Five Chocolate Lab Puppies Moved Into the Vegetable Garden

Rich, dark soil, green lettuce and feathery carrot tops fill a raised bed, and five chocolate brown Labrador Retriever puppies are right in the middle of it. They are crowded together with their noses low and their eyes bright, their coats the color of milk chocolate against the earth. Garden tools and a fence in the background show that someone has been hard at work.

Chocolate Labs have a warm brown coat, a trait that comes from a particular gene, and they are every bit as friendly as their black and yellow cousins. Labs are curious, food-driven dogs that put everything in their mouths, so the garden needs care. Keep fertilizers, bait for slugs and mice, and garden chemicals out of reach, and remember that onions, garlic and some other plants are harmful to dogs. Compost piles can contain mold that is dangerous if eaten. Puppies love to dig, so offer a spot where digging is allowed. Muddy paws are part of the fun, and a towel at the door helps. If you notice that a puppy has eaten something questionable, call your vet right away.

At the moment, the lettuce looks safe. The real harvest here is five muddy and very happy faces. By dinnertime each of them will be washed, towel-dried and sound asleep, dreaming of the next trip out to the garden.