Yes, the dog thing was cute. He also apologized for her being there, saying she was "needy." And then he sat there petting her in his lap for a long time. It might seem silly, but I often think of myself as being too needy, including toward him. So hearing him call her needy yet still being affectionate toward her and not immediately sending her out of the room had some meaning to me. (Even though of course a pet dog is different from a therapy client.)

With the hoodie (which he's worn a few times now), he normally wears dress shirts (though fairly casual ones, like with prints on them) for session. So seeing him in a hoodie felt like seeing him more as he would be in his outside life, like if he was just relaxing at home on the weekend with his wife and son. Plus he plays with the strings whenever he wears it, so it's a little distracting!