A few years ago, Stephanie and her husband moved into a house right next door to his parents. It wasn't long before the young woman noticed some rather unusual behaviour from her dog, Buckwheat.
Almost every time he finished his kibble, the dog would gently pick up his bowl in his mouth and dash outside. "I'd see him pick up his bowl and start heading up the garden path to my in-laws' house," Stephanie told The Dodo. Intrigued by these repeated antics, she decided to follow him discreetly one day.
The 'second dinner' plot
The truth was finally revealed: Buckwheat had simply found a way to get a double helping without getting caught. By showing up on his in-laws' doorstep with his own bowl, he would ask for (and get) extra kibble.
Sadly, Stephanie's mother-in-law, who was the main person behind this ritual and doted on the dog, recently passed away. But so as not to upset Buckwheat, her husband took over and was keen to keep the tradition going. Now, her father-in-law waits eagerly for the dog to serve him his extra portion on demand, even though they already have a bowl for him at their house. "He eats from one bowl and brings the other one home with him," laughs Stephanie.
A well-earned paunch
Even though Buckwheat gets a lot of exercise every day, this habit of eating twice a night has started to show on his figure. The pooch has got a little bit chunky around the middle.
But as his owner points out, those few extra pounds are hard-earned, given the logistical effort the animal puts in to request his extra helping. "You can tell just by looking at him that he's pulled it off many times! He's definitely as clever as they come!"