Will I always forget the camera on important days like these?

June 4th, 2005

We’ve been taking the dog to Edworthy nearly every day now, and it’s been established that she doesn’t know how to swim. Like I said before, we tried throwing sticks further and further into the water, but she wasn’t having it. She’d get deep enough to let the water touch her belly, and she’d stop and watch the stick swim away. Then she’d be cute enough to go look for another stick as a replacement.

Today we took her to Southland. I heard about it from some other dog people at edworthy. They raved about the place and said that there are LOTS of dogs there, even in the winter when it’s dark and snowy. They said that it was good for dog swimming too, because you can walk right up to the river, instead of hiking down and crossing the train tracks. Not to mention the fact that I don’t think you’re really supposed to let your dog run around off leash through the edworthy trails. Of course, everyone else does it, and Missy might grow to resent me if she realizes that she’s the only dog being forced to walk on a leash.

Anyhow. We went to southland and walked along the river. Last time we were there, I showed her how the big dogs were playing fetch, running down the hill, and jumping into the water, chasing after whatever their owners were throwing. She thought it was neat, but could only muster up the courage to dip her toes in at the water’s edge.

This time was different. Jim got her to slowly get deeper into the water. I think the current here was less intimidating, so she was willing to go farther in. When he got her to the point where she was swimming a little, he kept throwing the stick in that area, just to get her used to the swimming. She picked it up very quickly, and soon was running up and down the hill and jumping into the water, even swimming for long chunks of time, just like the big dogs! I think I even saw some of the other less swimmerly dogs looking enviously at her.

My dog is better than your dog.