Dogs like tea

This is a true story as relayed by our Ned to me after his visit to friends in Australia last year.

Some old friends of our parents (Madge and Irvin) had emigrated to Perth 20 or so years ago and had been joined by their daughter Karen and her family a few years later - Ned was visiting Madge and Irvin last year and was enjoying a cold beer in the garden when Karen called with her dog, and the tale, or tail, unfolded.

Some months earlier Karen and her family had taken a holiday and had delivered the dog to Madge and Irvin to look after for the week, after they came back they collected the dog and took him home, the next morning she was on the phone complaining that the dog had sat in the kitchen whining and howling at 4am in the morning and that she was worried in case there was something wrong with him.

"Theres nothing wrong with him" Irvin informed, "I'll put your mother on to explain"

Madge came to the phone and explained that as she didn't sleep too well through the night she was often in the habit of going downstairs and making a cup of tea in the early hours and that while the dog had stayed with them he had also enjoyed a cup of tea with her at 4am-ish - the dog now had his own cup at Madge and Irvin's house.

Karen played merry hell with her mother for introducing the dog to tea but in reply she was told to try a cup for the dog the next time he played up in the early hours.

The very next morning Karen was back on the phone complaining again that the dog had woken the whole house up at 4am with his howling and that when she had got up to make him a cup of tea he had sniffed at it and refused it.

"How many sugars did you give him ?" Irvin asked
"Sugar ?" said Karen, "I didn't give him any sugar, he's a bloody dog"
"Oh he likes sugar in his tea" explained Irvin, "we give him four"

The next morning she was back on the phone again complaining once more that the dog had woken them all up at 4am and that even after putting four sugars in his tea he had sniffed it, lapped at it once and then refused it.

"Did you put the milk in the cup first ?" Irvin asked
"I don't know" replied Karen "does it matter ?"
"Of course it matters" said Irvin "you always put the milk in first, try it with the milk in first"

She did, the dog loved it, and ever since she has had to get out of bed at 4am to give the dog his cup of tea, four sugars, milk in first, or else get howled at until they do get up.