Slugs and snails and puppy dogs tails

Other than ducks, the one form of animal life that has thoroughly benefited from the 'Summer' we've been having are snails; though the slugs seem to be having a good time as well. Most of our slugs are in the front garden, and yes we should be collecting and disposing of them in one of the various methods recommended on Gardener's World...but I'm afraid we haven't. We're now out numbered, and walking down the garden path on a damp evening resembles an episode of Dr Who. But it's the back yard where we've been spending most of our time, and that's where the snails have congregated. There are lots of cool clay plant pots for them to climb, and plenty of damp corners to hide in. Well, at least that was the case until recently! As it turns out, there is virtually nothing more appealing to a puppy than a crunchy-juicy snail clinging to the side of a pot or hiding in a corner. When I first heard the chomping and saw his tail wagging I didn't know what Bingley had found and made him empty his mouth. It wasn't a pretty sight! I've no idea if eating snails is bad for him; in some parts of the world they're considered a delicacy - though I'm pretty sure that people generally leave the shells behind, and that's the bit I'm most concerned about with Bing. Erring on the side of caution I did what every good gardener would have done long ago, and using an old paint bucket I went around and collected up all the snails I could find. I'm sure that Bing, watching me, thought that he was in for a feast - he really did have that look in his eye as he followed me around. But instead I lugged the pot of snails over to a patch of greenery away from our yard, and released them to fend for themselves elsewhere - though I imagine that the geese will have got them by now. It's tough being a snail.