It seems likely that Dexter has been playing me for a fool. For the last decade I thought “Tommy’s” dog couldn’t learn tricks. Some days, he gets “stuck” behind furniture and barks for me to move the rocking chair so he can get to the couch. At other times the pet door he just went through confounds him. He then barks to say he needs the flap moved – or the door opened – so he can come back inside. Most of the time we do not give in, but he “figures it out” when we offer a dog biscuit to Comet. Motivation, or is this manipulation?
Yesterday afternoon Gramma and Pop-Pop were entertaining our 3-year-old grandson, who every week astounds me how quickly he is becoming a little man. Our son was visiting, so Pop-Pop was directed to remain in the kitchen. Uncle Tommy entertained Zander out in the yard by having Dexter bounce a beach ball off his nose and perform other tricks.
It's a Dog's Life 