When your hound learns how to get around that spell-out hack, I suggest you get a new pet.

In our neighborhood, we often get flocks of Ibis, large Everglades-type wading birds, patrolling the lawns looking for grubs turned up by the lawn mowers. Our cat soon learned that if we looked out a window and whispered loudly in a conspiratorial voice "Birds", that there were neat creatures outdoors that needed to be investigated.

She also knew her name, and several other key phrases. (Like "Food"). And she also knew when we were looking for the cat caddy for her trip to the vet, or when we were both getting ready to leave the house.

I remember Jay Leno telling a story of how he and his cat used to play hide-and-seek in the house. In the dark, of course, the cat always had the advantage. Leno mentioned that he once got a pair of night-vision goggles to even up the score, and that his cat was very troubled by his sudden ability to see in the dark. Stories like this tell us that, mammals at least, are capable of recognizing us as fellow sentient creatures, not just lifeless mobiles mindlessly dispensiing treats and punishment.