A Scruffy Puppy Found the Dinner Rolls Before Anyone Else Did

Whiskery nose first, a scruffy gray puppy leans over a basket of golden dinner rolls on the kitchen counter. The rolls are tucked into a linen cloth and still look warm and soft, and the puppy's wiry fur sticks out in every direction, with one ear flopped and the other halfway up. Behind the basket, the kitchen is busy with morning light, towels and a counter full of dishes in progress.

Fresh bread is tempting to dogs, and a roll or two is not usually a disaster, but there are a few cautions. Bread with raisins, garlic, onion or certain sweeteners is not safe, and large amounts of bread can upset a stomach. The biggest risk is raw yeast dough, which can expand in a dog's stomach and cause serious trouble, so keep rising dough well out of reach. If your dog eats dough, call your vet right away.

Mixed-breed rescue pups come with a wonderful variety of looks and personalities. A shaggy coat like this one often means a mix of terrier or hound ancestry, but the truth is usually a mystery, and that is part of the charm. Puppies tend to explore with their noses, so a kitchen at holiday time is a very exciting classroom. A gentle command like leave it, practiced with treats, can be a handy lesson.

For now, the puppy is simply taking in the warm, buttery smell. Maybe a little bit of dog-safe treat will arrive soon, and the rolls will stay for the family.