Alex nodded. "It is stupid. But it happens. So being strict about training now is my way of keeping bad things from happening to him later on." Hopefully it would work better with Seymour than when Papa had been teaching her as a child.

"Sounds like your dog's pretty smart. He knows to enjoy a good thing when he gets it. How about you? I'm thinking ice cream." Remembering how their first conversation started, Alex gave him a fake stern look. "Actual ice cream, not metaphorical. Want some?"