(Strip Number 4300, Original Publication Date, 16 February 1983)
Panel 1: We find ourselves watching Freaked-Out Elly make Farley take point as she tells him that okay, they're going down stairs to
Panel 2: The annoying feeling that I'm watching a Scooby Doo cartoon continues because she shoves a reluctant dog to make him go downstairs to face what she's too scared to and upbraids him because he's supposed to be fearless. Sorry, idiot; just because you need him to be brave doesn't mean he's going to be.
Panel 3: Frightened Out Of Her Mind Elly tells Farley that the noise is coming from outside. She then tells him to bark in the hopes that it'll frighten whatever it is making the noise away.
Panel 4: She rolls her eyes in mild disgust when Farley whines in the terror that the both of them feel.
Summary: Maybe she should have offered him a Scooby snack. Or, even better, maybe she should have realized that dogs get scared of things too. This is a new and threatening situation and we thus cannot expect him to immediately be the fearless protector Elly needs him to be. Most of all, however, she should remember that he has be trained to expect either being screamed at or hurt whenever she's upset so is probably more afraid of her than whatever's making all that noise.