Murphy's second swim

And this one was on purpose.

I took him down to the boat landing, both to try him out in the water proper and to test out my newly-redesigned swim leg. Murphy still has to stay on his leash but I put him on his 30-foot training lead and then I walked down the ramp into the water. Murphy followed me until it got to be about chest deep, and then he stopped. I kept going, and I called to him a few times, but he wasn't coming.

Funny thing about leashes...

And once I reeled him in a bit and forced him out into the water, he started swimming and came right to me. This is usually where it gets bad, because both of my last Shepherds tried to climb up on me, and those claws and bare skin aren't a good match. But Murphy just swam around me, not panicking or trying to get out...just paddling around. When I started swimming away from him, he followed, and when he caught up, he just went right on past me, having a good time in the water.

Of course it was at this time that a whole flotilla of canoes and inner tubes coming down the river all began to come into the boat landing, so for the next ten minutes or so, Murphy and I dodged canoes and tubes. But those didn't faze him, either. He just took it all in stride and paddled around, relaxed as a dog in the water could be.

We finally got out, and typical dog, Murphy had to walk right into the middle of a large group of boaters who were standing around and only then did he shake the water from his fur...all over them. What IS it with dogs that can't shake dry unless they're near someone?

But I think he had fun, and the new swim leg works fantastically. A little trimming and I think it'll do just fine on the next dive trip that Aaron and I take.