Is Max picking the apples?

Since Max was given a duty to guard the peach tree, Nutkins and his cousins have not made as many visits as before. Max has settled down at his new guarding station quite comfortably judging by his huge dug out pothole under the apple tree.
Lately I noticed Max is having fun throwing up apples in the air and catching them as well as rolling on them in the grass. Upon checking I saw a few apples around his house and under the RV as well as under the tree. I suspect Max has been picking apples to play when he is bored.
It looks like I have to tell Max that the apples are not yet ready to be picked and to leave them alone on the tree.
I wonder what is his next plan to keep him occupied .

Max gets a job

Since my peaches on the tree are almost ready to be picked, the tree have had many visitors checking the fruits. There were the birds, the human and of course Nutkin and his cousins the squirrels. Nutkin has been bringing his cousins and family to have a party every morning and after the party, they would always take home a party gift in their mouth.

I have kind of marked which fruit I woud eat first from the tree, but after Nutkin took it as a "door gift" to bring home, I could no longer let them party on my tree. So, I employed Maximillian the Great Pyrenees to guard the tree. Since then, Nutkins and his relatives have to make a wide circle to get to the tree. Max (as he is lovingly known) would lay quitely watching the tricks and would jump and scare them when they thought they could jump from the apple tree to the ripening peaches. So far, Max has been doing a very good job and I am proud of him.