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Into the Gloom. The tall skeletons of long-dead ash trees stand sprinkled across the hummocky basin of the intermittent beaver pond, and silhouetted against the overcast sky, the barkfree trunks and branches appear black.

Have you ever been out walking your dog when an off-leash dog comes running at you? Nearby there’s often a person calling out “Don’t worry! He’s friendly!”. Loose dogs are not only an annoyance but they can also pose a danger. Many dogs object to having a loose dog rapidly approach and get in their face. Also, most cities, including Two Harbors, have leash laws requiring a dog be leashed. On a recent walk, when an exuberant young lab puppy with no social etiquette came running toward us, my two dogs reacted by lunging and barking. In essence, they were yelling “Stop right now kid! Get out of our faces!”. Since the pup was loose, her owner had neither a way to interrupt her rude behavior nor to prevent her from potentially being injured should my dogs have done more than yell at her. Puppies are still learning how the world works and a huge part of that is deciding what is and isn’t safe. For this puppy, a couple of things happened that had the potential to make her feel that other dogs might be in the not safe category. First, she had two dogs barking and lunging at her to go away. Next, her owner came to collect her and without a leash, his only recourse was to try to grab her as he chased her back to his car. They may seem small, but events like these have the potential to increase the chances that she’ll have formed the association that other dogs equal danger. And when that happens, you may wind up with a reactive dog that barks, lunges, and growls at other dogs. Luckily, this all ended well and no one was hurt. My dogs seemed none the worse for wear and I’m guessing the puppy, being a typical happy lab, is also fine. Sometimes though, considering dogs carry around a mouthful of weapons, things can go sideways in a hurry. It’s better to leash your dog and be safe than to risk physical injury or future behavioral problems. Here’s your homework. See how many people you can thank for having their dog on leash this week. How you train matters

Since May of 2020 Cavallin Funeral Home in Two Harbors has offered on-site cremation, though many people are not aware of that option. For many years cremation has been possible through Cavallin’s, though only off-site at a Superior, Wisconsin location.

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