People digging for clams and quahogs along the shores of Cocagne, N.B. are doing a double take.
A four-year-old golden doodle named Reni with a nose for seafood can be seen along the water’s edge digging for shellfish.
“She is more interested in digging for than actually retrieving a ball,” said her owner Anne Caron.
READ MORE: Frankie the Halifax cycling beagle attracting attention on streets, online
Using her keen nose to sniff out shellfish, Anne says Reni paws around in the muck until she feels her prey, and without hesitation dunks right in and brings up a fresh shellfish that her 13-year-old son Jacob places into a bucket.
“It’s pretty strange, honestly, because I never saw a dog do this type of thing before,” said Jacob, who can also been seen on the beach with his dog knee-deep in the muck digging for quahogs.
“It’s not something that we trained her specially to do, it just kind of developed naturally. It just kind of evolved. She likes digging for clams and quahogs and oysters and stuff like that” said Anne.
Reni proudly prances her catch off to Jacob to toss in the bucket.
READ MORE: Dartmouth animal shelter worker has sleepover with dog during storm
She may have a nose for seafood, but Anne says she doesn’t have a pallet for it.
However, Anne says Reni could dig for the mollusks all day if you let her.
“She’s really happy doing this. She is happy as a clam.”