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A smiling grandma sits at a lace-covered tea table with a scone and butter while a red-gold Golden Retriever stares ahead. 14 / 29

Grandma Set Out Scones on Her Best Lace Tablecloth. One Guest Wasn't Invited.

AI imagegolden retrieverafternoon teakitchen

Afternoon tea is served on Ruth's best lace tablecloth, the kind that only comes out for occasions, and today the occasion is simply that it is Tuesday. There is a cup of tea on a saucer, a plate holding a split scone and a neat pat of butter, a little dish of red jam, and a cloth napkin folded beside the spoon. Ruth leans back with a mischievous grin. Front and center, Rusty sits with his chin lifted and his ears drooping in soft red waves, giving the most solemn, unblinking stare. He is not begging, his face insists. He is simply present, and very available should a scone need eating.

That intense look has a name among dog lovers, and most owners know it well. Dogs learn quickly which behaviors earn food, and if staring at the table ever paid off, they will keep doing it. A kind way to manage it is to teach a go to your place cue, rewarding a dog for lying on a mat during meals and handing over a treat there instead of at the table. Consistency from everyone in the house matters most. Also remember that butter, rich pastries, and sugary jams are not good for dogs, and some baked goods contain raisins or the sweetener xylitol, which are toxic. A small dog biscuit is a far better reward.

Ruth knows exactly what that stare means, and so does Rusty. Whether a crumb of scone eventually slips off the table is a matter between the two of them and the lace tablecloth.

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