Browse ›
A bearded older man in plaid kneels to plant a tomato seedling while a golden retriever digs in the soil beside his hands. 6 / 22

Gus Knelt Down to Plant His Tomatoes. Honey Decided to Help Dig.

AI imagegolden retrievergardeninggrandparents

On his knees in the soft dirt, Gus is pressing a young tomato plant into place with both hands, a ripe tomato already hanging on the plant beside him. Honey has decided gardening looks easy. With her front paws planted in the bed and her nose down, she is excavating a hole of her own just inches away, soil flying behind her. Gus watches with a patient half-smile, the kind that says this is not the first time. A blue watering can and a scatter of tools wait farther down the yard.

Many dogs love to dig, and it usually comes from boredom, curiosity, or simply copying what their people are doing. Freshly turned soil smells fascinating to a dog. If you would like to protect your garden, try giving your dog a designated digging spot with loose dirt or sand and a few buried toys, and praise them for using it. Be thoughtful about what goes into the beds as well. Some fertilizers, cocoa bean mulch, and pest products can be harmful to dogs, and the leaves and stems of tomato plants are best kept away from curious mouths. Talk to your vet if you are unsure about something your dog ate in the garden.

Gus might get one tomato plant in the ground for every hole Honey digs, and honestly that seems like a fair trade. Every garden needs a foreman, even a muddy one.

More from this collection

All 22 →
A bearded older man in suspenders fills in a newspaper crossword at a kitchen table while a golden retriever watches closely.Gus Was Stuck on One Crossword Clue. His Breakfast Partner Leaned In Closer.A bearded older man sprays water on a dusty blue car as a golden retriever sits up and snaps at the arc of hose water.Grandpa Only Meant to Rinse the Old Car. Then He Tipped the Hose Down.
A smiling bearded man in a plaid shirt and suspenders holds out a vanilla ice cream cone as a golden retriever licks it.Gus Bought Himself an Ice Cream Cone. He Never Got the First Bite.A bearded older man sits in a folding lawn chair at sunset beside a golden retriever sitting on the grass in the backyard.Grandpa Set Out Two Lawn Chairs for the Sunset. Honey Had Her Own Idea.A bearded older man in suspenders sleeps on a green blanket on the lawn, his head resting on a sleeping golden retriever.Gus Forgot His Pillow When He Lay Down on the Lawn. Problem Solved.A bearded older man pours water from a metal watering can onto pink and purple flowers beside a smiling golden retriever.Grandpa Was Watering the Petunias. Something Else in the Flower Bed Was Blooming.