The council have recently cut the grass on the downs as we walk to the sea shoreline. Not a sparrow to be seen, no starlings either. Perhaps short dry grass not their thing. I thought I would let Fred off the lead as the chase was not there – nothing to chase! We walked along the beach all fine, then ‘click’ he remembers that there used to be sparrows here and darts off to look for them. None to be found and though itching to find something to chase including a cyclist I just get his attention by the slenderest of margins and get him back on the lead.
Next, we see a man only a few yards out into the sea swimming with his black Lab. Fred is interested but does not swim. I sort of called out, sort of spoke loudly asking the man whether his dog had to be coaxed into the water or did the dog go in and swim of his own accord.
‘No this is the fist time he has ever swam with me’. he answers. ‘I had to gently coax him in, supporting his chest and in the end, he seemed to get it’
I watched as this Lab swam towards me, onto the shallows walked over the pebbles round behind me and Fred and did the twisting dogshake thing to get the water off.
In this hot weather I thought it would be a missed opportunity not to get in there with Fred.
When we got home I discovered Fred has brought a half a blue rubber ball home with him. Must have had it in his mouth for a while and smuggled it home. He’s munching on it now!
