[RKDinOKC]

Penny my first dog was a thinker. Remember showing her she could swim. We were playing fetch with one of those bumpers that float near the edge of a pond. The bank was fairly steep. I threw the bump to where it landed in the water but right next to the bank. She stayed on the bank and reach the bumper fetching it.

Then I threw it just a little farther out. She would step into the water reaching the bumper to fetch it. Then a little farther out and she would jump to grab the bumper then come back up the bank. Then a little farther and she would lunge and grab the bumper then actually go under water to reach the bank and climb back up retrieving the bumper.

Then I threw it just far enough she couldn't reach the bumper by just jumping. She jumped in and didn't reach the bumper, so turned around. You could see her brain working. when she turned to the bank she realized she was not touching the bottom. She would turn back towards the bumper, and you could see her think "No that's too far." She would turn back towards the bank. She went around in a circle like that about 10 times with that little pause in each direction you could see her changing her mind. The she turned swam the one or two stokes to grab the bumper, grabbed it and brought it back.

Affer that she knew she could swim. She would not only swim, but she would jump out into the water. Even off of docks.