Learning to swim...part 3

I'm still at it!  If you haven't seen part 1 and part 2, check them out.  I guess I've gotten use to swimming every couple of days or so.  Ok, I'm not in love yet, but the constant treat reinforcement is helping to sway me significantly.

Come on, let's go!
The sooner we get wet, the sooner I get some yum yum in my tum tum!

So now that I've been at this thing for a month or so now, here's an important lesson learned.  Even in 100 degree weather, I tend to get cold in the water after about 15 minutes, so the sun is key.  We took down the gazebo/tent and bought a solar pool cover that really helps to warm up the water.

A kiss from mom before we get going.

Look at those waves in the water!  I'm a fast swimmer!

Am I almost done, mom?

For your viewing pleasure, here's another video of me doing laps.

Tiffy, you are right.  When I have my life vest on, I don't move my back right leg hardly at all.  Which I guess is good so that I give the gimpy left one a full workout.  Mom thinks it is because I tend to roll like a log to my left side, so maybe I need to compensate so I don't tilt too far into the water.  Which brings me to the next chapter in my aquatic adventures.

Well, just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water, mom and dad upped the ante.  Prepare yourselves for some nakedness!!  They decided I should try swimming without the vest on!

Mom, are you sure about this?!?

So now, I present to you, Skinny Dipping:

At first it was totally scary!  But mom never let go.  My backside sinks, so she has to keep me a float.  Our new routine in the water is to start off with the vest on, then get naked for some more intense workouts.  I paddle (with ALL legs) much more vigorously without the vest on so it's really good exercise for my whole body.  But mom and dad do give me lots of breaks in between laps...like this...

I don't mind floating around with dad.  It's pretty relaxing.  But I can smell that cookie in Gammy's pocket.  Gimme!  If you don't, I'm going to splash the camera...

See, Gammy, I told you!

Love,
Payton

PS.  Suki had a great idea for a pug synchronized swimming team!  So, any pug with the pink and white vest like ours needs to send me a picture (my email is on my profile page) with their vest on and my mom will put together our team picture!  Gracie and Minnie Moo, I know that you do!  Anyone else?  And we should use Salinger's idea for a swim cap..."swanky pink with a big honkin' plastic flower on the side of it"!

Learning to swim...part 2

Yep, I'm learning how to swim at the ripe age of 8 1/2.  Mom and dad think it will help strengthen my gimpy left legs (that have been impaired because of my PDE).  Check out part 1 if you missed it.  I left off by telling you how we decided to completely take over my Gampy and Gammy's patio (and yes, Hank, this is Gammy Diane who you met and my Gampy who I mentioned is a Hoosier like you).  You see, Southern Fried Pugs told us all about a great pool that we just had to try.  So we gave the kiddie pool to my human cousins and ordered one of those easy-set pools.

dad and Gampy enjoying the new pool while it fills up with water

Quite the set-up, huh?  I know Gammy isn't thrilled that she doesn't have a patio any more, but I have her wrapped around my paw, so all is good.

me and mom waiting inside for the pool to fill

Finally it was time for me to give the "real" pool a try.  I'm a bit nervous.
  

Dad, are you sure this is a good idea?

getting used to the water...all four paws are wet

Now that I was soaked to the bone, it was time to put on the life vest and for the training to begin.  No turning back.

I'm not sure about this life vest thing!

Like in the kiddie pool, it took a bit of inspiration (i.e. treats) to get me going...

swimmin' for a treat in the big pool

Then just like that, with no warning, mom and dad "took off the training wheels".  But I did it!

very first swim all by myself

Mom and dad were so proud of me!  They didn't let me go to long, and I was happy about that cause swimming is hard work.

dad and wet pug

I got lots of treats for a job well done.  And of course that is by far the very best part of swimming!  A few days went by before we tried it again because the weather cooled down here (and the humidity all but disappeared - unheard of in the St. Louis area) enough to make it too cold for me to get in the water.  Mom was ok with this since she wanted to get me a new life vest.  The orange one was too bulky - plus it wasn't stylish at all!  So I got a cool pink one like my friends Suki and Minnie Moo.  I think this made all the difference!  I'm like a super star swimmer now...  kinda.

 

Sorry for the annoyingly high pitched voices - mom and Gammy are trying to get me going!  Yep, I finally talked Gammy into the pool.  She's like me...we are not fish.  This water stuff isn't natural and a bit scary.  But, notice that there were no treats in sight.  For most of the laps around, my motivation was seeing the blue ring/edge of the pool.  If I could just get there surely I could climb out!  Oh, well.  Mom and dad don't care why I paddle, just that I do.

me and Gampy having fun in the pool

And afterward, I'm as happy as a pug out of water can be!  I think us pugs will tolerate just about anything for some grub.  I've been getting some Sunsweet dried fruit with anti-oxidants and a cookie or two!  YUMMY!  I'll be sure to keep everyone updated as my physical therapy continues... there's more to come!

Love,
Payton

Learning to swim...part 1

♫♪♫ 
Just keep swimming,
Just keep swimming,
Just keep swimming swimming swimming,
What do we do?  We swim swim swim!  
♫♪♫

Inspired by Tallulah at Southern Fried Pugs, I started taking swimming lessons.  Mom and dad think it will help strengthen my gimpy left legs (that have been impaired because of my PDE).  I was worried that they wouldn't be able to teach this old dog some new tricks.

Gammy and Gampy were so nice to let me use their back patio.  Ours is not big enough for a pool.  We started off taking baby steps in a kiddie pool.  As you can see, I could touch the bottom with no problem.

Gampy, put your iPhone down and save me!

At first, I wouldn't budge.  Then mom got out the treats, and I was movin'!  Check out this video.

Mom wanted me to say that I did eventually get that nugget of goodness and more after we were all done in the water, but as you all might guess, I don't think I got nearly enough treats as I deserved!  Anyway, not bad for my first try, huh?  My favorite part was getting toweled dry by Gampy.

Gampy and wet pug

After another go in this kiddie pool the next day, mom and dad decided to take this adventure to the next level.  They said I was ready for real swimming.  And we took over Gampy and Gammy's patio even more!  Stay tuned...

Love,
Payton