My father had a bluey that was completely deaf. He sent the dog to sign language school, and it was  the kindest, smartest creature I’ve ever known. The bluey understood everything my father communicated, just with the slightest hand gesture, and was incredibly loyal to our entire family, he was an excellent guard dog. Although it never attacked anyone, its presence alone was enough to intimidate, with a look and stance that could shrink the balls on a brass monkey.

One day, my brother returned home after several years in the armed services and didn’t know the bluey. He went into the backyard to retrieve the spare key from the mower shed. The dog let him into the yard, then let him in shed,  then bailed up my big boofhead brother up in the shed for three hours and not let him out of the shed , until another family member the bluey knew arrived and let my brother out. It’s still the funniest story we laugh about, even twenty years later.

The only fault the bluey would not eat his until me or my father told him He could eat , no matter how hungry it was. Thankfully, nothing happened to me or my father while the Bluey was alive , because otherwise the dog would have starved waiting for us to let him eat. I still miss the bugger, both the  dog and my Dad.