"W. D. Grey" wrote in message
...
In article , Ken Fortenberry
writes
I've been training Kaylin to the canoe the last few days and
she's not amused. Why would you want to sit in a wooden box
and paddle your way around a lake when you could just get in
the water and swim ? Doesn't make sense to a water dog.

It would to my Labrador!

What do you know - a Labrador who doesn't want to swim!!!!

He'll go in up to the point when his undercarriage gets wet then backs out
(Stupid lovely dog!)
--
Bill Grey

That's Bear--mother's German Sheperd.
So long as I am in the water, he's in the water. He won't venture in to
water where his paws don't touch the botton of the stream, unless I call
him out to me. Then he will swim out and circle me, as many times as I call
him back to me, when he is headed back to solid ground.

I haven't tried him out in the canoe yet. I am working on getting the cane
seats repaired, and it looks like it will be next year before I'll be able
to take the canoe out again--a freiend is routing out the grooves for me, so
that I can re-cane the seats with pre-woven cane mats.

Now Beau-re-Guard the Wonder Dog would sit patiently with me on canoe rides,
unless someone else came close to us in another canoe or boat. Then she
would stand-up and watch them move safely on by us?

I sure miss 'ol Beau. She was as calm and sweet as the came. Bear is a sweet
fella, but considerably more frantic than Beau was. However, Bear is a much
better fishin' buddy, as he stays at my side or directly behind me when
fishing. Beau was prone to lagging behind or heading up stream--Snagged her
once with a back cast. She wasn't too pleased about that.

Gotta love them four-legged canine critters!

Op