Oi Chihuahua

On one summer afternoon I found myself, hunched over, sweat dripping down my face as I tried to lure a bushy tailed chihuahua out from under a car. Meanwhile, my ears were being assaulted by a bark that I have never heard before. This shrill sound can be best described as a cross between retching and shrieking. After trying many treats and tactics, I finally scooped this panting, grinning, fur ball goof into my arms. Only to realize he stank. Even my hands came away from his grimy matted fur with tinges of  stale cigarette smoke. Thus this first meeting began a chapter of my life that would irrevocably change the course of my life story.

Despite weighing in at just under 10 lbs, Chichi carried a lot of  contradiction and charm. In our first fews day, I found out that he was deathly afraid of water. Shaking and wriggling, he would only settle for a much needed bath after I relented to hugging him in my arms the entire time. With much patience and gentleness, he eventually reached a truce with baths, knowing that it also came with cuddles and treats. On the other side of this vulnerability was a powder keg of ferocity. He reacted with a mean snarl and biting snaps at any startling noise. Even if he was the one making an unexpected sound as he bumped into a stool, everyone in a 5 mile radius was sure to have heard his grievance. He was an outspoken boy, not afraid to lunge at much bigger dogs with barks and collegial butt sniffs. He fought his epic battles with a tangled leash like an MMA fighter defending their championship title before retirement. He would throw  the full force of his ferocious howls at the offending leash, falling onto his back, waving all 4 paws about and baring teeth at the straps that dared to tie him up. For a few weeks, I really wondered if he perhaps was an untameable wild beast. He would never look at my face and despite jumping for joy when I took him for his walks or spinning on his hind  legs, drooling over a treat, he seemed not to be aware of me or any other humans. Over time, his  affection for humans proved to be quite subtle. He would stop in front of me,  just within arms length, looking at the floor with quick side peeks to  urge me to give him some pets. He began to sprawl right beside me, his body making sure to just maintain touch with mine. He would put his front paws right on the sofa with happy pants to indicate he needed an assisting scoop we called "uppies".

Without realizing, soon I became an overqualified, highly educated assistant to this loud, frequently smelly chihuahua. I cheered for his  well timed poops, praising him for letting me clean out his ear wax or holding still while I trimmed his butthole to avoid the dreaded  "dingle-berries". Perhaps it can be said that we "tamed" each other, as he started to run back eagerly when his name was called, and began to  scrutinize my face for signs of treats, pets or walks. Despite his favourite hobby being lazing around and napping under a pile of blankets, he developed a habit of  jumping out of his snoring slumber at the first hint of movement from me. All of sudden, transformed into a soldier, standing at the ready to accompany you on any adventure, whether it was snowing or raining or haling outside. He  is a reserved licker, but on certain special days, he bestowed me with a  persistent gustatory exploration deep into the nose and mouth. 

These days I frequently reflect on these experiences and think about  love and its acceptance of complexity and imperfections. Even on my  worst days, I would giggle at his infectious unreserved joy upon pouncing on fallen piece of food. Yet minutes later, I might curse at  the stink coming from his sweaty paws and lament the inconvenience of  trying to keep this stinky dog clean.  However, his flaws never made him any less lovable. I will never forget this experience of how this defensive pup completely blossomed when provided with love, patience and security. I am truly glad to have had this guarded little dog with a mysterious past choose me as his assistant.