Swimming Pond Dogs
All the Moosey dogs have enjoyed having their own swimming pond. The water is usually fairly cold because it's come all the way from the mountains, down rivers and irrigation canals. Today's pond water might have been yesterday's snow-melt!
Escher and Rusty - Dogs in the Pond
When I was a younger, tougher gardener I used to go for many summer swims in the Pond, too. I'd dog-paddle round and round, not daring to put my feet on the muddy, slushy bottom. The water was usually breathtakingly cold My old dog Taj-Dog, like me, found that the temperature was a little nippy for old muscles. So we both refrained from our pond swimming, unless the day was super-sunny.
Rusty the Swimming Dog
The next dog, Rusty the red Border Collie, was totally different - he loved swimming. He'd leap in to chase tennis balls, pine cones, and sticks. It was never too cold for Rusty. He inspired me not to be a sissy and to get back to some pond-swimming. But.... not with him, thanks! He tries to swim right alongside the human, as close as possible, resulting in some serious dog-paddling scratches. Synchronised swimming with a dog?
Dogs Swimming with Tennis Balls
In 2014 we got another border collie, a black and white girl called Winnie. These furry collies just don't feel the cold at all. Throw a tennis ball in and they'll both leap after it, even in mid-winter. Brown Escher isn't so keen, being short-haired. He only swims in summer.