Dixie Can Swim . . . Finally

But Archie still can't.

My brother came up for the weekend. Today, he went swimming. The dogs were already whipped into frenzy while he was standing at the pool's edge. When he jumped in, they were going nuts. Dixie kept running up and down the pool while my brother swam laps. He kept pleading for her to get in. Dixie lied at the pool's edge and slapped at the water with her paws. But she wouldn't take that big step.

My brother grabbed her and put her in the water. She first swam to him and then to the steps after my brother guided her. Dixie got out. Archie was waiting for her. He bit her legs and growled. Dixie kept running up and down the pool.

The next time she got in, she stepped off the edge and swam to my brother and then the steps. Except when she got to the steps, she did not get out but turned around and kept swimming. She did several laps with my brother. He would get a big lead on her when he pushed off the wall. However, Dixie quickly caught up to him. She can swim pretty damn fast now! No longer does she slap at the water and splash around. She scoots down the pool and gets her body pretty high.

In contrast, poor Archie still can't swim well. When my brother put Archie in the water, Archie splashed heavily and went to the nearest edge of the pool instead of going to the steps at the shallow end. I worry Archie will fall in with no one around, will tire himself out trying to get out the wrong way and subsequently drown.