Chihuahua Canticle

He came to me from a friend of a friend's daughter, who had adopted him without being able to care for him. I already had Pip the pug at the time, but I agreed to take him (and his sister, too). Why not? I was planning to get another dog and they needed homes.

I christened him Chex, not really after a snack, but a dragon. He was fierce as one, a scrapper with a fighting spirit.  After I got back from London, I decided he needed a middle name, so I added Bakerloo, after the Underground line, then shortened to Loo. Other names for him were Chihuahua on Stilts (long legs inspired), Circus Dog (because he could stand on his hind legs for a long time in younger days), Tall Dog, and in his later years, Derpy Gramps because of missing teeth.

He was one of the lankiest small dogs you ever would see. I'll never know his actual lineage, but I'd guess a mix of chihuahua and Italian greyhound. I often said to him that I wished I had his metabolism. He'd eat two full meals and nibble on kibble all day and still be lithe and lean.

His amusing, defining quirks will stay with me. He followed me everywhere, including to the bathroom, and that's how I discovered that he would snap tiny toilet paper "snowflakes" out of the air as they slowly floated down. He would use anyone and everyone as a pillow. He would howl along to the chorus of "Hey Ya." He was yoga master of downward dog, and whatever you'd call almost standing on two legs to poop. He had a long memory of slights and would remind you, somehow, not to fuck up as you had previously, possibly years before. His favorite season was the summer - the dog days were made for him, and he'd sit outside and soak up the sun as often as he could.

He fought hard for 13 years, tough as only a chihuahua can be, but he's gone into the light today, away from this winter cold, hopefully to frolic with long-missed fur siblings. In my heart, he remains.

Rest in peace, Chexaloo.