Scottie Dogs

When I was a wee lad, I had two little Scottie Dog magnets with which I played and thereby learned the basics of both magnetism and dog behavior. It was the kind of education I imagine you'd get at a magnet school. The doggie's heads and tails were magnetic north and south poles, respectively, so head-to-head or butt-to-butt, they'd repel, but head-to-butt, they'd attract, much like real dogs. It's hard to recall exactly, but I'm sure I spent endless minutes of enjoyment with those little guys, which to this day probably explains my magnetic personality.

Eric not only looks like those little dogs, he also acts like them. The unfortunate fact of his life is that dog food has the same magnetic polarity as Eric - when you approach him with a dish, he is repelled. If you persist in trying to force dog food on him, you can end up traversing the entire county like Billy in a Family Circus cartoon. This explains his size. Cat food, as one might expect, is the opposite polarity. A small handful of kitty food can attract Eric like braces to an MRI machine.

Likewise, when you try to put Eric on a leash, its magnetism repels him. If instead, you hold out your arms and wiggle your fingers, the magnetism you generate will make him roll over on his back for a belly-rub.