Pools close to humans on Labor Day but it usually takes a while for the closing process for the winter to be complete. And sometimes this benefits pets. For instance, this weekend at the Maplewood Family Aquatic Center they are holding a Dog Swim, "Where Pooches Rule the Pool." Proceeds benefit the Maplewood Dog Park.
Lots of dogs brought their humans to the pool today. Big dogs, small dogs, all breeds were there. The pool is one of the kind where you can wade in slowly and then it gets deeper and deeper the further out you go, so it was perfect for frolicking pooches. Humans were allowed only to wade in up to their knees but the dogs could swim anywhere.
It was a beautiful day and we knew it would probably get crowded so we went right when it opened at 1:00. Also, although Truman loves water, he had never been in the water with so many dogs so we didn't know how distracting he would find them. It turned out that, as far as Truman was concerned, there were no other dogs, There was just him, the water and his dummy. (No, I don't mean my sister.)
In fact, you might say he was obsessed with the dummy. He is, after all, a retriever. And that's what he does. Retrieve.
The further away the dummy landed the happier he was. Here he is (that little black dot) swimming it back from across the pool.
I'm convinced that he would retrieve as long as someone was willing to throw. Or until he drowned himself, whichever came first. Occasionally another dog would try to make friends. Here's one who didn't swim as well as Truman and needed a life jacket:
But Truman was single minded. The dummy existed. The dummy must be thrown and retrieved. After more than an hour of straight retrieving he was one happy dog.
And tired too.
I think he wants to go back tomorrow. :)
ReplyDeleteHow are you going to break it to him that he can't go back for a whole year?
ReplyDeleteWell of course he would. Who could resist such great fun?
ReplyDeleteAnd such great pictures of great fun. Just looking at them put a big grin on my face.
Well Jim, the key is to never say the words SWIM or DUMMY when he is around. Or, I just need to find him a lake (a non-stagnant, non-stinky lake preferrably!)
ReplyDeleteThat looks like great fun. You going back today? It's for charity, you know... :)
ReplyDeleteOn another note, we watched Epitaph One the other night just so I could be ready when you blog about it. Andi, have you gotten your hands on it yet?
Jim - we'll distract him with a B-A-L-L. And as shrunken girl (that's my sister btw) says, he'd be happy with a lake. In one of the parks.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andi - it was a grin inducing experience.
CG - I figure I'll blog about it right before the seasons starts. To give Andi time to go over to her sister's house, commandeer her high speed link and figure out a way to see it.
Have you finished the Potato book yet?
Jim has getting the episode on his to-do list. But don't worry about blogging it before I see it. I don't find spoilers don't spoiling -- if a show is well done, I don't find knowing what's coming lessens the experience at all. I think the value of the plot twist is highly overrated.
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