Duncan's First Picnic

Spring is finally here, which means it's time to start Duncan's training as a camping dog. So today we went to Crawford Lake for his first picnic and mini-hike. We found a nice picnic table under some trees. There was plenty of exploring to do, and Duncan's kibble was garnished with some hard-boiled egg and cheese. He seemed very enthusiastic.

But what about when the kibble is finished? Have I mentioned that he's smart? Here he is, connecting the dots between the empty bowl in the background and the food on the table.

Bagel? And cheese? Don't mind if I do!

 You may recall that Duncan has a stick obsession, and there were lots to choose from, so he finished off lunch with a nice chew:

We bought him a 20-foot leash, partly to allow him some exploring space, and partly to practice "Come". Apparently next week at school we're working on "come", so we're supposed to practice it before then. He did really well, considering all the distractions. Notice how he managed to keep track of his stick and still eat his reward. (Freeze-dried chicken. It seems to be wonderful stuff.)

After lunch we went for a mini-hike down to the lake. It's not very far, but with so many things to see and smell, Duncan had a wonderful time. And he's getting so good at walking nicely on his leash!

The lake was interesting. There were fish, and other dogs, and apparently lots of smells on the breeze:

We were tempted to walk around the lake, but it's probably a good thing we didn't, because we had a tired little boy by the time we walked back to the car. He's napping in his crate now, but I think he'll be happy to go picnicking again soon.