Walking the dog is always a chore. You have to sort of drag him on the outbound walk, since he wants to sniff every available birdshit splat. There are lots of large crows in our area.
He's a black Chihuahua, 6.5 pounds, name of Pierre. We got him as a rescue from the son of my friend Lenny Kaplan when Lenny died three years ago. Lenny used to call Pierre "the French Jew of Mexican descent." Pierre was eight at the time, a famously picky eater. Pierre doesn't bark except in his sleep; he's sweet and quite dignified for all his small size. However, feeding him is a challenge. Lenny used to cook Cornish game hens and give Pierre the best parts.
Now we give him Trader Joe's organic chicken broth mixed with the vet's recommended kibbles. Sometimes he eats. Most of the time he ignores the dish, preferring to quietly wait until something better is offered. He adores cheese, but it can't be his main food or he gets sick. You also can't fool around with the diet of a such a tiny dog.
This morning I got completely disgusted with his pickiness, I'm thinking of going over to the park with a scoop to pick up a tablespoon of birdshit to flavor his kibbles. I'm a busy woman.
Joyce Farmer is best known for co-creating the Tits ‘n Clits comics anthology in the 1970s. Her graphic memoir Special Exits was a Fall 2010 release from Fantagraphics Books. She lives in Laguna Beach, CA.
