My dog focuses on the ground when he walks. His powerful sense of smell gives him a window into the world that I do not have. When he walk our neighborhood, he is consumed with finding and evaluating all the latest scents. He wants to know which other dogs have visited his park and if they pose a threat. Squirrels, raccoons, and rabbits: they all leave a scent trail. Then he marks his territory by urinating every few steps so no one will doubt it’s his neighborhood.
I do the same. We don't have squirrels, raccoons or rabbits here, but there are plenty of other doggos and cattos in my neighbourhood, and it's important that they all know that I am boss around here.
It's summer here right now, so lots of things to sniff and explore. I almost got attacked by a black swan the other week because I dropped my ball in his pond and tried to get it back, but his babies were in the pond.
Fortunately, I got my ball back before he got to me, but it was very scary. My human told me I'm not meant to go in that pond, but I'll probably try and do it again!
It sounds like you know your business!
It is very serious business, too
Moral of the story: Don't drop the ball or you could cause a black swan event.