Swimmingly I love to watch our dogs crossing rivers. Gypsy who is two has built up considerable experience in these matters. When she was pup she would follow Tricia anywhere and that included crossing rivers. Then for a while she was water shy. We despaired of her ever being confident in the water. Labradors love water. Everyone knows that. Not everyone realises confidence is a continuously updating process. There was a stage, easily forgotten, when admiring her today that for a while she did not swim. Then one day she took to the water. And that was that. She did it when we weren't watching. The adventure had begun. Each time we took her out she would add something to her repetoire. One has to be an involved "parent" to notice the little changes in behaviour as they occur. Now she is a supremely confident dog in the water. River world is her world. And now we have Rex.
Rex is a seven month old Boarder Collie similar in apparence to New Zealand's famous Heading dogs that stop or turn flocks of sheep with eye contact. (Nelpers eat your heart out.) He has big bat like ears, more the mark of a show dog than a working dog but his father was a working champion. Boarders are smart and flexible. He wants to work. He wants to train. He leaps out windows to join in.
He and Gypsy play and play together. Lots of tug of wars and face play, mock growling, that sort of thing. When Gypsy takes to the water, Rex follows. Humans make poor substitutes for companions in this matter. Gypsy often powers up stream for the satisfaction of doing it. She is sleek, kept at agility level fitness by strict diet. When she powers up the river, Rex follows. As I have said Boarders are smart. He gets right in her slip stream so her turbulence tows him along. Every so often Gypsy gets pissy with Rex doing this and she turns. She turns. In a split second Rex moves faster that any longered haired dog has a right to. If Gypsy catches him she pushes him under with a paw. And she keeps doing it. He goes fast for the nearest bank and contents himself with anticipating where she will climb out. Sibling relationships are rugged in the dog world. They have fantastic fun together but their personal boundaries are clearly enforced.
Each day as I watch them play I have not idea what I will learn. I see what I see, noticing the evolution of their behaviour. Sometimes it seems deeply profound and I am moved by its simplicity.
Take this river crossing business. At first it was Pack Behaviour. "Mother" crosses river. Pup crosses river. Then there was Individuation. Choice of behaviour and its inherent uncertainties. Something approximating anxiety even appeared as a passing phase. Then there was the Goal Approach. Rex is still at that stage. He swims towards his goal. Some point on the other side. If the river is running slow enough he succeeds. If it is flushed with rain and running faster he fails. Oh, he swims harder. And harder. And the harder he swims the more he ends up facing directly up stream ... and drifting backwards downstream. As I have said, Boarder Collies are smart. He'll learn. Of that I am confident. Its a maturation thing. Successful experiences of living a different paradigm will bring about the change.
Gypsy can cross a river with ease. She maintains Direction. She swims perpedicularly to the bank. The current carries her down stream. She has learnt to let go and use her energy usefully. When she is across she bounds upsteam in the shallows. Imagine a joy de vive greater than the state of Texas. That comes close. Embued with this exuberant energy she criss-crosses the river in great figures of eight. It is a delight to watch. Who needs an inner child when you have an outer one demonstating spirited living to the max?
Some day I'd like to video these two free spririts racing through the shallows in the wide open spaces of our clear, clean rivers, sprays of water sparkling in the sunshine. At the moment it is sufficient to be inspired by it.