Spring. A young man's thoughts turn to love and a Golden Retriever's turn to picnicking. It is once again that time of year when our dog cannot be let off the lead in any location where people might be laying out the picnic blanket and opening up that hamper.
She's a fabulous dog but the food obsession is her drawback. She displays all the addict behaviour. She knows it is wrong, she knows she shouldn't do it but she just can't help herself. If there is food within the vicinity she will try and eat it.
In her lifetime we've had to apologise to many people.
One time she came across a couple enjoying a private romantic pizza in a beautiful countryside spot. It took 2 grown men to prise her jaws open to get her to release the food. Then there was the man in the tent on the beach who suddenly found a dog snuggled up with him demolishing his stash of sausage rolls.
Another time we unexpectedly came across a fishing competition. The fishermen were lined up every 50 yards or so, intent on catching the big one. The dog just cruised straight past them all wolfing down their bait and the odd sandwich. I finally caught up with her about 10 minutes down the path and had to do the walk of shame home, apologising to every single one.
The players of the Ultimate Frisbee team were unimpressed when their post-game donuts disappeared before half time. She has not, unlike another retriever we know, eaten a birthday cake but she has eaten a cricket tea and then distinguished herself by being sick right across the cricket pitch. She once found an open back door and helped herself to the cat food in the kitchen. She did something similar in Bosnia and got belted across the face with a broom stick, rightly so.
Her finest achievement came as a (luckily) very sweet puppy when we let her out of the car in a restaurant car park. She legged it into the restaurant and got onto a diners lap and helped herself to his pudding.
So we welcome summer but dread it too. Years of experience have taught us once picnic season is open, the dog stays on the lead.