DT's family has a reunion each October at Possum Kingdom Lake in Graham Texas. It is a beautiful location and the cabins we rent are dog friendly – which is good because in the our Clan, the canines outnumber the humans by a pretty healthy ratio. The predominant dog being the Australian Shepherd as many participate in Obedience and Agility trials.
The October of 2009, we had decided to get a small efficiency cabin for our family of 6 (2 adults, 2 children, 2 dogs – that was the “plan”) next to the big cabin for the rest of the family – so we could have a bit of extra room. Due to oversight, instead of bringing Nicki (our Scottie) and Indie (our Aussie) with us, I had messed up the dates on the bordetella vaccines for the schnauzers, and so, they had to come with us too (now a family of 8). Because the schnauzers are quick and (like a Scottie) not good off leash, we brought a “baby gate” as extra protection for the cabin door.
I am not a morning person. I am, in fact, not good until caffeine of some sort – preferably the nectar of the Gods *coffee* has hit my bloodstream. So, in the morning, when the dogs started skootching around to let us know they needed out, it fell to my husband to take them on the first outing. As we knew Indie was the only one we could trust off leash, he made a trip with the schnauzers and then, came back for Nicki. All the while, Indie was at his heels obedient herder that she is.
The cabins are directly on the lake. The lake – in fall – has geese and other water fowl swimming and pecking along near the waterline at the cabins. Nicki had, of course, noticed the birds while on her walk, but as she was ‘on-leash’, she did not fuss with them, or make a big noise or pull to get to them, so DT (who is used to the behavior of an Aussie) thought nothing about the geese or about Nicki and the fact that she might be interested in them. Nicki did think about them - a LOT. When DT came to let Nicki back into the cabin, she pushed on the baby gate –hard – and it popped out of the doorway. Off she ran like a shot!
She ran at those geese full speed right to the waterline, where they swam with nary a care, looking back at her with disdain. Nicki, however, was not to be put off so easily and in she went right after them, fast and hard – swimming out about 100 feet as DT raced to the dock trying to head her off. At about the 100 foot from shore mark, she seemed to realize where she was and that she could no longer touch bottom. This apparently gave her pause and she stopped paddling. And sank like a stone. DT, frantically trying to figure out how he would tell his wife that her darling had drowned, was trying to reach Nicki quickly. Between her stumbling toward shore underwater (DT could see her ‘walking’ on the bottom) and his splashing about like a madman, the two of them managed to get her out of the lake and back to the cabin where I could dry her off.
We all dried her off vigourously rubbing her with towels and checked her out well giving a listen to her lungs to make sure they were clear (thankfully they were) and we kept a VERY close eye on Nicki for the remainder of the weekend to guarantee there were no more ‘swimming’ incidents. She *seriously* likes water and we must be ever vigilant as she has not a whit of fear.
I may get her a doggie life vest before this fall's outing....
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