Truman is quite possibly the only Labrador Retriever in history to absolutely HATE water. We tried throwing toys into the water, leading him into the water, and tricking him into the water. Nothing worked. We did get him to go out into a river by our home once. He got out there and then froze and couldn’t get back. My husband had to go out and carry him back to the shore. No, water and Truman are not friends. Heck, he doesn’t even like going out in the rain. A few weeks ago, while we were on a walk, we got caught in a sudden downpour that snuck up out of nowhere. The rain was coming down sideways in big sheets. And where was my big 95 pound lab? He was huddled as close to my legs as he could get to keep the rain off from him. Geez.
“Something traumatic probably happened to him when he was a puppy”, people would tell us and that seemed like a really logical explanation! Even his vet agreed. So he’s the only lab in history that doesn’t like water. That’s okay. We have always accepted him for who he is!
When we are traveling, Truman spends his time at a great boarding place. The dogs roam free within a huge fenced in estate out in the country. They get to watch TV at night with the owner, go for jogs and swim! This guy actually built a pond for the dogs to swim in, complete with a big fountain in the middle. Simply incredible. But as you can imagine, that really wasn’t an attraction for Truman. I could just envision him when it was swim time. All the other dogs yelling, “C’mon in Truman! It’s great in here!” And Truman flopping down by the edge saying, “No thanks. You go ahead. I’m just going to rest here for a while in the sun, work on my tan, and maybe catch up on some reading.” Yes, that is exactly how I envisioned it.
Until…. this very incredible boarding place posted photos on Facebook from this past weekend. A weekend when Truman just happened to be there as a guest. I was flipping through photo after photo. A few photos of Truman playing with the other dogs, Truman running, Truman looking intently off into the distance, etc. And then I saw it. A picture of Truman getting close to the swimming pond. No doubt just checking out what his friends were up to. Another photo where Truman has his face towards the water. Silly Truman. He probably is trying to take a drink from the pond. A few photos more and BAM! There is our water-phobic chocolate lab in the WATER! I could tell by the progression of the photos that he was NOT pushed. He went in willingly!
Unbelievable! All this time he’s been holding out on us! Maybe it was peer pressure. Or maybe he has grown. Maybe going off to the resort is a bit like going off to college – an opportunity to spread your wings, try new things and face your fears.
Or maybe this is just another in a long line of cautionary tales for you young people out there. We live in a digital, on-line society. Don’t pose for photos doing something you don’t want the whole wide world to know about! Because eventually, it will get posted on Facebook.
We still love you Truman! But I’m not holding the umbrella for you next time we go out for a walk in the rain.
Keep on smiling!
“Something traumatic probably happened to him when he was a puppy”, people would tell us and that seemed like a really logical explanation! Even his vet agreed. So he’s the only lab in history that doesn’t like water. That’s okay. We have always accepted him for who he is!
When we are traveling, Truman spends his time at a great boarding place. The dogs roam free within a huge fenced in estate out in the country. They get to watch TV at night with the owner, go for jogs and swim! This guy actually built a pond for the dogs to swim in, complete with a big fountain in the middle. Simply incredible. But as you can imagine, that really wasn’t an attraction for Truman. I could just envision him when it was swim time. All the other dogs yelling, “C’mon in Truman! It’s great in here!” And Truman flopping down by the edge saying, “No thanks. You go ahead. I’m just going to rest here for a while in the sun, work on my tan, and maybe catch up on some reading.” Yes, that is exactly how I envisioned it.
Until…. this very incredible boarding place posted photos on Facebook from this past weekend. A weekend when Truman just happened to be there as a guest. I was flipping through photo after photo. A few photos of Truman playing with the other dogs, Truman running, Truman looking intently off into the distance, etc. And then I saw it. A picture of Truman getting close to the swimming pond. No doubt just checking out what his friends were up to. Another photo where Truman has his face towards the water. Silly Truman. He probably is trying to take a drink from the pond. A few photos more and BAM! There is our water-phobic chocolate lab in the WATER! I could tell by the progression of the photos that he was NOT pushed. He went in willingly!
Unbelievable! All this time he’s been holding out on us! Maybe it was peer pressure. Or maybe he has grown. Maybe going off to the resort is a bit like going off to college – an opportunity to spread your wings, try new things and face your fears.
Or maybe this is just another in a long line of cautionary tales for you young people out there. We live in a digital, on-line society. Don’t pose for photos doing something you don’t want the whole wide world to know about! Because eventually, it will get posted on Facebook.
We still love you Truman! But I’m not holding the umbrella for you next time we go out for a walk in the rain.
Keep on smiling!
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