Monday, April 16, 2007
Doggie Paddle
Before I got a dog I thought that a dog was like a duck... they found water jumped in and swam. This is not the case. Many dogs are scared of water, most dogs need to be carefully introduced to the experience of swimming or even paddling.
Max was one of the dogs that for him swimming and paddling took a lot of thought and forsaking all our gentle attempts he would only waide in to kneck deep to retrieve his ball.
I must say thank you to friends' dogs and one lady in particular we met at Queen Victoria Country Park (Netley). Her 2 dogs saved us loosing yet another ball to the will of the tide... thank you :)
Anyway, on with the story.
We went out with Tina, Nigel and Levi (the dog) for a walk and headed down to a lovely stretch of river where Levi proceeding to head straight in to the water with Max running along the river bank... wanting to go in but not knowing how to take the first steps.
After kajolling from all of us and a gentle encouraging push or 2 as well. Max did not want to go out of his depth. Levi was doing an admirable job collecting the sticks before they headed down stream and crunching them, bringing some back to be rethrown. :)
Eventually after a few tentative gos at getting in the water the boys decided that they would try getting in the water and waiding with the dogs. So, Nigel & Marcus entered the water with Levi ad after a bit of a think Max joined them.
Max went after sticks and ran through the water, he even swam a little.
Now, this does not sound a lot, but to dog owners who live on the South coast a dog scared of water and who you are not sure can swim is a niggling concern. We are concerned no more.
Thanks to Tina, Nigel & Levi we now have a dog getting more an more happy to dive in and out of the water. This means we can walk by water without worry and also that we can have fun throwing balls and sticks in to the water for Max to chase and hopefully retrieve.
So in a year Max is now happy to walk on a lead, go in cars, sleep on a bed (preferrably ours), be left for a few hours on his own and enter water to chase sticks.
Yippee!!
Max was one of the dogs that for him swimming and paddling took a lot of thought and forsaking all our gentle attempts he would only waide in to kneck deep to retrieve his ball.
I must say thank you to friends' dogs and one lady in particular we met at Queen Victoria Country Park (Netley). Her 2 dogs saved us loosing yet another ball to the will of the tide... thank you :)
Anyway, on with the story.
We went out with Tina, Nigel and Levi (the dog) for a walk and headed down to a lovely stretch of river where Levi proceeding to head straight in to the water with Max running along the river bank... wanting to go in but not knowing how to take the first steps.
After kajolling from all of us and a gentle encouraging push or 2 as well. Max did not want to go out of his depth. Levi was doing an admirable job collecting the sticks before they headed down stream and crunching them, bringing some back to be rethrown. :)
Eventually after a few tentative gos at getting in the water the boys decided that they would try getting in the water and waiding with the dogs. So, Nigel & Marcus entered the water with Levi ad after a bit of a think Max joined them.
Max went after sticks and ran through the water, he even swam a little.
Now, this does not sound a lot, but to dog owners who live on the South coast a dog scared of water and who you are not sure can swim is a niggling concern. We are concerned no more.
Thanks to Tina, Nigel & Levi we now have a dog getting more an more happy to dive in and out of the water. This means we can walk by water without worry and also that we can have fun throwing balls and sticks in to the water for Max to chase and hopefully retrieve.
So in a year Max is now happy to walk on a lead, go in cars, sleep on a bed (preferrably ours), be left for a few hours on his own and enter water to chase sticks.
Yippee!!
# posted by Vici : 12:45 pm
