WMG / Family Dog

As mentioned on the main page, the extent to which things have been restored to their former state after the Binsfords' house burns down and is re-built in "Party Animal" is striking, in particular the unfortunate fact that burning down the house has not taught Billy not to play with fire. The key to this may just lie in the fact that during the first party immediately preceding the fire, the dog is put outside and goes into his doghouse and likely to sleep. What if the dog only dreamed the house fire and its aftermath and after waking up growled at Billy at the same party rather than at a later one to stop playing with fire?^note Two details that could speak against this theory are the fact that the sky during the second party seems to be around sunset, whereas the sky during the first party when the dog puts in for the night is already at dusk. Also, Bev is hanging the "replacement" family portrait at the same time as Billy is seen playing with matches for the last time; OTOH, the portrait did not appear anywhere in the house during the same episode until the fire scene, so if the dog dreamed the fire, it could conceivably have been taken before the "first" party.