Last week, I introduced a laser toy to my three dogs, and we had a blast trying to catch the elusive light in our yard. However, during the second round of play, Jack suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked at me, then at the laser in my hand, followed by the small red light dancing on the grass. Then, he looked back at me with a knowing expression. In that moment, he realized it was all just a “fake.” From that point on, he never chased the light again.

A few weeks ago, I attempted to trim Jack’s nails, an activity he despises. To make the process easier, I offered him a piece of bacon as a treat for each nail I successfully trimmed. It worked like a charm at first. One piece of bacon for one nail, another piece for the next. However, when I tried to cut two nails per bacon reward, he promptly hid his paw underneath him, wearing an offended expression on his face. Who ever said dogs can’t count?