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An older Black woman flips a pancake in a skillet on a gas stove while a fluffy white Maltese sits on the floor watching. 10 / 26

Grandma Odessa Was Making Sunday Pancakes. Pearl Took Her Place by the Stove.

AI imagemaltesepancakeskitchen

Sunday breakfast is underway in Grandma Odessa's kitchen. She stands at the old gas stove in a moss green cardigan, sliding a blue spatula under a golden pancake in a well-seasoned skillet, a soft smile on her face as she glances down. Flour dusts the wooden counter beside a bowl of batter, a folded towel, a ring of keys, and a crock of wooden spoons. A bottle of oil and a potted plant sit near the window, and the light has that quiet, early-morning glow. At her feet, Pearl sits upright with her fluffy white head tilted back, nose pointed toward the pan and eyes full of hope.

Kitchens can be risky places for small dogs. A pup underfoot near a hot stove can get stepped on or hit by spatters of grease, and dropped knives or spills happen faster than anyone expects. Teaching a little dog to wait on a mat or bed a short distance from the stove is a great safety habit. As for sharing, a small piece of plain pancake is not toxic for most dogs, but toppings like chocolate chips, raisins, macadamia nuts, and sugar-free syrups containing xylitol are dangerous. Butter and regular syrup are best skipped as well. For tiny breeds, even small treats add up quickly, so keep portions very small.

Pearl is showing excellent manners: no jumping, no whining, just patient staring. Odessa's smile suggests that kind of good behavior does not go unrewarded in this house.

The first pancake is always the test pancake, after all, and somebody has to taste it.

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