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An elderly woman in a gray sweatshirt hammers a fence board as a red-gold Golden Retriever holds a long stick. 29 / 36

Grandma Odessa Fixed the Old Fence. Copper Brought His Own Lumber.

AI imagegolden retrieverfence repairbackyard

There is a leaning wooden fence, a hammer in Grandma Odessa's hand and an extra helper who has brought his own tool. She wears a gray sweatshirt with her reading glasses pushed up into her short silver hair, eyes narrowed in concentration as she holds a board in place. Copper sits right beside the fence with a long twig clamped in his mouth, red-gold fur glossy and eyes bright as if he is about to hand it over. Garden gloves and a flowerpot lie on the ground, and a house with weathered siding stands behind.

Fix-it jobs are great for a retriever, who loves to carry things and feel part of the team. Giving a dog a safe job, like holding a soft toy, can keep them busy. However, sticks are not ideal chew toys, because splinters can injure the mouth or throat, so a rubber toy is a safer choice. When doing repairs, keep nails, screws and tools picked up, since dogs can step on or swallow them. Keep your dog a safe distance from the hammer and any paint or sealant, which can be harmful. Practice a solid leave it cue, and reward your dog for waiting nearby while you work.

The fence will be straight by the end of the afternoon. And Copper will have earned a very big biscuit for his contribution.

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An elderly woman in a green cardigan picks an apple from a branch while a Golden Retriever sniffs fallen apples.Grandma Odessa Picked the Perfect Apple. Copper Inspected All the Ones on the Ground.An elderly woman in a green cardigan holds the raised paw of a seated red-gold Golden Retriever on a patterned rug.Grandma Odessa Offered Her Hand. Copper Offered Something Better.
An elderly woman in a green cardigan sits with bare feet in the water on a dock beside a red-gold Golden Retriever.Grandma Odessa Dipped Her Toes in the Pond. Copper Stayed Right Beside Her.An elderly woman in a plaid shirt sews a patchwork quilt while a red-gold Golden Retriever sleeps on the fabric.Grandma Odessa Spread Out the Quilt Squares. Copper Found a New Bed.An elderly woman in glasses reads a book on a couch with a dark red Golden Retriever beside her and a pale one before her.Two Retrievers Settled In for Grandma Odessa's Evening StoryAn elderly woman in a gray cardigan sleeps on the grass with her head against a sleeping red-gold Golden Retriever.Grandma Odessa Lay Down on the Lawn. Copper Made Himself Her Pillow.