The Bread Bandit

I should know better by now.

When I got home with groceries today, I put away the cold stuff, put the rest of the bags on the counter, and then let Paddington out of his crate. After taking him out (still on his leash, poor boy), I brought him into the kitchen to hang out while I finished putting the groceries away. He made a dash for the bag I missed on the kitchen floor, which of course was the bag containing the loaf of bread.

You see, there is a history of bread stealing in this home. We discovered early that Paddington has a soft spot for a good loaf of bread. His antics when evading us with a loaf stolen from a bag of groceries are legendary around Bella Fiori Glass Studio. He darts and weaves, runs and hides with his treasure. Usually within seconds the bag is ripped open and the bread is ruined by puppy drool.

So today, when he grabbed the excess plastic from the top of the bread package and pulled it free of the bag, I shot into action. Luckily he couldn't get more than a couple of steps because of the leash tying him to the kitchen sink. I grabbed him with one hand and the bread with the other. Baked goods saved! It seems all he was able to do was step on it once. Phew.

As I scolded him for his boldness, he didn't seem to care that he was in trouble. He showed only a slight sense of annoyance that his bread was stolen from him.

The best and worst part was that when he began to pull that loaf from the bag, his face was alight with delight. It's difficult to be mad at a dog with that much joy for life.