner, with its canned dog food, was the highlight of the day, but even dinner could be refused if he was equired to eat the same meal too many days in a row. Hygiene was important to Dougal and most days included a vigorous chew on a rawhide Stick.
Dougal was also an excellent communicator. He developed numerous barking and vocalization tones to announce the presence of company at the door, a squirrel in the yard, or a strange dog passing by. If he needed to get your attention, he gently bumped your calves with his wet nose. When that didn’t work, he resorted to wiggling his back end away from you in a kind of dance, while at the same time grunting. Only desperation caused him to bark to get your attention. He also learned to use his large brown eyes to get what he wanted; pleading, hopeful and the “oh, please!” (in disgust) look were a few of his best moves. His human mom never did figure out what his ‘eyes-half-closed-drowsy-look meant, but he was never not paying attention. Like all true stars, he avoided the camera at all costs and resorted to the ‘eyes-half-closed-drowsy-look’ or turning his head away, whenever a camera was aimed his way.
Dougal was a true character, and his human mom often called him her ‘Carin Terrorist’. He leaves behind a large human family, consisting of his mom, grandparents, many aunts and uncles, cousins, and numerous doggy friends. He will be sorely missed.