Lenore has sprouted a dignified gray muzzle this year, although she often looks like  a puppy. She is lean and strong, her coat shiny thanks, I think,  to Fromm Food. We are still working out our walking issues, she found the carcass of a dead and skinned deer (this is hunting season) in the woods, and it took me awhile to find her and get it off of her. I am thinking of altering our walks, either leashing her or re-training her, perhaps with some sweet smelling liver treats.

I have a rule with my dogs that if they are doing an activity that upsets or irritates me, I stop it because that is not how I wish to be with my dogs, even sweeties like Lenore. Labs can be difficult about eating things that are not good for them, and a rotting deer carcass is not a good thing for any dog to be eating. So I will try some re-training tomorrow, perhaps using kibble to see what happens. When there is a behavioral issue like this, it is always the human’s fault. Either we are putting the dog in a position to fail, or reinforcing behaviors we don’t like, often unconsciously. I need to do something different, on my walks I like to be calm and quiet, they are important to me, and the woods are filled with too many unhealthy things for me to let go of it, although that is definitely something to consider as well. I’ll report back.

There is a significant part of me that simply lets dogs be themselves, and live their lives, but unlike donkeys, Labs will often do things that are not good for them, that is part of my job too.