Maria calls them the Jon Katz Fan Club. When I come downstairs to take a shower in the morning, I heard scratching and sniffling outside the closed bathroom door.

When I open the door, the Jon Katz Fan Club is waiting for me to come out and open the treat door behind them, and give them each a digestible rawhide stick.

They rush off to different parts of the house with their treasures. Bud goes and hides under the dining room table – Fate will snatch her treat if she can –  Zinnia runs off to the living room, and Fate eats it by the kitchen door.

I admit this ritual has made me popular with my dogs, although I’m sure they love me for myself, not for any treats I hand out. All tails are wagging when I come out.

I admit I enjoy being greeted in the morning by the Jon Katz Fan Club.