boj&riggs

boj&riggs
Photo ©Megan Goldin

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Step one of learning how to jump of a boat. . .Own a human who is crazy.

Hullo friends.

With all that jibber jabber about my trip down to Texas and those amazing photos of me jumping off a boat, I thought it was important to show you my very first jump ever.  Caught on tape! Also, it was around 60 degrees here in Colorado today and I'm really starting to get the water training bug in my system again.  It's like I'm getting delirium tremors just thinking of it.  Sigh, just a few more months to go. . .

Remember how I told you how very hard the Momma and I were working on this feat?  We worked on it FOR MONTHS! The reason why it became so scary for me, was because the first time we tried it, I jumped without hesitation, but I went ALL the way underwater and I got so scared you guys.  I saw fish, and my mommas toes, and sunken treasures (there was a toilet bowl under there! A toilet bowl! I guess when some humans gotta go, they gotta go) when I was under water.  It was just a few seconds but it felt like hours and it really really scared me.  I'm a really good swimmer, but nothing prepares you for that, especially without a scuba certification.  So, we had to go back to square one.  The Momma realized that she did a few things wrong in getting me to jump that first time, first of all, she didn't have a life jacket on me which would've prevented me from sinking like that until I got really comfortable with jumping (which totally happened you guys!).  It's also super duper scary when you jump and you can't see the bottom of what you're jumping into.  My mom and I did a lot of thinking outside the box to get to my true fear, and what would really motivate me to jump again and not be so scared.  After baby step after baby step, I did it! There is nothing more motivating than jumping for my Momma in the water holding a tennis ball AND a FULL JAR of peanut butter! You laugh, but it totally worked! Incentive is everything people.  And so, I present to you, MY FIRST JUMP FOR A PEANUT BUTTER JAR! This occurred around July 2012,  just a few weeks later I was jumping really well on my own like a pro and went on to earn my water rescue dog title.  Never ever give up dogs! And always remember there's more than one way to skin a cat (I said that on purpose because we have a cat, and sometimes he thinks I'd like to skin him but really I just want to give him a kiss, and maybe play hide and seek or something).  Don't I have the very best water training group who is always there to cheer me on and encourage me, and put up with my momma's crazy ideas?