Dogs have a cheerfully unerring memory for certain things. They instantly recall on sight (augmented by a giveaway smell) those who in the past have indulged their appetite for treats. A certain method of attaining a friend-for-life; transforming a dog one has hitherto been unacquainted with, is to offer something palatable to its canine taste. That could be almost anything with some dogs, but all dogs appreciate those playful little tidbits that come in little packages labelled "dog treat".

Some dogs are so fixated on edibles that on first meeting they are far more interested in what might be discreetly contained in a pocket than coming face to face with the person wearing the pocket. I've had large dogs nuzzle me companionably, only to discover they've managed to get their snouts successfully into the bag of doggy treats that accompany our walks in the ravine.

Now that we're all geared up to withstand the (scrambled eggs, oatmeal cereal, fresh vegetables and fruits) that we're sparing with the dog biscuits with them.

cold and wind every time we venture onto the forest trails, it's my husband who reaches into pockets to retrieve bags of treats. And he does this regularly whenever we come across dogs other than our own. Our own two little rascals get so many other kinds of special food treats, from sharing elements of our breakfasts and dinner preparations

But they know that when doggy cookies are being handed out, they'll be included, so the enthusiasm is spread about, all dogs present clamouring to be noticed, nudging knees and hands with anxious snouts so as not to be overlooked in the general melee of the moment.

And so it was yesterday during our afternoon ravine ramble. Light flurries under an aluminum-coloured sky almost perfectly reflecting the prevailing shades of snow billowing on the forest floor, now and again a wan attempt by the sun to burn through the metal cap of the sky -- almost succeeding but yet not quite. A beautifully moderate-tempered day of -2C brought plenty of people from the surrounding community out to share the leisure pleasure of a stroll through woodland trails, and we made it last as long as we could, taking an especially long circuit before finally heading back home.