For breeds or mixed breeds that have terriers, sporting dogs, herding dogs, or hunting dogs in their backgrounds, what could be more important than unraveling the scent of squirrels in the grass or exploring the whizzing movements of kids at play in a field? —Certainly not obedience work. Consider human parallels: Would you trade a trip to Hawaii for a chance to cut the lawn? After all, your reward will only be a neat looking yard. Or how about this? Think of your favorite activity. Would you rather do that or wash a sink-full of greasy dishes for the promise of a nickel-sized morsel of your favorite treat? Translated into a human context, can you see how heeling for 15 minutes or running to pick up an unimportant object for a kind word or a teensy scrap of food might seem ridiculous to some dogs? (I wonder if there is any irony here—one object to retrieve is called a dumbbell.) Though a piece of chicken may entice most dogs, to others, it is a pale substitute for a world in action around them.