The Second Swimming Lesson
I went swimming again today. Hmmmm. I'm wondering if this is going to be a regular thing on my calendar. There were two other dogs there. One was a little black ragamuffin dog, very cute. The other was a German Shepherd, like me, named Angie. Angie has been swimming for a long time and she is very impressive. She swims after toys that Connie throws. When Angie gets a hold of the toys she just holds them in her mouth and swims and swims.Well, my turn came, and I had to go in. I sure didn't want to. But I didn't have a choice what with Connie pushing my back end and Mom pulling on my front end. When I got into the water I dogpaddled like crazy only pausing now and then to eat a treat. This time Connie made me go into the water 3 times instead of just 2. I'm kind of resigned to it now. I just get in and paddle and paddle and look at Mom with a sorrowful expression. The only good part is that I get a lot of hi-value treats while I'm there.
Apparently I have to do this swimming thing 3 times a week! It's supposed to help strengthen my back legs. That would be good because I fall down a lot now which is really annoying.
posted by Sam the black GSD @ 5:05 PM
4 Comments:
Swimming will help you feel so much better. I swim in da lake vith my Marie in the summer. When she started swimming she could barely walk and fell alot too! OUCH! It really helps even if you don't like it now it'll get better. It takes some time. Be patient. Is it nerve damage?
Heidi,
Thanks for your encouraging note. My problem is degenerative myelopathy which affects the nervous system. It's progressive and there isn't a cure, but exercise supposedly slows it down. I don't really know what all that means to tell you the truth; I'm just a dog so I don't worry about this stuff. I just live moment to moment and dream about banana peels.
Sam, it's cool that you're going swimming. I'm not sure that I'd be able to do it - I really hate water - but if they're handing out free treats, I say keep paddling!
-Woof! (China)
Like Dori on Finding Nemo said, "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming swimming . . ."
For me, so far I'll swim back into shore if I fall off the boat (that happened a couple times last summer) but I don't like jumping off the dock or swimming out from the shore.
But it is good exercise - I'm always ready to lay down after swimming in from the boat.
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