Barney & Clyde -- and Garfield

The sequence in Barney & Clyde published 1/3/14 had a rather clever reference to another comic strip. And I wonder -- was it a one-sided reference on the part of the creative team -- Gene & Dan Weingarten and David Clark -- or was Jim Davis also involved? Here's the sequence in question:
(click on images to enlarge)

Folks who are avid comics readers know that the full name of Garfield's owner is Jon Arbuckle. His girlfriend, veterinarian Liz doesn't appear in every sequence, but she did in Garfield's 1/3/14 sequence. And Garfield comes between them, making the Barney & Clyde sequence appear to provide commentary on the action!

Coincidence? Perhaps. But it did make reading Garfield a little more enjoyable (at least that day). Thanks, B&C!