Hi mom, can I have dinner now?

As I mentioned in Monday's post, I was out of the office for a few days this week. I took a short business trip and so, I was away from home and my dog as well.
I was expecting Sensi to welcome me home yesterday the way he normally does whenever we leave him — he does his best to hold back his excitement to see us, but licks and wiggles and wags and sniffs for a few minutes anyhow, and then sulks away to let us know he's not happy with us.
Perhaps sulk isn't the right word. But either way, after that initial greeting, he turns away from us as if he's turning his nose up at us. "I don't need you either, guys," he seems to say. "How do you like it?"
He seems to ignore us for a little while, but by the night's end, he's curled up on the couch soaking in all the attention he can get. He forgives easily.
It was just me traveling this time, though, while he stayed home with Brent. Apparently, it was like I'd never left.
When I got home yesterday, the first time I'd seen my dog in three days, what did he do? He asked for dinner.
Sure, I got the regular wiggle-butt and tail wags, but nothing more than usual. And after a good sniff of my pant leg, he did his little dinner circle dance and wound-up in a play-bow facing his food bowl. There was no mistaking what he wanted — just dinner.
No "I miss you" or even the usual "I miss you but I'm mad at you so I'm trying to hide it."
Nope, just "Hi Mom, can I have dinner now?"
This must be what it's like to have kids.