Who Left the Dog Treats Out?

Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could be ... relatively minor.

Life moves quickly, and it's easy to go through our days on autopilot, lost in thought. However, having a routine can be beneficial; it provides a structured framework that helps us complete the same tasks at the same time each day. When our minds become cluttered, we can rely on this established sequence of actions to keep us organized and ensure everything gets done.

Dogs, much like humans, thrive on their daily routines. They expect breakfast at dawn and delight in receiving treats for being their adorable selves or mastering a new trick. It’s a perfect arrangement until you realize they have trained us just as much as we have trained them.

Exhibit A: Daisy, our Aussiedoodle with beautiful brown eyes and the negotiation skills of a used car salesman, is relentless, overly confident, and somehow always closing the deal. She instituted a new household policy: no treat, no entry. She will not, under any circumstances, walk through the door without receiving her complimentary snack. Standing at the threshold as if saying, “I will not pass…unless you pay the toll.”

Naturally, we caved. To accommodate her whims, we placed a container filled with morsels of her food on the counter, like a shrine to Daisy’s demands. We even keep a few kibbles on standby to toss ceremoniously in the kitchen to coax her in.

Dogs love their treats. (photo courtesy of Unsplash)

But Daisy isn't the only creature of habit in the house. My husband also thrives on routine. His personal reward system is chocolate stars. He eats a few when he feels accomplished or, you know, when it's one of those days of the week ending in “Y.” Ironically, the dog food container sits atop a larger one filled with these sugary snacks.

Recently, while navigating the day on autopilot, my husband walked into the kitchen one afternoon, reached into the treat container, tossed three morsels into his mouth, and immediately realized something was…off. Less “sweet treat” and more “kibble crunch.” Yes, you guessed it. Man’s best friend had unknowingly shared her snack stash. He had just eaten dog food.

The lesson here? Routines are great, but sometimes they bite back, especially when they smell like liver and chicken, whether you’re a dog waiting for a treat or a grown adult accidentally eating one.

The best surprises usually come when we stop paying attention.

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