All Dogs Swim. Some just look better doing it.

Dear Ollie,

I am a pitch black Skye terrier who has the good fortune to live with a family in a beautiful lake side home. Every summer Sunday, my owners attend church in the morning and in the afternoon we pile into the boat and take a ride on the lake. On one such Sunday, my eye caught the action of Cooper; our next door neighbor’s Golden Retriever as he leapt from the dock and swam effortlessly into the lake. Everyone adores Cooper for his generous loving nature. Personally, I don’t love Cooper. Now, I’ll tell you why.

This particular Sunday, there were children on the dock squealing with delight as they threw red and blue plastic Frisbees into the lake for Cooper to fetch. Cooper retrieved the treasured discs in this mouth, his head remained high above the water while his long legs cut and glided through the water.

I was transfixed. Then it happened. I jumped out of the boat while my owners were docking the boat. My head immediately disappeared from view. There were screams coming from the boat, “Duffy’s head is under water, oh my God, he’s going to die.”  Well, I didn’t die; I headed straight towards land, my short legs paddling as fast as they could. Needless to say, I did not look anything like Cooper. If sputtering in a fresh water lake weren’t embarrassing enough, I missed the land entirely and attached myself to the cross hatch fence underneath the dock. There I was, half under water and stuck on the fence like an ugly black barnacle. Members of my family swooped down to try and pull me off the fence. As they tried to pry me loose, there were desperate cries of, “Let’s call the fire department.” Well, the more they pulled, the harder I hung on. I looked ridiculous.  Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cooper, head high, slicing through the water. I definitely did not want to cause a rescue scene starring Cooper or the fire department’s hook and ladder team so I let loose. I was immediately scooped up by my owner and wrapped in a blue towel. “Poor Duffy,” she said.

 

Ollie, what happened to me?

Duffy

 

Dear Duffy,

Dogs swim, cats swim and even squirrels can swim. You are a dog, so you are able to swim too. However, a Golden Retriever can swim a lot better. Because he is a perfectly designed swimming machine standing 24 inches at his tallest. His long legs and floppy protective ears make him an excellent swimmer and retriever. You are not designed to swim because of your short legs and long body. That shape and pointed ears make you an excellent rodent hunter. True, hunting rodents is not a very exciting or glamorous job, but someone has to do it. Duffy, all dogs are unique so learn to be happy with what you are and who you are and, in the future, stay out of the water.  

 

 

Remember, Rescuing one pet can’t change the world…but the world will change for that one pet