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A silver-haired woman in a chunky cardigan sits on a pickup tailgate smiling at a gold and white Shih Tzu beside her. 19 / 38

Out at the Edge of the Field, Dottie Leaned Over and Told Teddy Something

AI imageshih tzupickup truckcountryside

The tailgate of the old black pickup is down at the edge of a wide, open field, and Dottie has made herself comfortable on it in her chunky cable-knit cardigan. She is leaning close to Teddy with a gentle, crinkly-eyed smile, as though she has just whispered him a secret. Teddy sits upright on the ridged tailgate right beside her, his gold and white fur ruffled by the breeze, gazing back at her with quiet devotion. Beyond the truck, a flat green field stretches toward a line of distant trees under a soft gray sky, with a tipped blue bucket and a coiled hose in the grass nearby.

Tailgates make a great perch, but small dogs need a little help around trucks. Jumping down from a tailgate can be a long drop for short legs, and it can strain the back and joints of a small breed like a Shih Tzu, so lifting them down gently is the safer choice. A dog should never ride in an open truck bed, as sudden stops, turns, or bumps can cause serious injuries. Inside the cab, a secured crate or a harness attached to a seat belt is best. Out in the country, it also helps to keep dogs leashed near fields where there may be livestock, wildlife, farm equipment, or ticks hiding in tall grass.

There is nothing happening out here but a slow breeze and good company, and that is exactly the point. Some of the best conversations happen on a tailgate at the edge of a field.

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