JayDee Learns to Swim

Among other wonderful characteristics, Golden retrievers love the water. JayDee proved to be no exception. Since we had removed our old pool and just installed a new 18 by 34 foot above ground pool, I felt that this would be an incredible opportunity for the pup.

Before I share JayDee’s taking the plunge, allow me to share my tale of woe! During the summer of 1998 we had to replace our bi-level deck. This stimulated Jenn and Allison, who were 14 and 12 at the time, to write me a "Dear Dad" letter requesting that we get a pool. Although I myself am a reasonably competent swimmer, I agreed with Johnny Carson who said that “swimming was nothing more than staying alive in the water”. For myself, I would not make the investment in a pool, but because pools and kids go together, on several occasions I had previously brought up the topic of getting a pool. Pam prudently realized that we should not have a pool until all of our children were certified swimmers. A swimming pool in the backyard of a household having non-swimmers is a recipe for tragedy. By the time I got the Dear Dad letter all of our family were not only certified swimmers, but quite excellent. Therefore I contracted to put in a large, oval, above-ground pool the following spring, 1999.

As the pool was installed, I came to the realization that there were significant discrepancies between what the owner/salesman of our local pool company had promised us and what we actually got. The pool installation was defective from day one, and therefore, at the end of the first swimming season, we had to drain the pool so that some of the problems could be addressed. Although this helped, the condition of our pool gradually deteriorated over the years. Each year the sides along the lengths were slightly more bowed out and the sides along the curved ends were slightly more bowed in. Then in the Spring of 2006, I noticed that the steel wall of the pool at one end had pulled out of its track and was displaced inward several inches – not a good sign. I was informed that I was at risk that the pool could have a catastrophic failure. That is, if the kids were horsing around, one of the walls could dramatically fail, allowing 17,000 gallons of water to cascade out. Although the likelihood of this was not severe, I was concerned if that did happen, someone might get injured, or worse.

Therefore, during the summer of 2006, I contacted a different pool company. My next-door neighbor had used them and his satisfaction was proof of their integrity and high quality. We agreed to have the site work done that Fall so that a new pool could be installed in the Spring of 2007. With all that decided, at the end of the swimming season I drained and disassembled the pool and had it hauled away. Unfortunately, because the pool guy was involved in a motorcycle accident, the site work could not be completed in the Fall. And when Spring came, my phone messages to him were never returned. Finally, late in June my next-door neighbor rang my doorbell and told me that the pool man closed his business. Does the expression, “left high and dry” resonate?

So I had to start from scratch, except now I had a 18 by 33 foot sandy beach in my backyard. By the time I had researched the various possibilities, it was too late in the season, so I put down a deposit and made arrangements for the pool to be installed (what was to be a two-day process) on a particular date in the Spring of 2008. (You know what’s coming, even though I did not!)

The agreed upon day for the pool installation came and went. In fact, twenty five frustrating days of phone calls and broken promises came and went before the pool was finally delivered, installed, and filled! I have never been told as many stories, fibs, and bold-faced lies associated with a purchase in all of my life. My experience with the pool industry has been an abomination!

I suppose that if you were land-locked and did not have access to a creek, stream, river, pond, lake or ocean, it would be quite acceptable to teach a pup to swim in a pool. In the DVD, Game Dog 2^nd Edition with Charles T. Jurney (familydogs.com), he showed his technique of inviting the dog into a stream and recommended that the dog be allowed to experience swimming at her own pace. I decided to follow this approach.

During the afternoon of the first full day JayDee was with us, Esther and I took her to nearby Rose Valley Lake. Now I didn’t take my gorgeous 16 year old daughter, and cute, as cute can be, 8 week old Golden retriever puppy in a big ole SUV, no sir, I did not. I fired up my Honda S2000, two-seater sports car (which I always referred to as “the race car”), put the top down and motored to the lake in style! JayDee was in her glory. (So was I.) Esther and JayDee made quite a picture – what was the deal with that gray-haired dude behind the wheel? (Who besides a gray headed dude can rationalize the purchase of any toy at that price?) 

Check out the cuties!

We parked at the boat launch and gradually waded into the water. JayDee was a bit tentative about the whole situation; she obviously had not, as yet had an opportunity to read about her historical roots and attributes! Nevertheless, we were able to slowly entice her into the water. She got to the point where the water was up to her shoulders. She then decided that she had enough and headed for shore. Since I was committed to making this a positive experience, there was no reason to force the issue. I hoped that JayDee’s hesitancy was temporary.

Exactly a week later we tried again, this time on the Lycoming Creek, which had an easy access point, only 3 miles from home. Although I had never been there before, our kids were very familiar with this area because they have tubed down the creek on a number of occasions. This time I brought treats and the clicker and I backed into the creek, slowly enticing and clicking JayDee as she, step by step, entered the water. It took about 5 minutes and she was swimming! She swam to me, then totally around me and then attempted to climb out of the water onto my chest! I used the leash to lead her the short distance back to shore and she walked onto the muddy bank. She was shivering but I don’t know whether she was cold or stressed. Pam toweled her off. On the short ride home, I imagined that her car crate might have even looked inviting to her! When we got home we used a gentle sprayer on the garden hose to wash her clean.

I emailed Jenn Craig telling her of our progress. I asked her when I could introduce JayDee to the pool. Since the weather had been cool, atypical of August in Williamsport, I had mentioned that detail as well. Jenn emailed back reassuring me that JayDee should be ready to take the plunge! She mentioned that during the winter, her dogs would break through thin ice to swim in Lake Erie and therefore the temperature would not be important. Obviously I had not made it clear – it wasn’t JayDee that was concerned about the water temperature, it was me! I don’t like to go in the water if either the air or water temperature is anything but warm, warmer, or warmest!

A few days later all conditions were go, so before lunch we put JayDee into the pool. I kept a supportive hand under her mid-section and this reminded me of my Dad teaching me to swim. Typically, JayDee started out trying to walk on top of the water but quickly transitioned into more of a doggie paddle. She did have a look of concern on her face, but she was a good sport. She swam for the sides but I kept her from the liner and she was in about five minutes, which I thought was adequate. After lunch JayDee slept most of the afternoon! Wow, that must have been exhausting. For my own part, the water wasn’t as warm as I would have liked, but there are sacrifices that we must make for our beloved puppies! Before supper we did another in pool session. JayDee still had to perfect her body position in the water. Jenn predicted that initially JayDee’s butt would sink, and of course Jenn was right, but I was optimistic that this would self correct. At that point Michael Phelps the Olympic champion, did not have to worry that JayDee, quickly becoming known locally as “Water Bud,” would be any competition to him.

A few days later we tried again, and as always I tried to have “the Jolly attitude.” I began to realize that if I held JayDee by the collar under her chin, she would paddle with all four paws and this lifted her butt up in the water. I can’t say that she was “lovin it”, but she was getting it. I found it interesting that JayDee’s perspective seemed to be that I was the one saving her from drowning. She must not have realized that I was the one putting her at risk! Thank goodness for misperceptions.

Weather-wise, the next several days were most pleasant – not hot enough for me to get in the pool, but JayDee needed the exposure, so in we went, sometimes twice a day, but never more than 5 minutes per session. If she was really enjoying it, she wasn’t making it obvious to me!

Previously I had cut down a leash so that it is only 6 inches long. It’s called a “grab” and it gave me more access to the pup than the collar alone. I used this in the water to lead JayDee as we did laps back and forth. When JayDee would pump with all four paws, I couldn’t back pedal fast enough. On the other hand, when she would become distracted, her butt would sink.

With the approach and passing of Labor Day, our north-central Pennsylvania weather surprisingly heated up a bit, so I was able to put JayDee in the pool. Sessions lasted five to seven minutes typically once a day, but on occasion, twice a day.

Pam offered the suggestion that both of us get in the pool and have JayDee swim from one to the other. Whether it was Pam herself (which was probably the reason) or because Pam was positioned near the pool exit, we found that JayDee would swim from me to her, but I had to go to Pam to lead JayDee by the “grab” (a 6” leash attached to her collar) to the other side of the pool, after which she would swim solo to Pam.

To complete my tale of woe, let me say that previously in late July, in anticipation of end of the season pool closedown, I ordered a winter cover, closedown chemicals, a special cover to seal off the skimmer during the winter, and water testing strips from an online pool supply. The testing strips came very quickly, but nothing else. After two weeks I emailed the supplier and after several emails and delays in between, the supplier said there was difficulty with their distributor and they would issue a refund for the unsent goods. After another two weeks, and several emails and delays in between, the refund finally came through. On August 22^nd I placed an order for the remaining items with a different supplier and the winter cover and the winter skimmer cover came quickly, but the winterizing chemicals did not. You cannot close down a pool without winterization chemicals, so after two weeks I emailed the supplier. After several emails and delays in between, the supplies finally did arrive. Is it just me, or is the pool industry drowning due to incompetence?

Read next post. 
Start at the very first post.