How Did Cosmo Do It?

When I came home from Church 2 weeks ago, my dog Cosmo did not meet me at the door. Since I have a dog door, he generally comes running into the house to let me know in his loudest voice that it is time to feed him. Five minutes went by and he still didn't come in, so I opened the door and called him. When he finally graced me with his presence, he was limping. I thought I had better go out and see what dangerous thing in the yard had injured him. Cosmo limped past me to the spot in the yard that had kept him so busy:

He had somehow managed to get this large container of dog food out of his dog door.

This is actually the most benign thing that Cosmo has tried to eat. On several separate occasions (generally while I am at Church,) he has lived through stealing and eating the following:

15 sticks of gum and 9 pieces of Double Bubble Gum, all in 1 hour's time or less.

5 blocks of Tom Cat Mouse poison and a small bag of butter mints

64 Lactaid Pills at one time

1 box of Wheat Thins

1 loaf of bread

When I had forgotten that I had a cookie in my pocket one day, I found my coat halfway out of his dog door. He was going through my pockets searching for anything edible.

He has stolen my purse and taken it outside so he can look for mints or gum.

Of course, he always takes his stolen prizes outside to eat them because he KNOWS that he is doing something wrong, but he is so addicted to food.

You must think I am an irresponsible dog owner, but the truth is that he is way too smart.

He has figured out how to push chairs out from under the table so he can climb up on things. I had the mouse poison up high on a shelf; I still don't know how he got it.

He is really a character, but I love him dearly.

I'm so grateful he has had more lives than a cat, but now he is testing fate.

It seems that it was a hard enough task for him to get that big jar outside, but what really puzzles me is how he unscrewed that big lid off of it. Notice that he is limping and holding his right front paw up in the air.