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Lola Pug spends as little time outside as she can when the temperatures dip, and this generally makes exercising her a big issue when January/February comes around. We can only visit her pug buddies so many times until we all become bored with each other. (and my baking isn’t THAT good as to garner continual invitations)
We have an arsenal of brain toys for The Pug, and we often play raucous games of fetch indoors, but when we get really desperate, we head off to the nearby indoor canine rehab pool for swimmies.
Swimming lessons started for Lola Pug early on, as pugs aren’t exactly known for their natural buoyancy, and I wanted to make sure she at least had the basics of swimming down in case she fell off a boat or a dock.
From reluctant beginner to reluctant expert, it’s amazing to see what regular lessons have taught her. (float coat always on, just for safety sake)
Dogs, apparently, are not naturally aware of their back legs, and so often only use their front legs only when first swimming. I think that Lola Pug learned quickly that using her back legs gave her more power to turn and get OUT of the pool, and she has become quite a little spitfire in the water.
I have been told that 15 minutes of swimming in the pool is equivalent to about a 5K walk, which certainly suits me fine.
The bonus to this all, of course, is that I come home with a VERY tired and, although not always happy at having been wet, at least physically exercised little pug.
Many canine rehab centres have “fun swim” times (although The Pug would *never* describe swimming as being “fun”) when folks can bring their water-loving creatures down for some reasonably-priced aquatic diving and ball chasing.
The pug’s people, if not the pug, herself, highly recommend taking the time to check them out.
