Hi, I’m Savanna! Read my introduction to study extra about me and my spunky Chihuahua combine, Penny.
Small canines have a repute for being additional possessive of their house owners, and Penny is not any exception. I don’t know if she is aware of that I’ll shield her, or if she thinks that she has to guard me. She doesn’t undergo from separation anxiousness if we aren’t along with her, however she does prefer to be with me as a lot as doable.
I first discovered how a lot my canine is possessive of me once we went kayaking for the primary time after getting her. Or, I ought to say, the time we went kayaking with out her, and she or he didn’t take that very nicely in any respect. Here’s what occurred.
Our Summer Weekend on the Cabin
My brother-in-law and his household have a cabin on the Little Tallapoosa River in Woodland, Alabama. For a weekend in the course of the summer time, we hire out the cabin and my household will get collectively to hang around, grill, fish, kayak, and many others., typical summertime issues.
The first summer time we went down there after getting Penny, we determined to convey her with us for the day so we didn’t have to depart her at house. There have been loads of members of the family to play along with her and assist keep watch over her, so my husband and I made a decision to go kayaking and depart Penny behind. Or so we thought we have been leaving her behind…
Penny’s Big Swim
We weren’t planning on being gone for too lengthy, so we kayaked up the river for about 10 minutes or so, then kayaked again down the river to our start line. I suppose Penny’s possessiveness over me bought the perfect of her, and she or he didn’t take too nicely to us being gone and out of her sight for a short while. As quickly as we bought again into her sight, I heard a splash, seemed over, and right here comes Penny swimming towards me within the water. There was nothing my household may’ve achieved to cease her; she was decided to get to me.
Penny can swim, however she doesn’t like water, so for her to leap within the water and begin swimming towards us, she was clearly very involved for our security. Of course, she didn’t know that we have been completely effective, however it bought to a degree the place she began to wrestle with swimming. The water isn’t tremendous deep or broad, however deep sufficient and broad sufficient {that a} small canine like Penny that actually isn’t tailored for swimming may wrestle simply.
Obviously I used to be scared to loss of life watching her wrestle to swim to me, so I began paddling as quick as I may to get to her. I lastly reached her, and fortunately she still had her harness on so I used to be capable of simply decide her up by the harness and put her into the kayak with me, so I didn’t have to fret about capsizing attempting to scoop her up. But I’d’ve achieved it if that’s what it took to save lots of her.
So anyway, there was me and Penny, this dripping, soaking moist little Chihuahua combine that seemed like a drowned rat, within the kayak paddling again towards the riverbank. After we made it again to the financial institution safely, and after what was a traumatic expertise for me and I’m certain for Penny, too, I made a decision that was sufficient kayaking for the day. Penny took fairly the nap on the best way house.
The Next Summer
The subsequent summer time that we went to the cabin and went kayaking, I made a decision to convey Penny alongside as a result of I didn’t need a repeat of the earlier summer time’s incident. We didn’t have a doggy life jacket for her, so I used to be simply going to place her within the kayak with me and keep actually near the financial institution, simply to get her used to being within the kayak.
She truly did rather well. I held onto her collar when she bought near the sting, simply in case she tried to leap out. But it was easy crusing, or moderately, easy kayaking. I believe she was simply glad to be with me, to “shield” me whereas out on the water.
I plan to take Penny on many extra kayaking adventures with us as soon as we get her the right security gear. You know, simply in case she decides to go for an additional huge swim. But I believe so long as she’s with me, she’ll be effective.