Swimming with Barfi

 Hi everyone! It's me again. Haven't you all wondered whether your dog can SWIM? Most humans love swimming, and I for one thoroughly enjoy that calming feeling of the water between your toes and the serenity of just being in the pool. We enjoy many other things with our dogs, so why not let swimming be one of them? Let me tell you about the time Barfi first entered the pool. It was hilarious. 

     So, we had all gone to a lovely resort with fresh green grass, bright flowers, and dozens of activities. The food was fantastic and the trees were tall. But NOTHING, absolutely nothing, compared to the pool. It was this amazing sparkling blue, and just the right temperature, because we were in summer. It was shallow going in and then slowly became deeper. For me, the best thing was probably that dogs were allowed in the pool. I was ecstatic and actually jumped around in my excitement. Barfi was around four or five months when we first went on this trip. He was really scared to go in the pool, though he lingered near the center and wagged his tail whenever we shouted and splashed around. At first, everyone was playing games there and I joined, but then I decided to encourage him a little bit. So I swam towards him, got him to the shallow end of the pool, and splashed around a little there, getting him used to the water. Then, after a few minutes, I tapped the steps and said excitedly, "Barfi, step 1! Come on, you can do it!" To this day, I think that my tone made him do it more than anything else, but anyway, he stepped into the water. 

    I saw him and happiness filled my stomach. I swam all the way to the other end of the pool, and Barfi, without a second thought, surprised us all by swimming like a pro all the way there. He splashed around and paddled through the water so gracefully that he seemed to glide from one end of the pool to another. When he got tired, he climbed on my back, and I took him for a piggyback ride across the pool. It was a comical sight. He loved swimming, and I became his buggy ride from one end of the pool to another when he didn't feel like paddling all the way. No matter how much I grumbled, Barfi stayed on my back, so in the end, I just laughed and let him be there. As soon as he got out of the pool, he shook himself, and a wave of water literally erupted from his coat and submerged all of us! Just kidding. He did get everyone wet, though.

     As soon as he got out of the pool, he wanted to get in again, but he was still afraid of going in. So I kept telling him, "Step 1, Step 2!" and he got so used to the words that now, whenever we go to a place with a pool, he immediately climbs onto the steps when I say them. So, that's the story of how he learned how to swim!

BARFI SWIMMING WITH ANOTHER DOG.                                                                                                                 ------------------------------------------------------

    Learning to swim was an adventure, but swimming with other dogs was definitely one of Barfi's most memorable experiences. One of his best friends, an adorable labrador called Luna, came on a trip with him to the pool! A Labrador and a golden retriever in a pool is a match made in heaven. Luna loves balls of all kinds, be it tennis balls or footballs. So, when one of our friends dropped the ball into the pool by mistake, Luna did not want to get in and instead put her paw in the pool and tried to whip the water to get the ball in her direction. We all cracked up, and didn't notice Barfi, who went right next to Luna and began pawing the pool beside her! The two of them chased each other around the pool, and since the rim was narrow, both almost fell in. Then when she had had enough, Luna jumped into the pool, caught the ball, and swam back to the shore, shaking herself to dry her coat. Barfi, of course, jumped in with her, but the poor dog was nowhere as fast as her, and by the time he had reached the second step of the pool, she was already playing with the ball. We took pity on Barfi and so played with him in the pool, with his own ball. 

    Another incident where Barfi swam with other dogs was when our friends had come to Lonavla with us, and we had gone to a resort where there was a pool that overlooked the woods. We arrived with another golden retriever who was younger than Barfi called Hazel, and a Beagle called Beni. Of course, having three dogs in the same hotel made it seem like a madhouse, but it was loads of fun. Beni didn't venture into the pool much, and when he did, he was always in someone's arms, but Barfi and Hazel had a ball chasing the balls (pun intended). They even raced from one end of the pool to the other end, and when they got out of the pool, they shook themselves and rolled in the mud, spraying us with dirt. 

    And these are the different stories of how we got Barfi to swim. They're also memories that we'll treasure forever. So I hope you enjoyed reading this, and you can share how you got your dog to swim in the comments below! 

    P.S - Barfi has a Youtube Channel as well! - It's called Barfi Productions. There, you can see how Barfi behaves, what he likes to eat, and so much more! The channel has been made by my sister.

    An additional note: Always check whether your dog is the right size or age to swim before allowing them to. It is advisable to check with your vet if your dog has any condition, and if you are unable to do that, a simple Google search will work. For example, bulldogs, pugs, dachshunds, etc. cannot swim as they have short legs and large chests, which is not suitable.