Off into the wild blue yonder... It was finally time for the long-awaited county dog swims! The first one was today, and rain threatened in the forecast but when we set out it was only partly cloudy. We had the first time slot, figuring the water would be less disgusting and we could get done and get on with our day afterward.
When we arrived I felt a bit anxious. I had remembered the vaccination record, the confirmation, baby stroller and so on. I hoped Sparks would behave well. When we checked in she got grumpy with a dog who was charging into her personal space (I can't blame her too much as I feel the same way when people do that to me - she must be an introvert, ha ha!) but otherwise she behaved pretty well as we waited around all the dogs and people.
In an interesting aside, one of the county employees came up to us and asked what breed she was. Not that we aren't used to that question, but what he said next intrigued us.
"I have a dog that looks just like her back in my truck."
Really? We compared notes about breed (he told us his was a Lab/Aussie mix as well) and I almost asked if he had a photo but I didn't. Now I wish I'd asked. I would have loved to see his dog! I thought perhaps he was bringing his dog to the swim but apparently he was just taking off. Perhaps employees' dogs get an early entry because they have to work? Who knows. Anyway, it was an interesting confirmation that Sparks could very well be the mix we have thought all along. Not that I thought she couldn't, but no one has really ever come up to us and asked that before. It's usually just people wanting to know if she's actually Catahoula. Wish we'd seen a photo or met his dog. Oh well.
I took Sparks off to sniff while hubby watched the baby and somehow stepped on a thorn which pierced almost all the way through my flip flop. As I tried to pry it out of my footwear, the dogs started going into the waterpark. We hurried back to get in line where there was organized chaos as the dogs filed through the gate. On the way in we asked someone about the dog park that was rumored to be added to that county park and learned that it is still a possibility, but only in the early stages. It's not decided yet. I thought it was a go for sure just not scheduled yet. Hope they put it in there. It would be much closer for us.
We let Sparks off leash and held our collective breath. Last time we were here she acted anxious and didn't want to go into the water for quite a long time. This time, although she sniffed a little before going in, she was excited to run into the water. She didn't go deep, but at least she got wet. That's what I call progress!
She didn't seem overly anxious about the other dogs around her, and she didn't react badly although she did her normal duck and cover when some of the big dogs wandered past. Overall she met the dogs politely and acted happy to play with them and chase the balls Tim threw.
There was one (sort of) troublemaker in the bunch. The brown dog in the shot below, to the right, was a bit aggressive in his playing style. Many of the dogs took offense to him and started scrapping a little. Nothing serious, but Sparks didn't like him either and kept her distance or tried to get away from him. Thankfully he moved to the other side of the pool after a bit and she (and we) breathed easier.
She especially liked jumping in and out of the water.
For whatever reason, I think this tail shot is awfully cute! An interesting angle as she leaps off the side of the platform.
In an unexpected turn of events, we met someone we know from hockey there at the pool. He had two dogs along for the ride, both of which were very cute. One hardly wanted to go into the water. He's the blonde one with the blue collar. The other one is pretty much the dog I wanted to adopt before I found Sparks. She's the brindle one beside Sparks with the white markings. She was adorable. I love brindle coloring and I love the white markings too (same as I love them on Sparks). She was a little smaller than Sparks too, also what I had in mind. Not sure of breed, but she was a cutie for sure. That's OK, I love Sparks and her unique coloring even more!
Here's another shot of the cute girl in the red harness. Oh yeah, and Sparks. Ha ha!
Here she is again leaping up onto the platform from the water. She loved doing that. She jumped out that way pretty much every time she retrieved the ball.
I thought this sequence was particularly meaningful because Sparks tends to be terrified of big, fluffy dogs like Neufies and St. Bernards. (She's not a small dog herself, so it's kind of funny, although they do make her look small!) But she saw the dog coming up behind her as she climbed out, and she turned and saw the dog but didn't freak out, and then she went about her business. A lot of times she cowers and runs or growls to back them away. Sometimes both. So to meet a bigger dog so politely made me happy. :)
Another action sequence: Dad has the ball....Sparks prepares to chase it.
The ball is thrown and Sparks leaps into action to rescue it from the water.
Still going back...
With the ball now secured, she begins the journey back.
And she returns triumphantly with the ball!
Then she drops the ball and picks up a different one. Then she compares the two, squishing them in her mouth to see which feels better. Finally she makes up her mind and she plays with it in the water, pouncing on it to submerge it then diving in face first to find it again. Silly puppy!
OK, this one is the ball of choice...
She had so much fun. As early as 15 minutes into the 55 minute swim I saw dogs and owners departing. I was happy to see the crowd thin out a bit, as Sparks tends to prefer less chaos. And so do I.
Aaaah! Feel that sea breeze in your fur! Ha ha!
That's my pretty girl...
Playing in the water.
Trying to take pictures while I hold the little one. There are bound to be some misfires. Here is Sparks...and a baby fist... M liked watching all the dogs play in the water. She loves the water and was sad she couldn't go into it herself, I think.
And Sparks says, "Hey, my ball!"
With a smug look on her face, Sparks carries her ball around the deck.
She was good at bringing balls back from the deep end. Only she didn't go much deeper than she could wade. But she did swim a little if it was necessary to rescue the ball. She wouldn't leave a ball behind. She would carry more balls in her mouth if she could fit them (I have seen her try) but she just doesn't have a big enough mouth. (I did see a dog take two at a time once. It was amazing!)
Aaah, feels good to swim!
By this point we had the entire pool almost to ourselves. We hate to waste a minute of the swimming time we paid for, ha ha! (For the record, we don't leave baseball games early either. Never know when you might miss a walkoff home run or incredible comeback or something.)
I love this dopey look on her face. She was having a blast!
She didn't mind having the pool to herself. Just her and the tennis balls. A dog's dream.
Our friend's dog liked to bark. Sparks (who, ironically, likes to bark in other dogs' faces in the same fashion) didn't care for that approach and backed away onto the rocks to escape if needed.
As other dogs faded away, Sparks was still going strong. Tennis balls are strong motivators for her.
Unfortunately, all too soon it was time to shake off the water and head home. It's too bad these swims only come around once a year...but luckily, there are two county swims and the next one is only a day away!
As it turned out, we were fortunate to have selected the early swim time. As we pulled away, it began to rain. I doubt the dogs would care (unless there was lightning and the swim got cancelled) but I felt badly for the owners!
