18 weeks 3 days
2011/05/31
I wonder what "ordinary" people do for fun?
I had SO MUCH FUN this morning. After our last swimming lesson in the swim spa, I thought Syn had a good time. Turns out she DID have a good time. I gave her a shower and put on her life jacket. She trotted eagerly ahead of me into the room. I went in first and did some exercise, while she stood up on the step and watched me. Then I picked her up by the jacket and lowered her gently into the water (it's a big step over the edge of the pool to get in - think above-ground pool, so she can't get in by herself). There was a moment's hesitation while she tried to remember what the heck was going on, then she dived (figuratively) into the action. She was hustling for wiener bits, chasing my hand around, banking her turns, "running" really fast in the water to grab wieners and slowly to touch my hand here - here - and there.
We did a few minutes of "swim with handler" where she swam beside me while I walked, targeting my hand with her nose from time to time and getting more wieners.
Then I realized that one of the corner seats was 8 inches under the water - a perfect level for Syn to stand on. Small, slippery, but underwater far enough that she was not quite floating when standing on it. I put her on it, moved exactly as far away as I had when teaching her to jump from the Gator to the ground. asked her if she was ready, and then gave her the same cue to jump and come to me. Another moment's hesitation while she considered the ramifications of leaving a perfectly good perch for open water, she cheerfully launched, swam to me, and was amply rewarded. And again, and again, and again. She gave the same responses she did on the Gator (video on the left in the Movie Album - Water Work) - obviously wanting to jump into swimming, waiting for the cue, waiting... waiting... aaaand LAUNCH! Thinking about the years I spent getting Stitch to be happy about jumping into water - and the time I spent with Scuba, who jumped because I asked her to (though the Working Water Dog level, which requires a LOT of jumping off boats, was about her limit. By the time we got to Courier, she'd sort of run out of patience) - I am SO THRILLED with this happy beginning.
I put her out of the pool and continued to swim for a few minutes alone, while she again watched me with her paws over the edge. I got the definite impression that she would have come in if I had asked her to - and if it was physically possible.
I had SO MUCH FUN this morning. After our last swimming lesson in the swim spa, I thought Syn had a good time. Turns out she DID have a good time. I gave her a shower and put on her life jacket. She trotted eagerly ahead of me into the room. I went in first and did some exercise, while she stood up on the step and watched me. Then I picked her up by the jacket and lowered her gently into the water (it's a big step over the edge of the pool to get in - think above-ground pool, so she can't get in by herself). There was a moment's hesitation while she tried to remember what the heck was going on, then she dived (figuratively) into the action. She was hustling for wiener bits, chasing my hand around, banking her turns, "running" really fast in the water to grab wieners and slowly to touch my hand here - here - and there.
We did a few minutes of "swim with handler" where she swam beside me while I walked, targeting my hand with her nose from time to time and getting more wieners.
Then I realized that one of the corner seats was 8 inches under the water - a perfect level for Syn to stand on. Small, slippery, but underwater far enough that she was not quite floating when standing on it. I put her on it, moved exactly as far away as I had when teaching her to jump from the Gator to the ground. asked her if she was ready, and then gave her the same cue to jump and come to me. Another moment's hesitation while she considered the ramifications of leaving a perfectly good perch for open water, she cheerfully launched, swam to me, and was amply rewarded. And again, and again, and again. She gave the same responses she did on the Gator (video on the left in the Movie Album - Water Work) - obviously wanting to jump into swimming, waiting for the cue, waiting... waiting... aaaand LAUNCH! Thinking about the years I spent getting Stitch to be happy about jumping into water - and the time I spent with Scuba, who jumped because I asked her to (though the Working Water Dog level, which requires a LOT of jumping off boats, was about her limit. By the time we got to Courier, she'd sort of run out of patience) - I am SO THRILLED with this happy beginning.
I put her out of the pool and continued to swim for a few minutes alone, while she again watched me with her paws over the edge. I got the definite impression that she would have come in if I had asked her to - and if it was physically possible.