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An elderly woman in a plaid shirt flips a pancake in a skillet while a red-gold Golden Retriever sits beside the stove. 14 / 36

Grandma Odessa Flipped the Pancake. Copper Hadn't Blinked in Two Minutes.

AI imagegolden retrieverpancakeskitchen

A golden pancake is caught mid-flip in the pan, and Grandma Odessa has her eyes locked on it with a spatula in hand. She wears a green plaid shirt and tucks her glasses on top of her head, silver curls soft in the window light. Copper sits close by the stove with his red-gold chest raised and his eyes fixed on the skillet, so still that it is hard to tell if he is even breathing. Behind them are a butter dish, a pan of batter, a bowl of berries and a rack of wooden spoons, with colorful drawings stuck to the refrigerator.

Pancake mornings are good practice for kitchen manners. Teaching a dog to wait on a mat or a spot away from the stove keeps them safe from hot pans, splatters and dropped food. Reward calm waiting with a dog-safe treat. Many pancake add-ins are not good for dogs: chocolate chips, raisins and anything with xylitol can be harmful, and syrup is very sugary. If you want to share, a small bite of plain cooked pancake is usually fine for many dogs, but check with your vet first if your dog has dietary needs. Retrievers are eager and food-motivated, so patience takes practice, and consistency helps a lot.

Copper has been good all morning, and he knows it. The first plain pancake may be in his future.

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