“All animals except man know that the ultimate of life is to enjoy it.” –Samuel Butler

Mr. Butler must have been a great observer of nature. Or, he must have understood the nature of dogs. One thing I can honestly say is our dog Lucy does understand the concept of enjoying life.
Currently Terri and I are spending more time outdoors enjoying the pool. Lucy, who is not a great swimmer, makes a game of chasing us while we swim. She’ll run or pace back and forth on the deck as we swim or float from one end to the other. She seems to really enjoy the activity. At other times she’ll just sit and watch from the comfort of some shady spot near the pool in the backyard.

I now must relay a story to you… In my attempt to get Lucy more involved in our activities I have been trying to teach her to swim. Lucy will not enter the pool unless I carry her in and then to remain there, I must assist her by supplying support while she is in the water. She will not attempt to swim on her own! This holds true even when we are out on hiking trips and there is a lake nearby, she simply will not attempt to swim.

Well, the other day Lucy was really interested in getting in the water so I retrieved her and brought her in the pool. I’m trying to make her understand that the steps are safe for her as the water is not above her chest level. The first introduction to the water went fine. I carried her in and then sat her on the steps of the pool. Great, she sat there for a moment and then got out of the pool on her own. A few moments later she was back at the side of the pool as if asking to get back in. So, I got out of pool lifted her up to carry her into the pool. We entered into the pool just fine but once I reach the floor of the pool I lost my footing and slipped. I didn’t drop Lucy put she thought I was going too! Lucy demonstrated to me that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself in the water. It’s as if she could walk on water with the way she got out of the pool.

So what’s the moral of the story? I guess it’s this, if a dog wants to swim it can… Even though Boxers aren’t necessarily naturally attracted to the water, they can swim when they have to! Don’t force the issue, they’ll swim if they have to and swim with a passion. The best thing you can do for them is be encouraging and perhaps supply them with a floatation device such as a dog specific life preserver… A dog, especially a Boxer knows how to make their own fun, don’t press the issue!