Sea Dog Blog

As we go through the pictures we take, it seems embarrassingly ridiculous how many photos we have of our dog! So I guess she seems worthy of her very own post:

I am a pack animal by nature, and there is nothing I love more than being with my pack, (except maybe bacon). I have always loved running and hiking with my pack, anxiously awaiting any opportunity to sniff out a new adventure. It isn't always easy. They often go long distances or on steep rugged terrain. But this year they tested a new limit that took me off of land and way out of my comfort zone--sailing.

First of all, I do love smooth sailing which is not unlike driving in the car and feeling the breeze flap through my ears, but I like to stretch out as far away as I can from whatever vehicle I'm in as I need to be the first one to see and smell whatever there is to see and smell. But my pack, put netting all around the boat to prevent me from leaning over the sides. I try sneak around it any way I can to get a better view, but they keep insisting I stay back. I have also discovered that I do not enjoy sailing when the seas are rough. Not unlike my pack-mom, I feel sick and mainly just want to lay down when the boat is rocking and rolling every which way.

I am quite protective of my pack and our territory. It is very clear to me that the boat is our territory, and therefore I must protect it at all times from intruders who may try to board. This includes all manner of sea life from sea lions to sea grass. My pack may not understand, but I know the importance of running round and round the boat barking at anything I see all day long to keep us safe--you never know when or where an intruder may come from. This is an exhausting job that I feel I am under appreciated for doing!

This new lifestyle has taken some getting used to. I have always liked getting on our dinghy because it means we are going to land where I can run around marking new territory and exploring new places. Tide pooling took some getting used to (I didn't see what all the fuss was about), but now that my pack has shown me how to look for crabs in the rocks and fish in the shallow waters, I quite enjoy it. Swimming has been the hardest thing for me to enjoy no matter how much my pack encouraged me. I love getting wet, and I know how to swim, but there was something secure in feeling solid ground under my paws. Swimming will never be my favorite thing, but I have started to enjoy some swims near the shore especially if there is something in the water to chase. Surfing is my favorite water activity of all (particularly when I don't have to wear that ridiculous life jacket). I have my very own board, and I am quite good at staying balanced. This activity gets me close to the water and allows me to stay with my pack while they are in the water, but gives me the security of feeling something solid under my feet.

Taking pictures of me apparently gives my pack great pleasure. I hope you enjoy them half as much as they do.

The Netting

The Napping

On Land

On Water