Saturday, December 18, 2010

Kersey Goes Swimming

This morning Brett and I were down at the barn doing our chores.  The dogs were running around, building up an appetite for breakfast, sticking their noses in squirrel holes, and playing in the puddles.  It was raining and cold; not freezing, but a chilly 45 degrees with a steady rain.  Brett was in the barn leaving a message for the vet.  Flash got a scrape on his face a few days ago that almost, but not quite, looked like a puncture wound.  We've been cleaning it with Betadine and watching it.  This morning it was kind of oozy and swollen and almost felt like there was something inside -- maybe a piece of stick that broke off  -- who knows.  He doesn't have a temperature and it isn't tender but we wanted to check in with our vet anyway.  Of course, she isn't working this weekend and the vet that is taking call didn't want to make the drive up here.  So, we're continuing on with washing, watching and waiting.
But, I digress.  Brett was in the barn on the phone and I was in the middle of Kalvin's paddock, with my head down, mucking.  I'm not sure if I heard a splash over the pinging rain on the metal roof of Kalvin's run-in shed, but for some reason I looked up and glanced down to the pond.  The pond is a huge water trough for the horses at the bottom of the pasture.  It's about 10 feet across and a good 3 feet deep.  There are no baby seals that inhabit our pond but that's what it looked like. There was a blond head swimming around and it looked just like a seal.  It took a minute for my brain to register that it was Kersey.  We've taken her out back to the pool a few times and she plays on the top step, batting at leaves.  Once or twice she's fallen (or been pushed) off the top step and she swims back but it's a panicky thing for her.  So, I yelled up to the barn and prepared to sprint down and save our precious puppy.  Before I could take a step, she nonchalantly jumped out, shook, and trotted off with a doggy grin on her face.  We've never had a lab before so this is quite different.  We are used to dogs who tolerate rain and puddles - not ones that jump in the pond in December and go swimming. 

6 comments:

  1. Funny! Yep, we have a Lab, too, and she'll swim in puddles as well as ponds--any water she can roll around in. They are just made to love it. :)

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  2. Cute story. Our chocolate lab in particular (my first lab) will swim ANYTIME. We live on a salt water bay of the Atlantic Ocean (Bay of Fundy) and she goes in all winter if you don't catch her in time to stop her. She'll swim through ice floes, leaving a path of open water behind her. I yell at her to try to get her out (this can't be good?), but she's never in a hurry to leave the water. They're bred for it I guess. I know they have a double coat and the chocolate has a very sleek, oily coat, so she doesn't get chilled from it. I've never seen her shiver.

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  3. Wow, Carol! Swimming with ice floes -- like a seal for sure!

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  4. My dogs do it too! We have to keep them away from water unless we are prepared to clean them afterwards. And I dont know about you, but I dont want to get wet cleaning off the dog when its 45 degrees!!! Silly animals!

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  5. Good choice on breed. We have Scotties and they can't swim!!! No pond for them...

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  6. Ashley - thanks for following my blog! I'm starting to think labs are the perfect ranch dog. Rain, snow, dirt, ponds... they love it all!

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Thanks so much for commenting!