That brings to mind a story from my postgrad days, a few decades ago.
A number of us had arranged to meet in a local pub, had met, and ordered our beers, and had sat down in our favourite corner coffee table - a low bar table with sofa seating on two sides and soft stools on a third. Unusually, I was sitting on the outside of the sofa - I normally sat at the inside corner of the sofa, my back closest to the wall.
Anyway, that day - it was early evening, in early summer - a guy I had never seen before was standing at the bar ordering his round. With him was his black labrador dog, off the lead, and looking perfectly at home and quite comfortable and relaxed in a pub setting.
This wasn't so unusual; that place was the kind of slightly grubby but comfortable local pub where people felt free to bring dogs, as long as the dogs were well behaved. They tended to curl up under the bar tables, or sit quietly, beside a bar stool, or, stretch out quietly, at their owner's feet.
Anyway, that particular day, I was seated, contemplating my drink, my companions chatting in that easy way one has before raising the first glass of beer to your lips, when there was a movement to my side.
With impressive speed, and breath-taking braggadocio, the labrador at the counter had abandoned his owner and had trotted confidently down to our table, where, barely breaking stride, in one fluid motion, he proceeded to place his front paws on the table, and his snout deep in my glass of beer.
Then he proceeded to slurp my drink at speed - without drawing breath - actually all but emptying the glass. I sat there mesmerised and stupefied. I honestly don't think I had ever seen such a thing in my life. It took us several seconds to wake up to what we were actually witnessing - and equally - it took the bar owner (whom I knew) and the dog's owner - (who was deeply embarrassed) a minute or two to cotton on to what exactly was happening.
Anyway, the dog was shooed away, or hauled away, and a fresh drink was ceremoniously placed in front of me with profuse apologies (and red faces, and smothered laughter) all round.
I forbore from suggesting that it was abundantly clear to me that this was not that dog's first encounter with a pint of beer.
