In April, we took a three-week road trip through the southwest to visit family and friends. Almost immediately, we broke the rule about not giving in to dogs who beg for food. Charlie came to believe that what was our snack was half his snack. And then, something surprising happened …

Charlie is always ready to go.

TIM: I’m about done here, so I’ll be able to leave in 5 minutes or so. Are you about ready to go?

LURA: Yep. Everything’s packed and secured inside the camping trailer and I just took Charlie to go potty, so I’m ready any time.

TIM: Where is Charlie?

LURA: I put him in the back seat of the truck so I could pack up his campground puppy containment system.

TIM: Oh, damn.

LURA: What?

TIM: I put my sandwich in the front seat of the truck.

LURA: Awww, damn. Sorry, I didn’t know.

TIM: No problem, I’ll just have to get another sandwich down the road. (opens driver’s side door of truck) Uh, come here, you’re not going to believe this.

LURA: Why what did he do? (opens passenger side door of truck)

On purpose or caught in the act?

TIM: (pointing to his lunch) He only ate half of it. That used to be both slices of a hamburger bun and two strips of deer steak. Now it’s just the bottom half of the hamburger bun and one strip of deer steak.

LURA: Did you interrupt him stealing the sandwich?

TIM: He wasn’t leaning over the front seat when I walked up to the truck. He was just sitting calmly in the back seat like he is now.

LURA: Well, we have been sharing our food half and half with him while we’re on the road. Do you think he meant to share? Can a dog know something like that?

A certain Cheeto-lover in this vehicle could stand to take some lessons from me, frankly.

TIM: Maybe, but how did know how much was half? Dogs can’t count, even to two.

LURA: (looking into the back seat) Charlie? Did you share?

CHARLIE: Them’s the rules of the road, babe–like letting the driver pick the music and everybody throwing in some gas money. Jeez! You two act like I’m some kind of amateur.