We Have a Food Thief!

It's no secret that Cameron and I (ok, mostly me) spoil Gambit with table scraps and lots of treats (I was told yesterday to stop buying treats as we put away the ones we had already bought...) However, apparently we starve our dog despite feeding him twice a day and giving him lots of snacks. I say this because any time there is even a smidgen of food on the counter or the coffee table (never mind the floor), it magically disappears.

What's most impressive is he's actually pretty sneaky about it.

Example A:

Cameron made steak burritos for dinner one night, but only cooked 1/2 of the flank steak we bought. He left the other half on the kitchen counter on the cutting board. We ate in the living room, but by the time Cameron went back into the kitchen, the steak was gone.  Nothing had moved, and we were pretty sure that Gambit had been sitting begging with us for our meal.  Cameron even asked me if I had moved the steak to the fridge before we ate, but I hadn't. Nope. Our small pony just nosed his way up and ate a pretty sizable chunk of meat and didn't pull down cutting board or anything. So much for my lunch the next day. 

Example B:

A few weeks ago, Cameron wanted to go downtown to an Artwalk that's held once a month. I was told there would be food trucks, so I happily went along. The Beignet Truck was there, and I was beyond excited. I've been wanting to try beignets since a) I heard of them and b) heard of this truck because it sounded delicious. I bought five of them with the intent to eat a few while they were fresh, but to take some to campus the next morning for breakfast. In the end, I forgot to take them for breakfast, but had them for an afternoon snack when I came home. I had three left; I heated up two and ate them while watching the Downton Abbey premiere. I left the third one in the box on the counter. Gambit, I thought, was sitting with me the entire time while I ate them and even had some Wheat Thins with me. When I went to reheat the last one, it was gone. The only way I could tell he had been there was because the box was on its side instead of upright like I had left it. I wasn't sure if I should have been upset or impressed. Honestly, I was more impressed because beignets are doused in powdered sugar, and there was no sugar on the counter or floor (or his face for that matter). The box was still on the counter; I swear, he's like a food-stealing ninja. 

Needless to say, we are much more diligent about making sure he's in the room we want him to be in while we're eating. Last night we had homemade hot wings, and when I went to get a drink after placing my plate on the coffee table, Gambit was herded back into the kitchen where Cameron and I were. We're not taking anymore chances! I'm pretty sure he has no regrets. When we call him into the kitchen to confront him, he knows what he did with that hang-dog look on his face and his would-be tail between his legs, but I think he thinks the reward of the crime is definitely worth the punishment. 

For fun, here's a few recent photos of the pooch: 

So that's not really a scarf, but some paper from a package we received. He's so patient.

I'm pretty convinced he's got a lazy eye... Once you see it, I feel like you can't unsee it. 

Belly rubs!  

What a tough life...