We have a rule in this house: indoor toys stay in, outdoor toys stay out. I don’t want dirty, slimy toys coming in the house from outside. So when A.J. takes a toy to the door, he has to drop it before we’ll open the door to let him in or out. He knows this, and when we stand at the door with a hand on the knob, A.J. dutifully drops his toy. Unfortunately, a dog door tends to change the rules.

Today I gave A.J. a chew toy in the house. He gnawed on it for a minute, then decided he wanted to take it outside. Greg was near the door (the one without the dog door in it) so A.J. walked over, chew toy in his mouth, and stood by the door to be let out.  Greg just looked at him and said “You know the rules, buddy,” and didn’t open the door. I said “If you want to sneak things out you have to sneak them out yourself.” A.J. immediately turned, ran into the other room and out his dog door, taking the chew toy with him.