Polite Greetings

One of Ranger's very favorite places to go is Naturally 4 Paws. Most of his food and treats comes from there so we are there quite often and Ranger, of course, gets lots of attention and treats every time we have him with us. I noticed on our visit today that he has added something to his usual polite behavior as we check out. For a long time the routine was that when we took our purchase up to the counter to check out he would put his paws up on the counter and lean across so the staff could pet him then he would get down and sit to wait for his treats. This routine is repeated many times during the course of check out. After we started teaching him K9 sign I noticed that if there was a delay in the treat delivery part of the routine he was signing food. Today I realized that now when he sits he immediately signs food every time. It's become part of the routine. I wonder if he's actually asking for his treats or if it has become a superstitious behavior in this context. I'm going to assume he is asking because it is appropriate usage in context. I love catching him using his words. I'm going to have to take a video camera with me one of these days and try to capture him using his words.