FurBabies by Nancy Beiman for June 16, 2023

Might have to be more specific, Kate.

How could you put that cute thing down on the floor?

Stella, I think you’re pushing your luck.

She’s been hanging around with that cat for too long!

Actually, in Southern France, many years ago, I was sitting at a restaurant and watched as an obviously local small poodle got served at her own seat at the next table!

Conan never tried to get up on the table … but then again, he was large enough that he didn’t really need to. Back in the very early days, he helped himself to a pot of soup that was cooling on the counter; he was nearly silent about it too! I didn’t suspect a thing until I heard him lapping it up as he got near the bottom of the pot.

Bless him, once I scolded him, he never did that again, but he would always put himself into a “down and stay” underneath the table for meals. He wouldn’t move until the meal was over and I called him out to collect his tit-bits. That was our deal – no begging or fuss and I would save him some tasty bits that he could have afterwards, but if he tried to beg he got nothing. He surprised quite a few people when he came out from under the table at Thanksgiving one year; everyone thought I’d put him outside. That’s a pretty good trick for a big ol’ German Shepherd dog.

Keep your tail in the panel! Where are your manners?

I trained my cat Oskar to sit on a chair beside me to keep him off the table.