First swim

We took the monster puppies for a walk along the old canal this morning. I was running late to pick my husband up from work, so I forgot the camera, darn it! I wasn't intending to let them swim but we ended up down along the St Lawrence river. The dogs had a great time with the trail down the hill and then through a wooded area that finally comes out to a little spit with a rocky beach.

It was so funny to watch Bronwyn the fearless try to go into the water. At first she tried to walk on the surface, then played with the splashes, and then scared herself with big splashes and ran behind me to hide. This is the dog, though, that likes to stick her nose in the water bowl and blow bubbles, so it didn't take her very long to get back in. She saw a water strider and jumped in after it-at least until the water reached her belly.

Fingal wouldn't even put his feet in, so we tried throwing a stick a short way out. Fingal wouldn't go for it, but Bronny dove right in after it, KERSPLOOSH!!!
She went under, bobbed up and doggie paddled like mad back to the shore. We'll have to go in with them, I think, until they get the hang of it. :D

They were off the leashes for the water and then scared the life out of my by taking off running at full tilt through the grass and down the trail. Good doggies though-they came right back to us a minute later. Whew!

Now, after a rub down and a good ear cleaning, they're flaked out sound asleep on the floor. Tomorrow, we try again!

It took me three years to get taz to go in the water, at first he would stear clear of puddles, then i used to throw sticks into the water for him to chase which he didnt like, or understand, then i used to cross little streams in the woods with him on a lead so he had to follow - making it fun all the way; then he used to potter down the streams when the weather was walm ( walm for the UK!); then we used to go to the river in Ilkley everyweek , there is a dog and people beach there the water is shallow and If you are of the two legged variety can walk across it, i used to get in a dingy and row into the middle with taz's ball hoping he would follow but for about a year ( going once a week) he would stand and bark and run back off the beach to find my friends, Eventually about a month ago i decided to wade across the river and see if he would follow - and he did he looked at me, took a running jump and started to swim, across to the beech on the other bank! I was so excited the other poeple on the beach must have thought i was mad - and from then on he has swum to chase his ball every time we go there!! I guess its just a confidence issue but he really seems to enjoy it now and we can't keep him out of the water! We went to a beach by the seaside this weekend and took taz down to the water to play fetch - he nearly went in but the waves scared him, unless he was just playing dodge the waves!!!!

Im sure with time your doggies will love to be in the water, it took taz three years so yours seem to be progressing at lightening speed compared to him!! It is such a nice sight to see doggies cooling off in the summer, splashing and swimming and im sure its very good excercise from them - it certainly tires taz out!!

Skryker, sounds like a blast. Jemma was hilarious her first time in the water but she became a pro really quickly.

Oh, if you do go in with them, watch out for the claws. They're so sharp under water and all spread out too. :eek:

Yikes! I never thought about the claws...panicky dogs and big feet could be a problem.

We're pretty sure that if we just walk in, Fingal will follow us, so we'll go nice and slowly at first. Stay in the shallows for awhile. He's been checking out the shower recently so it's not water itself that's the problem. He doesn't really like puddles, either, though. Maybe the water tickles his belly?

By the end of the summer, I'll probably be wishing they didn't like water QUITE so much. :D