BabyDog
Breakfast is an exciting time. The two big dogs (Porties, 50 lbs) hover around me while I get their dishes ready, then excitedly escort me over to their breakfast place. The little dog (GSD, 50 lbs, rapidly outgrowing his name) runs back and forth, jostling the big dogs, and then dances back to the breakfast nook, spinning in circles and prancing. They each know their spot, and they sit with some semblance of patience while I put all three bowls down. On the right, the little dog dives into his bowl with gusto, Merlock steadily eats in the middle, and on the left Lady pouts that she wants what's in Grey's bowl.
The rule is that no one is allowed to eat out of anyone else's bowl, but stray scraps that fall onto the floor are fair game. Lady, scheming, learned to take advantage of this. If she paws at the edge of her bowl, she can knock huge handfuls of kibble onto the floor, luring Grey over to eat the windfall. She brings the plot to fruition by running over and eating as much from his unguarded bowl as she can (she knows the rules, but has no compunctions about eating from his bowl as long as she thinks she won't get caught).
This morning, the little dog learned his own trick. He had finished his breakfast long ago when Lady decided that she was done toying with her breakfast and left the majority of it in her bowl. Of course, Grey noticed this before I did and sprinted back to start gulping huge mouthfuls. I was there in seconds, telling him off for being so uncouth. He walked a few steps away, opened his mouth, and dropped 15 kibbles onto the floor, then started eating them at an unhurried pace! The sneak had known I would catch him, so he stuffed as much into his mouth as he could, made his escape, then settled down to quietly enjoy the booty!
Outsmarted.
The Grey Man
The rule is that no one is allowed to eat out of anyone else's bowl, but stray scraps that fall onto the floor are fair game. Lady, scheming, learned to take advantage of this. If she paws at the edge of her bowl, she can knock huge handfuls of kibble onto the floor, luring Grey over to eat the windfall. She brings the plot to fruition by running over and eating as much from his unguarded bowl as she can (she knows the rules, but has no compunctions about eating from his bowl as long as she thinks she won't get caught).
This morning, the little dog learned his own trick. He had finished his breakfast long ago when Lady decided that she was done toying with her breakfast and left the majority of it in her bowl. Of course, Grey noticed this before I did and sprinted back to start gulping huge mouthfuls. I was there in seconds, telling him off for being so uncouth. He walked a few steps away, opened his mouth, and dropped 15 kibbles onto the floor, then started eating them at an unhurried pace! The sneak had known I would catch him, so he stuffed as much into his mouth as he could, made his escape, then settled down to quietly enjoy the booty!
Outsmarted.
The Grey Man