After more than 10 years, I finally got Pumpkin to swim by tossing a favored stick just off shore from a reservoir. She wanted it bad enough to step into deep water and grab it. I saw her front feet paddling back, stick in mouth. Do not tell her I posted this photo, please.
(click image for enlarged view)
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What a wonderful photograph … and adventure … puppies of all ages should have such fun …
🙂
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She had great fun, and so did we, watching her. She is a great dog and you are right, just a big puppy.
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Aww… Sweet Pumpkin! Come on over and I’ll give you a good dry-off. Love the photo.. you ought to hang it on the wall for all to see 😉
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I have a 16×20 of her on the wall that is a picture for the ages. She is my sweet baby. Thank you.
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OH! Pumpkin!
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Indeed 😉
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Pumpkin is the sweetest- I am not sure she is happy or not happy about being so wet ! Must have been a surprise to her!
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I’m not sure either. It is a look I have never seen on her before.
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Yay for Pumpkin!
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It is very much like she did not want to do it but did so only to shut me up about it. Pumpkin my love.
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awwww….too sweet!
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A golden who isn’t fixated with water? What’s the doggy world coming to? I promise, I will not snitch on her.
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Yes, in that regard she is odd. She loves to walk in water and heads directly for it, but she is shy to swim. Most unnatural.
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Ha…she doesn’t seem too happy Mike 🙂
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That is the way she looks, unhappy, but I suspect she was just exhausted. I’ll ask her to find out for sure. How your knees doing?
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Well it has been a month today since the op…still hurts a lot and can’t walk more than about 150 yards – but I feel they are on the mend. Physio reckons it will take another 2 – 3 months before I am back to ‘normal’…just in time for autumn 🙂
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I’m sure Physio is right and you had serious surgery. You have to tough this one out James and resist the urge to do too much, too soon.
Autumn will make for a sweet return.
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You are right Mike – I have always been tough as old boots but this has floored me. Still – it won’t be too long before I am on the moors – and drinking Guinness 🙂
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My friend, getting older flat out sucks. Things waiting in the shadows.
Work hard at rehab. You are already off the floor, now kick some ass.
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You are on buddy 🙂
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Oh, cruelty to Pumpkin……I hope you won’t play that trick on her again, Mike 😦
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Cruel that I posted this ridiculous picture, or tricked her to swim? Both, perhaps? Yes, poor poor Pumpkin, having to live with me who hardly loves her at all.
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That I do NOT believe :)0
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Good for her! My dog doesn’t really like water either.
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She likes to walk in it but has been squeamish about swimming. Now I expect she will never swim again.
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The secret is safe with me. Why do you suppose after all these years she went for it?
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I think she did not intend to swim at all, and found that last step required to grab the stick put her in deeper water than she expected, and her instinct finally kicked in. The old sink or swim.
We have talked about it, and she forgave me after 5 minutes of pouting. I had to promise I would not do that again.
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Yes she doesn’t look particularly pleased in the photo I must admit. 🙂
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I’ve been missing this girl! Can’t get my Bella in the water for anything…not even her Daddy. What kind of Retrievers are these anyway?!
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And I thought it was just Pumpkin;)
I feel like a better parent now. Thanks.
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This made me laugh. My pup Sophie is similarly water-averse, & I can guarantee she’d be wearing a similar expression in this circumstance. 🙂
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That’s funny. I think that really this is Pumpkin’s everyday sweet face that just looks less content wrapped in that odd coat.
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My lips are sealed! Lovely Pumpkin, hmmm … will she give it a second try, I wonder? 😉
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Pumpkin I think will not swim again. She is no pup, and at 10 1/2 will probably just continue to walk in water and lick it. She just never took to it, sweet girl that she is.
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Lovely portret of Pumpkin
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Thanks Marylou.
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Ahh Pumpkin, you are beautiful even when wet!! Sending you pooch hugs from Bear!! Have a wonderful weekend with your papa and mama
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And when wet, Pumpkin smells a bit like a ….wait for it…..wet dog.
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She’s a perfect 10, Mike. Bo Derek doesn’t have a thing on Pumpkin! Those ringlets totally ROCK!! 🙂
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It is such an odd and somewhat incongruent photo. Bo Derek in 10……nice imagery. Thank you.
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She’s so cute! Maybe mulling over her first deep water adventure…she might want more now 🙂
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My guess is that Pumpkin will continue to be a shallow water walker. Thanks Tiny.
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Yay Pumpkin xo ❤ that would have been so nice and refreshing. Maybe daddy should come for a swim out to your favourite stick too?
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That will not happen. At least not in a freezing mountain reservoir. Or any place else, for that matter. But I agree, yay Pumpkin!
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Awwww, no pictures with you and Pumpkin together both sharing the stick? That would be nice framed on your wifes nightstand 😀
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She has me in the same bed. Talk about nice!
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LOL, I guess I’ll take your word for it. 😀
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I don’t think she’s happy Mike but maybe it will grow on her given time and rewards?
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If she was unhappy it was because she was wet and cold and probably exhausted. I think she will not swim again, but we’ll continue to give her the option.
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Oh, sweet Pumpkin! She doesn’t look too happy with you.
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Not sure how she looks…..maybe wet and embarrassed.
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That’s a cutie you got there!
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Even cuter when she is not soaked.
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Sublime; one should be proud!
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As in she should be proud? Agreed, and I’m not sure what she is feeling in this picture. Humiliation is certainly a possibility.
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Awesome she got in the water; some are reluctant to go in; she lived a moment of dog’dom! As if not every second of her being, : )
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How did I miss this Pumpkin pic? I did a lot of oohing and ahhing over the photo and Snowy came in with a suspicious air as if to say, “Who the hell are you being smoochy with ????”
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And as I started to read this Pumpkin came in to lick my hand. She is onto us.
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Psychic they are!
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I can smell wet dog from here – wonderful! 🙂
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85 lbs of wet dog. Thank you.
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🙂
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