The setting: The Mount Pleasant Farmer’s Market, earlier today. Cosmo the Dog and I are browsing the stalls.
(Important background information: Cosmo is passionate for produce. Baby carrots are like crack for him, and he gets just as excited about a piece of tomato or green pepper that falls to the kitchen floor as he does about a Milk-Bone.)
We approach a stall where the farmer has set out a small trash can filled with people’s discarded watermelon rinds, pieces of bruised peaches and nectarines, and so forth. Cosmo proceeds to begin eating from the trash can.
Fellow shopper (making a face to express his disdain – but avoiding eye contact, as he touches peaches): Well that’s very strange
Me (I have zero tolerance for passive-aggression, or for Cosmo-haters): What’s strange?
Fellow shopper: (no response)
Me: It’s a trash can. He likes fruit.
Fellow shopper: Well, it’s strange.
Me : It’s not strange.
(Cosmo and I exit the stall dramatically.)
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
It is a little, um, unusual. Not criticizing Cosmo in any way, but you have to admit that most dogs wouldn’t do that.
What?! A DOG – eating out of a TRASH CAN??? What is the world coming to? Has everything gone topsy turvy? Was he raised in some sort of dog barn? Where did a modern dog get the idea that this sort of behavior is acceptable? You are obviously not fit to own a dog, ma’am. I’m off to call the ASPCA and Miss Manners to report this gross violation of natural dog behavior.
Two words: bad parenting.
people should revel in the unusual.
I love the variety of responses here! Gilahi – I think most dogs *would* stick their faces in a trash can…but maybe few would be as enthusiastic about fruit as Mr. C. John, I don’t see why it’s bad parenting to let him eat stuff that would otherwise just be thrown away?
Scenic Artisan: amen, brother. And Jordan – I’m just glad you’re on my side ;)
I would have run over to hug the fruit-eating, adorable, silly pup. And I would have told him what a good boy he is for helping create less waste and for having better eating habits than I do.
Better he nose through fruit in a trashcan than poop in a baby’s diaper. Neither of which are “strange” behavior for a dog. But the former is certainly preferable in public.
Well Cosmo needs to take ninja-trash-eating lessons from Murray. He can locate, identify, and consume trash (street chicken as we call it) without slowing down from a brisk trot.
Tell them next time Cosmo is being green and recycling DC’s waste.
Not a dog owner and even I know there’s nothing strange about a dog eating ANYTHING. With dogs being known to eat poop, tissues, dental floss, etc. the “strange” bar has been set quite high. Strange, hah! You, sir, are an anti-canite!
He was cleaning up, just the way his in laws would do. You go, boy!
And I am very glad to know that his mother is teaching him the value of family loyalty. You go, girl!
lwmyBf
So glad I’m not the only one:
http://www.dooce.com/daily-chuck/2008/08/27/buffet
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