I am not sure it pays to be nice.
Somehow some of the mutts had grown a bit weary of the usual fare, so I thought, to spruce up the kibbles a bit, I would add to their food a can of dog food i had inherited from The Bennetts.
Great and unqualified success, in fact so great a success that the mutts would attack whatever bowl I was scooping the canned food into which was not at all what I had in mind, so I told them to get back to their own bowls where I would give them their fair share forthwith.
Not being terribly bright to begin with they all got very confused and one clumsily stepped in her bowl, knocked it over and broke it into many pieces, food scattered all over the kitchen floor.
And then they all disappeared, leaving me to clean up the mess.
Had I yelled at them, had I been strict I would have an easier time with this mess. As it is I tried to be nice, to give them a special treat.
Well that stops this for a while. No more Mr. Good Person. They can eat their kibbles without any extra or not eat at all.