Food of the dogs

摘要

Once again, while Greg is slacking off on vacation, his two dogs, Mink and Clifford, nobly pitch in to keep his column going. For those of you who have not met them previously (they are semi-regulars to these pages), Mink is a brave, loyal, intelligent chocolate Labrador retriever whose duties include guarding the house and watching over the family by testing all food to make sure it's safe to eat. Clifford, a small mixed poodle/spaniel, seems primarily to have the job of chasing tennis balls. As usual, their column takes the form of an imaginary dialog, much like those invented by Plato between Socrates and Glaucon. Of course, it's also possible that Plato borrowed the literary device from Mink and Clifford. Classical scholars are still debating this point.