In the morning when we feed our three Shelties, we need to keep 'em separated as they're all food thieves. (A prior post addressed the feeding frenzy itself we otherwise call breakfast...read all about it HERE) Given the chance, they'd steal the meal of their fellow pack member without batting an eye. It's fair game if there's a morsel left in their bowls when they've finished their meals, but that's really an academiic statement because none have ever left an iota of food when they walk away from their respective feeding stations.

Then there's Douglas, our Collie:

Dougie on Pause Table-Thanksgiving Weekend

He's a bit different in that most times, he couldn't care less that his food is prepared, in his bowl and waiting for hm to eat it. He usually just walk by it with an indifferent air, knowing full well that it'll be there when he wants it later. But, that's true only if the Shelties don't knock down the plastic kid's gate used to enclose them in the living room, make their way into the kitchen and devour Dogie's repast. Lately, the Shelties have become veritable Houdinis in that they escape all the time and make a bee line for the meal they know is waiting for them; their mad chage to eat Dougie's food is made by Declan.

Declan, for those of you who don't know, it our alpha dog.

Deckie & Ball-11/06

He's reently learned how to squeeze himself behind the aforementioned plastic gate & dash over to Dougie's meal that awaits his culinary pleasure. The other two Shelties generally follow in Deckie's footsteps, knocking down the plastic gate in their wake. We don't let this happen if we see it but there are occasions when they manage to scarf down all poor Dougie's food before we can react. By the way, the whole time this is going on Dougie looks on at their antic in amazement, wondering what all the fuss is about.

I'm afraid Dougie wouldn't make it in the wild if he had to support himself by scavanging for his meals.