Treat Catching with the Mailman

I mentioned recently that Charlie has conned convinced our mailman, Jeffrey, to play "treat catch" with him. Charlie lies at the top of our entryway stairs every morning, waiting. If, by some chance, he's in another part of the house begging for treats, Charlie still listens carefully for steps and/or the sounds of mail dropping through the slot and races to the door upon hearing them. If it's Jeffrey there, Charlie's barks are high and yappy and breathless, almost cries. If he finds anyone else at the door, his barks are deep and threatening.

Somehow, Charlie's also trained himself to spot Jeffrey's white van -- he gets excited when he sees it drive by or if we pass it out walking. At first, I think, treat-catching for Charlie was all about the treats, but now it's as much a social event. And fortunately, it's one that Jeffrey seems to enjoy, too!

I can't believe how lucky Charlie and we are to have such a nice mailman!