Plink! I toss a small rock and watch Goldie, the Lab’s sleek gold head with its white muzzle lazily paddle out to the bubbles, circle a few times and return to the dock, waiting for the next rock to be thrown. It’s just an excuse for her to be in the water. She is a water dog.
This scenario would be peaceful, except for Mr. Magoo, the Pug, who is busy yapping at her. He is not a water dog, but wants to be in on the action, so he scampers up and down the rocky shoreline following Goldie. Occasionally, he slips and falls into the shallow water.
The waters of Devil Track Lake are warm on this typical mid-summer afternoon and instead of walking my dogs, I have taken them swimming. Walking on the South Shore Drive is hot and buggy but the lake is a great alternative exercise for the dogs and a place of relaxation for me.
I sit in my lounge chair and throw rocks—yes rocks—into the water for Goldie, the Lab. She likes it as well as retrieving dummies and sticks since fast and furious swimming is no longer possible for the old gal.
Plink! I throw another rock. Goldie swims. Magoo yaps. I lean back in my chair. But this time, as the dogs return to the dock, one by land the other by sea, Magoo somehow pushes off from the shore and into deeper water. He begins to swim.
He has done this before and always scuttled back to the safety of land as soon as possible.
But today, he seems to suddenly feel the joy and freedom of swimming. He begins paddling about. He swims under the dock and returns. He swims into the deep water and circles. He is enjoying himself.
The set of his ears tell me that he’s very proud of this accomplishment. He and Goldie swim side by side for a brief time. She, as always, is gentle with him. He looks delighted that he’s finally part of the action. I watch him and chuckle—it’s only taken him six years to lose his fear of water.
Following their swim, the dogs romp around the grassy back yard, rolling and drying out in the sun. Magoo tries to entice Goldie into chasing him, but Goldie is old and also wise. She knows she can’t catch him as in her youthful days, so she feigns a few moves but only enough to keep him happy.
We go into the house where I fix their doggie dinners. I place Goldie’s kibble and tidbits out on the deck and keep Magoo’s inside. He can’t be trusted to stay away from her dinner after he’s finished his.
When Goldie is done, she trots to the back kitchen door and waits to be let in. With her hearing loss, she does not like being alone and wishes to know where we humans are at all times. She no longer spends hours out on the deck, listening and watching the surrounding woods. She’s happy to be inside.
I let her in the house, and within minutes, both dogs are sound asleep and I can finally really relax.
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