The Yogurt

Java and Nicky both love yogurt. Just plain old low fat yogurt. I eat it often. Nicky has learned that when he hears spoon hit plastic he's gonna get a treat because the container is empty. Here he is evacuating the last of the yogurt from the 32 oz container. He is quite fastidious for a dog. At first, he daintily licks the upper surface. But when that area has been harvested, he goes for it, shutting his eyes and burying his head past his eyes in the tub. I find it very entertaining and it's obvious by how fast he wags his tail, he does too. Java wouldn't dream of sticking his snout all the way in there.

Nicky has a more sophisticated palette than than Java. Bananas, grapes, strawberries, apples, carrots and cucumbers are some of the things he likes. Also onions. I know onions and grapes are on the list of foods dogs shouldn't eat. Onions can be poisonous to dogs because they contain thiosulphate which can cause hemolytic anemia. Grapes (and raisins) can cause kidney failure. I discovered Nicky's fondness for both these foods by accident.

Soon after letting him have the run of the house 5 years ago, he was sleeping on the California king size bed with me and Java. Since that was a recent development at the time, I was aware of his sleeping patterns and comings and goings in the middle of the night. One night, it registered that he got up and went downstairs. Some time later I realized he had returned. That's when I noticed his strong onion breath. I remember thinking "WTF?" and fell asleep again. Then I sat bolt upright because it hit me. I went down into the kitchen and sure enough, the baseball sized red Bermuda onion that had been sitting on the kitchen counter was gone without a trace! Luckily, he didnt show any ill effects over the next few days.

Another time, I made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I sat in my favorite chair in front of the TV with the plate in my lap with my mouth watering. It had been a long 24 hours or so and I guess I was more tired than hungry. After just a few mouthfuls, I nodded off for a few minutes. When I woke up, I lifted my fork to continue eating when I realized that my plate was empty! There was not one drop of sauce on it. Nicky was sitting exactly where he had been, in the same position as before with a "What?" "Me?" look on his face. Add Food Ninja to the list of qualities that sets him apart from most other dogs.