What I Won't Do for My Dogs

This afternoon I was meeting a friend at Magnuson dog park so we could let our dogs have a nice run around. It was a nice spring feeling afternoon, clear and sunny. I arrived a little early so the boys and I went into the small and shy dog area, I know they aren't shy, by any means, but they are on the smaller side. Llelo has a ball in there, it doesn't take long for him to start racing around and having half the dogs in there racing after him, he loves it.

After my friend and his border collie/lab mix arrived we started walking towards the beach for some swimming and fetching action. Along the way to the beach there was plenty of sniffing and peeing. Down at the beach Gus was doing his happy dance, you'd know it if you've seen it, eager for me to throw the toy into the water. Arm back and off it goes, with a huge hulking yellow lab racing after it rather than his own ball. Gus has never challenged any dog for his toys; he veered off as soon as the lab nearly trampled him and refused to go back out for the toy. Nothing I did would convince him to go out after the toy. Now this toy has particularly high value, it's an Air Kong stick, the tennis ball material but in the shape of a stick. It's even higher value since the only kind you can buy now include the stupid squeaker, they fill up with water and sink.

I'd tried getting other dogs to bring the toy back in to no avail. Grr. I began to unload my pockets, extra poop bags, cell phone, digital camera, chapstick, and car keys, everything goes into my jacket pockets. Jacket handed to friend, fleece handed off, and I had to start psyching myself up for the cold water. My friend very generously did offer to go get the toy, but since I live only 10 minutes from the park and was wearing my Crocs, I couldn't let him do it. I did appreciate the offer, though. Bhoo ya! Here we go! I stepped into the water, it remained quite shallow for a long time, mid-calf, knee deep, I might be able to pull this off with only a little bit of suffering. Ya right! The water is now mid-thigh and creeping higher, thankfully we've had those spring-like warm days, the water wasn't nearly as cold as years past. Now I'm in crotch deep water, waist deep, belly button, I'm holding my hands up out of the water. For some reason keeping my hands dry gives the illusion of being warm and/or dry. The water is now chest deep and getting a little deeper, finally I can reach that damn toy. The whole way out I'm hearing the people on the beach laughing in disbelief that someone would be crazy enough to walk out into high chest deep water to retrieve a stupid dog toy. I grabbed the damn toy and hollered "I love my dogs!" as I started the long trek back in to the beach. The tops of my shoulders were still dry! Back on the beach I pulled on my dry fleece and jacket. My feet felt cold but the rest of me wasn't as cold as I expected. Time to head back to the car where I have plenty of towels, ostensibly for drying dogs off. A couple of large beach towels around my waist and the soaking, cold jeans were off and into the plastic tub in the back of the car. Hop into the car, crank up the heat and make haste for home, dry clothes and hot tea.

The saddest part of this sorry tale is the fact that this isn't the first time I've done such a thing. A few years ago, when Gus was much younger, it was about this time of year, first weekend in March, Gus had been fetching for quite a while. It was very early morning, a cold and rainy day, and we were the only ones on the beach. I knew he was getting tired so I tossed it out with the intention of one last time. Gus took three steps towards the toy and stopped, absolutely refused to go get it. This was an even higher value toy, I could not let it float away. I took my shoes off, emptied my pockets and headed out. The water was so cold I had an ice cream head-ache when I was only in ankle deep water and I had to go deep enough that I had to swim to get the toy. I spent the next month being really sick with a subsequent sinus infection. If I had to choose between a day like today and that Sunday morning those years ago, I would totally go out again today, in a heartbeat. My dogs love their toys and I love my dogs, there's nothing I wouldn't do for them. Stoopid dawgs!