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Grandmother in a floral apron sitting on a pickup truck tailgate by a farm field, smiling at a black and white Havanese. 18 / 29

The Old Pickup's Tailgate Made the Perfect Bench at the Edge of the Field

AI imagehavanesefarmpickup truck

The tailgate of an old blue pickup makes the perfect bench at the edge of a freshly tilled field. Rows of young plants stretch toward a line of trees under a hazy, pale sky, and the evening air looks soft and still. Abuela sits in her blue T-shirt, jeans and floral apron, gazing down with a warm, crinkly smile at Chispa, who has settled right beside her on the truck bed. The Havanese turns her fluffy face toward her person, ears fanned out, nose lifted, enjoying the attention. A chain hangs from the tailgate, and dusty grass grows thick around the tires.

Rural outings can be a fun change of scenery for a small dog, with all sorts of new smells to explore. A few precautions keep them safe. Farm fields may be treated with fertilizers or pest control products, so it is best to keep dogs from rolling in or nibbling crops in freshly worked ground. Long coats can pick up seeds, burrs and ticks in tall grass, so a quick check afterward is a good habit. And when riding in or on a pickup, a small dog should always travel inside the cab with a secure harness or crate, never loose in the open bed.

Some evenings are made for doing nothing at all. A warm tailgate, a quiet field and a loyal friend leaning close feel like more than enough.

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