Leo retrieves!
If you have met Leo, then you know this is HUGE!!!!!! About a month ago, we learned that Leo could swim. Saturday we went back to my friends house with a few more friends for a BBQ and to let all the dogs play and swim. With 9 adults, 3 kids and 8 dogs it was organized chaos. But what really happened was huge progress for Leo. Being surrounded by all types of retrieving dogs the only way to play and blend in is to be a retriever. So, Leo had an identity crisis and became one . . . for a while . . . but don't tell anyone!
Leo started off puddling close to the shore and ambushing other dogs as they come out of the water. Then he saw one of his favorite doggie friends, Brie, playing with her mom a little ways away. Brie was done playing for a while and her toy looked like so much fun that Leo had to take it. Being my friend, Brie's mom told me to go ahead and play with her toy. Now, I have a hairy, wet Leo jumping for Brie's floating frisbee. So, I toss it about 5 feet into the water. Leo watches it and goes in after it. And brings it back. So, I start tossing it out farther and farther, and he starts swimming out for the toy and bringing it back. We stop when it is time for the humans to eat and figure that we made good progress. We did, but there is more to come.
After the humans finished eating, we took some of the dogs back to play one more time. Or more accurately, the dogs took themselves to play in the pond and we went along with it. I left Leo on a leash with the Mr to keep drying out and took the Rocketmonster to play and swim some more. After a while I went to check on Leo and the Mr and found out that Leo was barking and crying because he wanted to play too. So, I took him and figured he would just puddle around and ambush the other dogs. I was wrong!
We headed around to the side of the pond to play where it was quieter and Leo went right in after another dogs toy. So, we switched toys and he kept right on bringing it back!! I may teach him to jump off a dock yet. Considering 6 month ago Leo didn't really care about toys or swimming, this is very exciting. We figured he wouldn't swim until we placed either the Mr or myself in the water as 'bait'. The only bad thing is that we had a quick rain shower go through early on and the Mr put his camera away so there aren't any pictures of Leo actually retrieving, but here are a few pictures that we did get.
Leo waiting to ambush Rocky
Look in the green circle - Leo is swimming!
Crazy wet Leo is funny looking
Leo started off puddling close to the shore and ambushing other dogs as they come out of the water. Then he saw one of his favorite doggie friends, Brie, playing with her mom a little ways away. Brie was done playing for a while and her toy looked like so much fun that Leo had to take it. Being my friend, Brie's mom told me to go ahead and play with her toy. Now, I have a hairy, wet Leo jumping for Brie's floating frisbee. So, I toss it about 5 feet into the water. Leo watches it and goes in after it. And brings it back. So, I start tossing it out farther and farther, and he starts swimming out for the toy and bringing it back. We stop when it is time for the humans to eat and figure that we made good progress. We did, but there is more to come.
After the humans finished eating, we took some of the dogs back to play one more time. Or more accurately, the dogs took themselves to play in the pond and we went along with it. I left Leo on a leash with the Mr to keep drying out and took the Rocketmonster to play and swim some more. After a while I went to check on Leo and the Mr and found out that Leo was barking and crying because he wanted to play too. So, I took him and figured he would just puddle around and ambush the other dogs. I was wrong!
We headed around to the side of the pond to play where it was quieter and Leo went right in after another dogs toy. So, we switched toys and he kept right on bringing it back!! I may teach him to jump off a dock yet. Considering 6 month ago Leo didn't really care about toys or swimming, this is very exciting. We figured he wouldn't swim until we placed either the Mr or myself in the water as 'bait'. The only bad thing is that we had a quick rain shower go through early on and the Mr put his camera away so there aren't any pictures of Leo actually retrieving, but here are a few pictures that we did get.
Leo waiting to ambush Rocky
Crazy wet Leo is funny looking
Posted by rockysmom at 6/2/2009 9:45 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: play dock jumping Leo fun Rocky
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: play dock jumping Leo fun Rocky
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