present
The story so far.... Amy (Zizunga Enchanting Whim at Friedanene) lives with several other Basenjis, some Dobes and an old (but beloved and arthritic) Rottweiler.
The Rottweiler needs treatment and gentle exercise for veterinary reasons to do with old age (hits us all one day !) and attends weekly at a special pool designed to help dogs with arthritic joints and related problems.
This therapy pool is at Melton Mowbray, England, and is four foot deep, a circle around a central platform in which the dogs can swim around and around to their heart's content. There is an artificially induced current so as to make them strain a little against the flow and thus give them the gentle exercise they need in the best possible conditions.
The pool is heated with an 8 kilowatt, 3 phase heater and is recirculated and filtered.
Although only the Rottweiler requires this therapeutic weekly swim, it found favour with one of the Dobermans, who plunged in and swam around, thoroughly enjoying the exercise. We stress, this is a VERY fit and lovely young Dobe, winner of three Reserve Challenge Certificates, whose owners hope for even greater successes in the future !
What was totally unexpected, but has now become a weekly event as well - was how Amy, also an RCC winner and fit as a fiddle, would take to the water.
The answer is quite simple - like a duck !
Amy launches herself into the blue -
This isn't a dog doing something under duress, to please her humans
- she very obviously loves the water !
The camera simply cannot lie - this IS a swimming Basenji !
The current is nicely illustrated here, Amy is swimming against it.
This has to be the ultimate Dog Paddle !