I always since when Lenore finds the muddiest, dirtiest spot in the woods – she has a genius for this, as do all Labs – and plops down, she has the most earnest and serious look, as if to say, “what’s the matter with you? Why isn’t everybody rolling in this.” I am happy for Lenore to have her fun but of course the car will be soaked with mud and I will have to spend ten minutes or so hosing her down and rubbing her off.

Dog lovers, especially true Lab lovers, accept this reality with a shrug and a smile, although I meet many people who seem shocked that Labs dig things up, eat bulbs, garbage, animal fecal matter, chicken droppings and rotten apples and fruit. Lenore likes to throw things up on the bed in the middle of the night, if we were sane we would just make her sleep elsewhere, but of course we are not sane, we love Labs.