You can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Unless your dog is named Abby. She's my dog, and dog gone it I can't think of any thing to write about so I'm going to bore you with my dog. Or maybe the Dog is Me.

Abby loves her snacks and every morning she waits by my door for me to wake up so she can give me a hug and a semi kiss. Now when I say hug she actually puts her paws around me and squeezes my thighs and then I bend down for a lick on the cheek.

She doesn't like the lick on the cheek because of the stubble. She prefers the lips but because I brush my teeth in the morning she will put her snout in my arm pit. I guess for dogs that's like smelling a butt. So I shouldn't be offended. I don't particularly want her tongue on my lips anyway.

Any way I say all of this to let you know that Abby has decided to change the order of things. She has decided to teach me a new way of getting her morning snack. My alarm goes off. I take care of my morning duties then brush my teeth. I open the door expecting Abby to be there wagging her tail ready to give me my hug, attempted kisses, and arm pit smell.

She is not there. I say Abby where are you..... nothing.... I hear thump, thump, thump, I walk into the kitchen and she is facing the drawer where her snacks are and her tail is hitting the fridge. " Don't I get a hug this morning" "woof" " I didn't say speak " I tell her. "If you want a snack you'll have to give me my hug and I promise not to breath on you."

She nudges the drawer "woof". I sigh. I'm not going to let her have a snack with out working for it. I open the drawer and take out her favorite snack, it's a piece of dried chicken. I close the drawer and hold the snack high in the air.

Now I pat my thigh and say "give me a hug". She stands and does her dance twirling around on her hind legs. ( She's a Labradoodle) "no I didn't say dance" - "sit" - she sits, "now give me a hug" and I slap my thy, she plays dead. "Up!" she gets up wagging her tail eyes on her snack .

"Abby I'm the master and you're not getting the snack UNTIL YOU GIVE ME MY MORNING HUG". Abby lays down and puts her paws over her ears.
I feel bad.

Now I'm talking baby talk "come on Abby give daddy a huggy poo" She gives me the best rollover I've ever seen then she sits and smiles at me her tongue hanging out tail wagging , eyes twinkling and and lifting her paw she says "woof woof" "some times I just want to change it up a little and play a game. All you want to do is get your hug get me a snack so you can get your coffee watch the news and get on with your day." This is what it seems she's saying.

Ok I've learned my leasson from now on we'll make getting treats more a little more fun.

My dog is so smart.