Animal unclear on the concept

So today, I happen to walk past Murphy's bed and spy something on it that should not be--my oven mitt. This has been an ongoing issue as Murphy seems to like taking the oven mitt, probably because it smells/tastes like food. So unless I remember to put it back in the drawer, I can pretty much expect it to migrate from the counter or table that I left it on to his bed or his favorite spot by the window in the living room. It's like he views it as some sort of a time-share agreement where he gets it when I'm not using it or something.

So this time, I decided to teach him a lesson and show him that my property is mine. I picked up the oven mitt as he walked over and I figured that it was time to remind him who the boss was.

"You see this?" I asked, shaking it in front of him as authoritatively as I could. "This is mine. MINE! Got it?"

Murphy looked at me for a second, and then he reached out and grabbed the oven mitt and sat down on his dog bed with it.

I'm thinking that I wasn't as clear on my point as I could have been. Hopefully the rap on the nose that he got with it next made it a bit clearer.

Sigh...somehow I doubt it.