conditioning

When I come across a fenced front yard as I'm knocking door to door, I whistle to see if there's a dog inside before I open the gate. Because that has been a habit for so long, I've caught myself licking my lips (which I do every time before I whistle) when see a fence at the next house before I even think about it.

This is even worse, though: I went into a gas station during a break at work one time, and I wasn't sure if someone was in the one-person restroom or not. My first instinct was to pucker my lips to whistle...just like I would if I wasn't sure if there was a dog inside a fence or not. I'm glad I caught myself before I let a whistle out and just knocked on the door instead!