My dog Biscuit has a very specific habit of dragging one of my husband's work boots to the front door every single morning at 6:45, regardless of whether my husband is actually going to work that day. "He's not even here," I told Biscuit last week, watching him drop the boot by the mat with total conviction, my husband three states away at a conference. "Try again tomorrow, buddy." He did try again tomorrow. And the day after. Boot, front door, 6:45, sitting beside it like a tiny valet waiting for a tip that never came. I mentioned it to the vet at Biscuit's checkup, mostly as a funny aside, and she asked how long my husband and I had been together. "Eleven years," I said. "Married for six. Why?" "Dogs pick up routines from whoever's schedule feels most vulnerable to them," she said. "Sometimes it's about food. Sometimes, if a dog attaches hard to one person's leaving pattern, it's more about making sure that person comes back the same way every time. Boots at the door, same time, same spot…… it's a small ritual he's built to keep the routine from breaking." My husband travels a lot for work. More than either of us likes to admit out loud most weeks. I didn't tell him any of this when he got home. I just watched him toe his boots on the next morning, same time, same spot, Biscuit sitting at his feet like the whole operation had gone exactly according to plan.