Re: [Paddlewise] Dog Paddling - A Hairy Incident

Some years ago I was one of the instructors teaching a kayak class
on a lake in Massachusetts. Each of us instructors led a group of  
students about 100 feet away from the beach and then had the
students gather around us while we discussed the strokes and braces 
we would practice.

I left my best friend Joe, a German shepherd, on the beach, telling
him to stay put. He was very good about staying put when told.

As the students gathered around me, to our astonishment Joe
suddenly appeared,  charging through the circle. Apparently he was 
content as long as he could see me, but as soon as the surrounding 
students blocked me from his view, he decided he had to swim out 
and check that I was ok. I led him back to the beach, then came back 
to the students but made sure they always left a gap through which Joe 
had a direct view of me from the beach. The rest of the session went fine. 
Joe could see that I was ok, not being attacked or anything. His atavistic 
protective instincts satisfied, he stayed happily on the beach, keeping a
watchful eye on me, for the rest of the session

He died at 14 and a half, after giving me the happiest years of my life.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Doug Lloyd <dlloyd_at_telus.net>
<snip> Upon returning home, the paddler couldn't find any trace of his own
> canine friend. Could it be? He frantically phoned all the Whale Watching
> operators, until he found the one who had retrieved the wet, cold pup.
> And yeap, it was his.
> 
> Apparently, the dog had followed him to the beach (he lives nearby),
> then followed behind him out to  <snip>


***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************