going to the lake

[krysten]

hi all! hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

we have been going to a lake about a half hour away a couple times a week after work. you can't bring the dogs to the lake itself, but after 5:30pm admission is free and you go to the boat docks with the dogs. the docks are large cement and in between them is a "shore" so you can wade in. they don't mind if you swim off the docks after 5:30... pretty much anything goes after that.

so we have been taking them and around 6:30 and staying until closing time (8) Maggie is getting better at swimming and more confident. she has always liked to wade but she doesn't like getting her head under water so doesn't like to travel too far out. we broke down this year and got her a life vest and it has made a world of difference. she is still a little hesitant... if i throw a stick off the dock she still doesn't want to jump off the end, but she no longer walks all the way around to the "shore". she will walk down the dock a bit and jump off midway. progress! and of course, if there is another dog there she was will fling herself in after it off the end of the dock without a second thought she does really seem to enjoy it there though. hubby usually wears his bathing suit and goes all the way in, and maggie will swim out to him. exciting!

then there's lincoln :/ i think it would be better if we left him at home but i feel bad leaving them all day for work and then leaving him alone at night. he HATES the water. we have tried a lot of things. we actually wondered if maybe he COULDN'T swim. but the first time we went eric carried him in and let him swin back a few feet. he did great- just hated it. eric has carried him in since then and he has LITERALLY crawled up eric's shoulders and perched there, draped around his neck like a snake. it is a sight to behold. i wish i had a camera. people nearby were in stitches from laughing so hard. hilarious.

so needless to say he just stays on the dock now. which is fine, but he doesn't seem to enjoy it we actually bought him a raft but he punctured a hole in it in no time. we are still looking for ways to make his time there better.

BUT he has had alot of great interactions with other dogs which has been really exciting. as most of you know he doesn't do well at the dog park. i've been afraid that he wouldn't do well meeting other dogs on leash now but he actually does very well. the last time we were there there was one dog that he didn't seem to like, for whatever reason. when the dog came over he had a low growl and barked a bit. but there was no snapping, no teeth baring, no getting still and looking scary. so this very well could have been just a "i don't like you" I am so hyper aware and afraid of him being agressive, even though he never has been, that i get freaked out when this happens. but it's actually probably pretty normal. and most dogs he meets he does just fine with. last time we went there were even a couple dogs off leash that came to investigate and i was nervous with him being ON leash. but he did great.

we have also learned that he still adores dogs that are smaller than him or are obviously submissive. he is definitely a fraidy cat... that bad experience that he had at the park must have made him much more defensive than i realized. when we were there a couple days ago he met a mini doxen. omg. he wanted to be this dog's BEST FRIEND EVER. he was trying to butt tuck ON HIS LEASH. it was absolutely hysterical. play bowing, scrambling around... so cute. it mademy heart hurt.


so anyway... that's what we've been up to this summer. we've been to the dog park once and let maggie play while i stood outside with lincoln and let him smell everyone through the fence. lots of tail wagging wiggly interactions. but mostly we stick to the lake now.

[Bamps]

It sounds like you're making progress and yet not forcing any too. Awesome to have a lake so close, ours is a little further but secluded. (And drying up lol)

[kimbersmom]

Thanks for the update. Glad Maggie and Lincoln are doing well.

[POPTOP]

Sounds like a fun place to go for everyone. Lincoln should go and get more socialization. He's already shown he has fun times with little dogs; this will build his confidence.

Yes, we do need pictures.

[4Thelove]

Yes, post pics! sounds like fun

[Jax's Mom]

Sounds like good news for both. Glad you've found a way to make them both happy!