Boudreaux, the neurotic Shih-Tzu
Boudreaux. . . aka Black Death
Neuroses abound!
It all started in April 1999. Maybe around April 10, to be exact. It was the week after our wedding, and I was dying to have my very own Shih-Tzu. My husband and I drove way, way, far out (if you're familiar with Houston, TX, it's like going from The Woodlands to NASA, just for fun), and found the place - which, by the way, wasn't so easy to find before the GPS/Iphone/advent of Mapquest... There was a mommy dog, and her cute little black & white babies following her around. One, in particular, caught my eye. The mommy constantly stopped and growled at this guy. She even nipped at him. He was a tiny little black & white fuzz-ball & the smallest of the crew. But, I was trying to give them all a shot at being my first "baby."
I really wanted a female, but there were none. I picked 'em all up, and there was only one little guy that licked my face, curled up in my lap and acted like he was ready to go home with me... Yep. You guessed it. It was the littlest Shih-Tzu. He was my baby - couldn't bear the thought of him in his kennel (forget that we'd spent a small fortune on a crate, toys, blankets, etc.), especially when, and even though he was sleeping at the foot of my bed, he cried. And I couldn't take it. I mean, this poor little fella was feeling all sad & alone... Needless to say, maybe two minutes later, he found his place... curled up in my hair, right next to me. Little did I know that he would take that as a sign to walk all over me... Boudreaux was definitely channeling his inner Nancy Sinatra... These boots were made for walkin' must have been playing in his head.And they have seriously walked all over me for the past 10 years!
Now, Sir Boudreaux, as we sometimes refer to him, clearly thinks that he has me trained. When I'm reading a book, if Boudreaux wants my attention, he lets me know by growling and prancing backwards - balancing on his hind feet. If I don't acknowledge him immediately, he will turn away from me, squat and pee. Right in front of me - on a rug, or the floor. He really doesn't care. If there's a thunderstorm, he will jump on my lap and lick - my arm, leg... whatever's handy, until I give him a little white pill - guaranteed to knock out his anxiety. When he's really, really mad at me, Bou will jump on my husband's lap and ignore me. That's the worst. I'm being shunned by my own "baby." What is it that drives that mind of his? If I hold Boudreaux and talk to him, he talks back. He even says, "mama." (Well, that's according to me. It sure sounds like "mama"). If he isn't in the mood to talk to me, he'll just bite my nose. No kidding. It's pretty sad... and it's at times like that I wonder just who is more neurotic - Boudreaux, or me??!!