swimming lesson 1

Yesterday was the day our pups learned how to swim in our pool. Not that it was their idea, but it was necessary. Both are excellent swimmers, but they don't know it yet.

We are still battling skunk stink (I've gotten quite used to it). Not as much as before, but every time they get wet, they stink. They get wet a lot these days. Yesterday was lovey, sunny and warm, and it was time for another deskunk treatment, which involves a bubble bath at the end. It was clear that we would not stay dry ourselves, because the pups don't like bubble bath, even though they play with water all the time. Give Happy the turned on hose and he can entertain himself as long as we let him. He drags it as far as it goes, and takes the end biting it, and spraying it in all directions. He loves it when we point the spray high, and he runs through the water falling down.

Denny is not so much for this game, but rather likes to stand in the wading pool and dig until it's empty.



We did not take any pictures yesterday, because it was too wet, and everything went so fast.



Usually they have a lot of fun and are wet to the bone when they are done. Photos are older ones, but it's alwyas the same. They end up being wet and tired. They use this pillow bed to rub themselves dry. And after all the excitement they sleep like angels.



At one point they are both VERY relaxed.





Oh yes, I wanted to tell you about swimming lesson. We were told to nudge them in and help them find the way to the stairs. Hmmm.
It's easy to nudge them in ONCE. They wont go near you from then on, when you stand near the pool, they aint no dummies!

Happy showed more panic when swimming, and tried to climb out at the edge. My son had to jump in the pool to guide him to the stairs. We were only able to get Happy in one more time, a tiny bit less panicked, but he would not jump in on his own. We tried to coax him with this favorite toys, and he was whining, and went as far as the second step, but that was it.

Denny swam relaxed, but also to the edge, instead of to the stairs, where I was calling him. I wasn't the one nudging him in, so we thought he would swim to me, which he did at first, but took a hard turn to the left before he was in reach. He also went in a second time, but after that he was soooooooooo mad at us. I had to use a handful of treats to get him to come near me again.

Well, so far so good. They are never out in the backyard by themselves anyway, but it would be nice, if they would enjoy jumping in and swimming on their own, like Biko did! She was always hard to get out again! Sam hated water and didn't want to swim at all.

Anyway, swimming lesson 2 will be held another time. So as not to leave you totally without knitting, look what pretty sock I'm working on right now! Had to rip back to the heel flap once, I made it too short, even though I thought I'd measured it right.



It's a free pattern by Cookie A. called Cubist socks. The yarn is Wandering Cat Yarns, Alley Cat, colorway "Purple People Eater" (I love this name). It's hard to see, but it has many shades of purple, and I like that very much.

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