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An older couple picks red apples in an orchard while a scruffy grey dog sniffs apples lying in the grass below. 12 / 21

The Basket Was Almost Full. Pepper Was Still Inspecting Apples One by One.

AI imagerescue muttapple orchardfall

The orchard branches are heavy with red apples, and the picking is going beautifully. Dolores reaches up to pluck one from a low limb, smiling over her shoulder, while Frank, in a flat cap and canvas shoulder bag, fills a woven basket already brimming with fruit. Pepper, meanwhile, has taken on quality control at ground level. Nose down, ears drooping forward, he's methodically sniffing his way through the windfall apples scattered in the grass, as if each one needs his personal approval before anyone else can have it.

A little apple is generally considered a safe, crunchy dog treat when it's sliced and the core, stem, and seeds are removed, since seeds contain compounds that can be harmful in quantity and cores can be a choking risk. Fallen orchard fruit is a different story. Apples that have been on the ground for a while can ferment, and a dog who gobbles a lot of rotting fruit may end up with an upset stomach or worse. Orchards may also have been sprayed, so it's best to let a dog sniff rather than snack, and to offer a clean, sliced piece from the basket instead.

Pepper doesn't mind the rules as long as the sniffing is unlimited. In an orchard full of new smells, that might be the best part of the whole fall outing.

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