Green Beans and Punkin Pie, Oh My!!

Just Harry and I have been training Mom, and we think it's working.

Our goal? Thirds for breakfast and dinner.

Our strategy?

Step 1. I, Jake, approach Mom (or Dogdad, as the situation demands), whack her arm with my paw, sit, and give her my most absolutely adorable wire pup stare. She stops what she's doing (either reading the paper in the morning or working at her computer in the afternoon) and asks if I'm hungry. As the spokesdog for me and my brother, I lick my chops to say yes, and run towards my bowl in the dining room. JH says "I'll have what he''s having." and runs towards his crate to wait for his food. We both get our ration of kibble and fresh water. This works every time.

Step 2. Mom resumes what she was doing. I scarf down the food and wait a minute until she is totally absorbed in her activity. Then I come over, sit down again, give her a low growl to get her attention and repeat that absolutely irresistible wirey stare. Mom says, "No, Jakey, you've already eaten. Don't you remember? Do you want to turn into a roly poly porky dog?" I repeat my growl. She repeats her "No!" I growl a little louder and more urgently. Sometimes I even add a bark, just to get the point across. She starts to say no again, but then -- I think -- concerned that she may have not given me enough to fill my tummy and that I might still be really hungry -- relents and gets up to give me a second helping. JH, not to be outdone, runs to his crate to wait for his share. Admittedly, it is much smaller, Mom's devious use of psychology to make us think we are getting our way. And this is why we are escalating our approach.

Step 3. (As yet untried.) Looking even cuter than before, we come back a third time and Mom, having caught that legendary 1.6-second canine memory, forgets that we have eaten and fills our bowls again. What are the odds of this happening? Stay tuned. I have gotten her to feed us at 4 pm instead of 5. But thirds? Our goal may be unattainable.

This is not to say that we have forgotten all the lusciousness of Thanksgiving. None of that great-smelling turkey for us -- but lots of green beans as treats, and little tastes of that yummy pumpkin pie. Oh my!! Maybe thirds would be a bit much after all.

Jake the Dog