Pi Patel is the other mini schnauzer in my life, eight years old and not blood related to Tobias but attached to him like Velcro, or like mustard on a baloney sandwich.

No, his name is not after pie, pizza pie, or 3.14159. His name stems from a character in one of my five favourite books. So far, two people identified the origin of the name because they read the book. Heck, he could have been named Richard but I plan to reserve that name for the kitten I hope to adopt in the future (bring on the Zrytec!).

As a rambunctious puppy, Pi Patel came into our home at the age of four months,  purchased from a pet store,  prior to my discovery of where pet shop puppies come from (the dreadful “puppy mills” ) and was quite sickly from kennel cough, which  wasn’t apparent until we arrived home.

My heart stretched at the frustrations of trying to cure my dog.

Pi Patel was suppose to be healthy, running around, frolicking like any other puppy. But, that kind of puppyhood belonged to another and not my Pi. We spent allot of time, especially in the morning, in each other’s arms.

Me, administering his antibiotics while He, struggled against receiving them.

This was our routine for a month and I believe the antibiotics later contributed to his development of food and seasonal allergies.

In time, the Kennel Cough did pass, so did the neutering, the teeth extractions, the torn dew nail,wearing the “cone of shame” on numerous occasions as well as the potted plant dirt eating incident in which he expel dirt laden stool with the help of a laxative for days on end. 

The honour and privilege of having Pi Patel in my life and home is not measurable. Of course, he’ s uba smart, knows tons of tricks and has the mental faculty to learn quickly.

Every dog has its tricks and Pi Patel is amongst them. His personality is unique and his alone. Pi’s assertiveness and aggression towards other dogs is in full force when we, as a pack, walk the streets in the ‘hood and his operatic cursing style is also his alone and cannot be replicated.

Good luck to the groomer who attempts the “schnauzer hawk” on their own Mini!