FitDog Friday/K9 Kamp: Swimming in the Backyard Ocean

We rented a small cabin in Southwest Harbor, Maine for our week-long vacation. It was across the island from the hustle and bustle of Bar Harbor, but close enough to Acadia National Park. Here is Chewy on the porch, for scale.

With 4 people and a 70+ lb dog, it was a little tight, but cozy. Chewy made himself at home, always lounging in a spot that would be most inconvenient for us, like in front of the bathroom doorway, or in front of the mini-fridge.

Right off the porch was a nice stretch of grass bordered by wildflowers, leading to a rock beach. Chewy, like any typical golden, LOVES water. Beach, pool, or puddle, Chewy will be there. Every morning after he did his business, he would run down to the beach for at least a good paw soak. 

The new bumper that we bought in Portland got a lot of use in our vacation home's backyard. Chewy fetched it out of the water 100% of the time, compared to about a 30% return rate when we play fetch at home. Maybe he wanted to keep it safe from the evil waves?

Bringing it back!

Safe!

Shake shake shake! Mine mine mine!

Chewy is a bit afraid of large waves, so we were only on the beach around low tide. Also, he does not venture far from shore on his own. Someone has to be in the water with him, or else he will only hover a couple feet from the shoreline. This is great for safety reasons, because it means he is much less likely to get washed out to sea. This time, my dad went in the water with his wetsuit on, because the water was a bit chilly.

My best Baywatch impression

Chewy enjoyed playing with the bumper on land, as well. He bounded around gleefully, fetching it, rolling on it, and trying to initiate games of tug. Sometimes, our cabin-renting neighbors' dog would come outside, and they'd go on high-speed chases around the property. They had a blast!

Whee!

After his morning swim and run, Chewy always needed a quick nap before we could head out for our daily adventures.

Everydoggy knows you need to rest after a workout!

We are joining the FitDog Friday hop hosted by SlimDoggy,
Peggy's Pet Place and To Dog with Love.