Winston

Winston

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

Winston Churchill

I’ve always been a dog man.

When I first got my own place, I thought it could be great to have a dog to play with and keep me company. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be unfair for the dog to stay home all day by himself? And what about when I was out of town? He’d have to go to a lonely old kennel.

So, I didn’t get a dog, choosing to wait until I got married and had kids. And that was that, until I met Winston.

I was in a local store, and there, sitting in the corner, was an English bulldog. Now, I had never wanted a bulldog, with all that snorting and slobbering, kind of short and slow. And this dog was slow. He didn’t move at all! I always figured I’d get a yellow or black lab, more of a sporting dog.

Even so, this bulldog was beautiful, in an ugly sort of way. And if I were to be out all day or away on a trip, I sensed he wouldn’t mind. So, after a bit of deliberation, I opted to get him right then and there

I decided to name him after Winston Churchill, whose nickname was, of course, “The Bull Dog.” The name seemed to suit my dog well. He was strong, and he looked wise and tough. He was always near the front door with his collar on and his dog bowl in front of him.

He didn’t mind if I was out all day or even for a week. I don’t think he missed me at all, and he never went to the bathroom in the house. In fact, he never went anywhere. He’d simply sit there, looking at the front door. That dog won any staring contest, paws down, and he even knew a few tricks. He could sit, stay, or play dead, and was very well-mannered.

Did I mention that Winston was made of plaster of paris? He was life-sized and painted brindle and white, too, and whenever anyone would come in, they did a quick double take when they saw him. He looked completely real and was quite popular with my friends. In no time, they all greeted him by name. I think he liked that.

The best part about having Winston was when my friends brought their dogs over. The same thing happened every time. The visiting dog happily trotted into the house, ready to sniff everything in sight, but the moment it saw Winston, it froze and stared. And Winston stared right back. This really upset the visiting dog, and its hackles would go up. Then, slowly, the visitor would realize that Winston wasn’t real. And, at that moment, the real dog would blush and get a look on its face as if to say, “I knew all along that dog wasn’t real.” Sure you did.

But, if you were watching very closely just then, and it may have been my imagination, as it was fairly subtle, Winston would smile.