January 2021 Who here among us has not, while eating, felt that tug: “I know I shouldn’t feed him from the table, but look at those puppy eyes…” Our old dog, Charlie, had always been a pretty good dog during dinner- he hardly paid attention as we were diligent in not feeding him from the table. Then our twins were old enough to sit in highchairs… and it all changed. Charlie soon realized that those messy little eaters were a treasure trove of goodies. Strategically placing himself between them, scooping up all the delicious food that rained down on him. This was helpful, as there was hardly ever a mess. I often said that our next dog should be named “Hoover.” Charlie didn’t turn into a beggar, though, just an opportunist. There are a few categories of beggars. The whiners. The pawers. The silent starers. Our dog Cooper is sort of a mutt of beggars- he sometimes silently stares and sometimes gently places his paw on my lap as if to say, “Hey, this can be just our little secret- no o