I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.

For me they are the role model for being alive.

~ Gilda Radner

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Stumpy learns to swim



Stumpy has loved the water since her first introduction. Even when we aren't playing she would stay in the water, just walking around, for hours.

However, she had always had a bit of trouble staying afloat.



She walked across the bottom of the lake and "bobs" pushing herself off the bottom when she was over her head, flailing wildly with her front paws. The fact that she couldn't swim never stopped her from going out into the water, over her head. I always stayed close, in case she got into trouble.



We spent some time at Cuzzin Baxter's house who happened to have a pool.



Baxter's dad took a few minutes to give both Baxter and Stumpy a swimming lesson. Baxter, being a Shar Pei cross, abhors water, except to drink out of a bowl.



The lesson was not wasted on Stumpy, though. She became a power swimmer in no time at all; swimming the length of the pool, harassing all of us to come swimming with her and in general showing off.



Of course she rested, occasionally, too.

9 comments:

T said...

Aw, swimming lessons defintely don't look wasted in those photos. Stumpy is such a pretty girl.

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

Way to go!

Now to get a job as a lifeguard!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra

Gus, Louie and Callie said...

OH what fun stumpy. The little girl will swim with mom in the pool but us boys are a big more cautions. We love the lake, it tastes much better...

Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie

Nancy at the Farm said...

WOW! We want swimming lessons too! Well, Dozer does at least. We loved the pictures, nice narrative too Mom, you do a nice job.

Love, Dozer, Dottie and Cooper

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

Thanks, T...we call Stumpy a few other things, too...

Khyra, we need a body of water to be a lifeguard...

Happy Heelers, it took Stumpy more than a couple minutes to decide the pool wasn't going to kill her. Showing her, multiple times, where the stairs were helped. That's a big safety rule, if one has dogs and a pool..knowing the escape route is a requirement if a dog falls into a pool.

Dozer, Dottie and Coop!!! Nice of you to visit!!!

Dog_geek said...

Wow - looks like loads of fun! That's one thing I have not been good about this summer - taking the dogs to the river to go swimming. The puppy has only been once, and the river was too high to do much of anything.

Life With Dogs said...

Congrats on passing a substantial dog milestone. No when do we get to see Stumpy pull a cannonball? :)

tula monstah said...

Good Job Stumpy! you're like a regular ole fish now! next up -the backstroke? the 400m crawl? you look pooped. i'll let you be:)

toodles,
tula

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

Hey DG, our swimming days are over, too...for now. Bums me out because we both grew up on the water. I can't believe I am stuck in the desert in the summer. It's unatural.

LWD, we have until next summer to perfect the cannonball... that's the next time in the foreseeable future, that I see water in our future.

Tula Monstah!!! No! No! No!!! We can never leave Stumpy alone. she has severe separation anxiety issues. Plus she has a comeback like you can't believe. Give her a minute and she's go all over again. Actually, she would prefer no rest periods at all.