Grandma Odessa Picked the Perfect Apple. Copper Inspected All the Ones on the Ground.
Autumn light slips through the orchard, and Grandma Odessa reaches up to pick a ripe red apple from a leafy branch. She kneels in a green cardigan and pale blue shirt, silver hair under her glasses, with a basket of apples waiting beside her. Copper has his own project at ground level, nose pressed to the grass as he investigates the windfalls scattered under the tree, his dark red-gold coat gleaming. A wooden fence and rows of orchard trees fade into the cool background, with fallen leaves and bright fruit on every patch of ground.
Orchards are a lovely fall outing, but a few precautions keep a dog safe. Apple flesh is fine for most dogs in small pieces, but the seeds and core can contain a compound that is harmful in large amounts, and cores can be a choking risk, so remove them first. Fallen apples can be fermenting, which can make a dog ill, and may be covered in insects or mold, so keep your dog from eating them. Bring water and a leash, and watch for bees. Retrievers love to carry fruit in their mouths, so teach a drop it cue. If your dog eats a lot of fruit, talk to your vet.
By the end of the afternoon, the basket will be full and Copper will have inspected every single apple. He is very thorough.
