Proud as anything...

[Wookie]

Had a quite emotional moment on Sunday when the GF and I took Ted for a walk out on some meadow land down the road. Ted started off doing the usual (running everywhere, playing with the other dogs etc) but settle down into a normal nose down zig-zag soon enough. I had him doing some retrieving when we got to open meadows and, on the way back, he had a run in some muddy shallows.

 

This was actually pretty good, despite the obvious down sides (smell, mess, filth etc) as it was close to the water and below the level of the bank. But, the real moment came when we got to a really nice gravelly/sandy shallows bit. He went for a paddle and, after a bit of time play-figthing the water, just jumped in and went for a swim.

 

I was so proud right there and then, but not nearly as much as when I lobbed his ball into the river about 6 feet out (pas the shallows and well into swimming depth) and he jumped in, swam out to it and brought it back to the bank. He was so excited with all the fuss we were making of him that he started strutting up and down the bank a bit (forgetting to give the ball back to me!), but I was so proud!

 

Anyway, now I know that he likes water, he's going to get a bit more work there. I might treat him to a floating dummy for his birthday...

[new to the flock]

Nice Gradual introduction on his terms and time, Well Done :blink:

 

NTTF

[deeksofdoom]

Had a similar experience myself on Sunday when the ESS jumped into the river for her first swim. She had been following the GWP and just jumped in after watching her retrieving a stick from the opposite bank. I even managed to take a little picture for posterity.....