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Posts Tagged ‘Lily’

Teaching a Dog to Kayak

This past weekend, I decided to take the EatStayPlay.com mascot dog, Lily, kayaking for the very first time.

Let me just share a few tips I learned on teaching a dog to kayak

1. Invest in a doggy life-vest. Yes, all dogs can swim — it’s instinctual. But, if they leap out of the boat or kayak in the MIDDLE OF THE LAKE do you really want to rely on instinct and pray they don’t get tired?
2. Attach a leash to the life vest AND to the kayak. That way if they do make the plunge, it’s easy to reel them back in.
3. Leave the fishing tackle, camera, lunchbox, etc on shore. You don’t want a squirrely, excited dog AND stuff.
4. Keep the trip short. If the pooch gets stressed, take Fido back to shore. You want it to be fun, not terrifying.
5. Pick a calm day, smaller lake and keep it relatively close to shore. Again, make it fun not scary.
6. If people stress your dog out (love or hate) pick a day with fewer people on shore and on the water.
7. Don’t have anybody else talk to or call for the dog. Maybe they should stay on shore, or in camp, on in another town. (Or maybe out of sight but close enough to help if needed!)
8. Bring towels!

So, I’m sure that you’re just DYING to know how I came up with this list, right?

When Code Wolf and I were camping at White Horse Lake last weekend, I decided that it was high-time Lily learned about kayaking. Now, being the do-anything dog that she is, Lily will let me harass her in pretty much any manner I see fit.

So, I put her in her oh-too-cute life vest, left all the goodies on shore – Rule #3 – (hence no pics of the event) and took off.

And I promptly broke Rule #5!

It was a breezy day that went from flat water to little bitty whitecaps. She did okay when it was calm but the second the kayak would start to rock in the breeze… well, Lily couldn’t decide if she wanted to be in my lap or as far from the paddle as possible.

I felt we were just getting the hang of it, slowing paddling around the lake. Then here comes Code Wolf to check on us. Happily, he calls out: “Lily! How ya’ doin’?” (Rule #7 — shattered!)

And Lily jumps out of my kayak and tries to run to him!

Of course, she promptly sinks WAY below the surface and then bobs back up, courtesy of aforementioned oh-so-cute life vest. (Rule #1)

But never fear, I just grab the leash (Rule #2) and haul her in. But when I started pulling on the leash, her head went under again! Once I got her back into the kayak I was practically screaming with laughter.

She took offense to that!

After making a half-hearted attempt to continue on around the lake, I gave it up as a bad job and head back to shore. (Rule #4)

Of course, of COURSE, there were people all over the boat launch fishing. (Rule #6) And Lily doesn’t like kids at the best of times but when she’s cold, wet and suffering the indignity of having jumped into the lake… Lots of loud barking ensued.

Once I had Lily back out of the kayak (I dumped her over the side into tummy-depth-on-a-small-dog water — again, I’ll never be forgiven) I hauled her back to the truck.

Thankfully, I had a towel in there. Don’t ask me why, but at the very least, I was able to comply with Rule #8.

Will I take Lily kayaking again? Absolutely! Will I plan it a bit better? Of course! Will she ever forgive me? Maybe, maybe not!

Readers Weigh In:

• Do you boat or kayak with your dog?
• How old was Fido when you started?
• Tips for teaching an old dog new boating tricks?

I’m back from the maiden voyage of Skippy the Tent Trailer! For our “shake down cruise,” a friend & I decided to stick pretty close to home by heading to Williams. We stayed at White Horse Lake Campground which is the largest campground in the Williams area.

Here are some of the things we learned:

1. Pull-through campsites mean you don’t have to *gasp* back up the trailer!
2. You’ll always forget something you need (bow saw, syrup for pancakes, Lily’s tick medicine.)
3. Leave early (Thursdays are good) to get a pull-though campsite.
4. Stop and snap pics of the sheep.
5. White Horse Lake Campground doesn’t have a single pull-through campsite.
6. There is a perfect speed that makes dirt roads less bumpy.
7. You’ll always follow somebody who doesn’t know this and drives so slow your teeth rattle out of your head.
8. No matter how fast or slow you drive, everything will be covered in dust!
9. S’mores are the best when the chocolate is a little bit melted.
10. The Forest Ranger will always come to your camp to invite you to their evening talk RIGHT as you are burning dinner.
11. Get dirty.
12. After twenty minutes of trying to back the tent trailer into the campsite RIGHT WHERE IT IS NOW is good enough.
13. Oatmeal Stout beer and s’mores go together surprisingly well.
14. Bring more trash bags and paper towels than you think you’ll need.
15. Dogs are bed hogs.
16. No matter how short you cut your fingernails, they WILL get dirty.
17. When your friend tells you you’re over-packing, ignore him. He’ll appreciate all the “extra” things you bring.
18. Always bring sweatpants to sleep in.
19. Take plenty of pictures!
20. Put extra sunscreen on your nose. You’ll regret it later if you don’t!
21. When you just can’t get the tent trailer to come down, find another tent trailer owner and beg for help.
22. Keep an extra beer on hand to offer to said tent-trailer helper.
23. It takes Lily 24 hours to get into the groove of camping.
24. Three days without a shower is my limit.
25. When your dog jumps out of the kayak, be thankful you not only put her in her life vest, you attached it to the kayak!
26. Meals taste better outside.
27. Sleep in at least one morning.
28. Have the first meal of the trip already cooked so all you have to do it heat it up.
29. When you’re saying “Yes dear!” while gritting your teeth, it’s time to stop trying to back up the trailer and time to start heating dinner!
30. Bring plenty of snack food.
31. Buy enough wood to have a fire and then collect more to keep it going.
32. No matter what you do, cooking corn over the campfire will get you filthy!

1. No matter how short you trim them, you’ll still get dirt under your fingernails.
2. When you’ve kayaked 5 miles, celebrate with some photos.
   

   The Outdoor Princess & ESP Boss at Blue Ridge Reservoir

3. Check the weather report before you go. If snow level will be 9,000 feet, that’s something you’ll want to know a head of time.
4. When going on a long kayak trip, bring more water bottles than you think you’ll need. Nothing is worse than a dehydration headache.
5. Get excited about baby ducks.
   

   Wild baby ducks at Blue Ridge Reservoir

6. No matter where you sit, the smoke from the campfire WILL follow you.
7. ‘Dog rugs’ might keep Lily clean(er) but they don’t work for Chuck.
   

   Chuck puts the dirt ON TOP of the rug.

8. Remember to take lots of pictures!
9. 5 minute showers (at $3.00 each!) are never enough to get all the camping crud off of you. But you still feel more human afterwards!
10. Take enough quarters for two showers, just in case. Since it never fails that your hair is still soapy when the water shuts off!
11. Bring enough money for one “nice” dinner out. You might have hat-hair and smell like wood smoke, but at least somebody else will do the dishes.
12. Never underestimate the power of freshly brushed teeth, a clean face, and scrubbed hands to make you feel better.
13. Eat at least one s’more per trip.
14. Take photos of wildlife.
15. When you run into an old college roommate in the campground bathroom, realize that the world is smaller than you thought. And be glad you both love camping!
16. If your geocache disappears over the winter, blame it on a bear.
17. Pick up your house before you go. That way, when Lily and Chuck don’t get along and the pet sitter has to come over to take care of your dog, you know you didn’t leave a mess on your kitchen table.
18. Duct tape can fix just about anything.
19. Fishing is more about relaxing than about catching fish.
20. Compliment the cook.
21. Offer to do the dishes.
22. When your s’more didn’t get hot all the way through, make a “boat” out of tin foil and put it on the grate over the campfire. It’ll heat into sticky goodness in no time.
23. Bring an extra pair of pants even if your parents tell you that you’ll be fine with shorts.
24. Keep hair clips with your geocaching swag. When you go out for lunch, it helps make your hat hair look less like hat hair.
25. Worry if the waitress doesn’t smile.
26. Enjoy the wildflowers. But don’t touch them if you’re not sure what they are.
27. Take a gallon of hot water to the pay-per-minute shower so you can get wet, get sudsy and THEN put in your quarters.
28. Bring extra pairs of socks.
29. Hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are cool. Melanoma is not.
30. When flirting with the cute clerk in the sporting goods store, remember to get a phone number!
31. If you’re planning on going for a geocache that requires swimming, check the weather report (COLD!) before bragging that you’ll get it on that trip.