Coaster or no coaster, you shouldn't leave your drink on the table.

Do not leave your drink unattended. Do not leave anything unattended for that matter.

Tiny Dog is very curious. When I eat dinner at the table, she jumps up and places her front two paws in my lap, not because she wants my food, but because she wants to see what is going on. She routinely patrols the house and hops up with just her front to paws onto chairs, the table, the sofa, and even the toilette to check to see if she is missing anything that is above her line of site.

This was cute and funny, until she developed a love for drinks, cups, and bottles. More than once I have caught her in my iced coffee or heard Aimee yelling, “No, Tiny, No! That’s MY coke!” The dog loves a good Coca Cola Classic just as much at the next person, but she also loves anything cold – condensation on your cup and ice. When I catch her with her head in a cup of water or an iced coffee, it isn’t the drink she is after, but the ice in it. If I put ice in her water bowl she scubas for every last piece. She emerges, beard dripping wet, and enlists the closest person to be her towel.

She also L-O-V-E-S bottles and this is entirely my fault. I had an empty one liter that I remove the label, cap, and plastic ring from. I thought she might like to chase it around the yard. The bottle was just barely too big for her to get her mouth to get around it so it would slip out and shoot across the yard. Finally, a toy that played back! I thought I was so clever, until she started trying to steal water bottles from me.

Lesson learned. If you are going to introduce everyday items as a toy to your puppy, be prepared for her to think that whenever she sees one, it belongs to her and not you.