Bleu Learns to Swim

June 22, 2022
Owl Feather Farm, San Juan Island

Our wonderful Weimaraner puppy, Bleu, could not figure out how to swim.
He wanted to. Desperately. Most dogs are drawn to water—especially if they are hunt-and-fetch breeds—and Bleu would splash around happily in the shallows of our pond, becoming frantic once he got deep enough that he could no longer stand. But there was Eric, standing out a bit farther, encouraging the 11-month-old to just take the plunge. And Bleu would… splashing desperately with his front paws, a classic dog paddle.
Trouble is, Bleu is a large, deeply muscled canine athlete. No fat. No floating. His back end would drag his head down, panic would ensue, and he’d thrash back to shore. He hadn’t figured out how to use his back legs, and so failure was the result the first two dozen days.
But Bleu wasn’t giving up. He was, in fact, in the middle of a process behavioral scientists have found that leads to the new-skill moment of realization. There are five stages:
  • Explore: Bleu wades in that first time.
  • Focus: Cement the desire, which was innate for Bleu. Not only is he a hunting dog, his people were out there where he wanted to be.
  • Incubate: That is, keep trying, which he did, about a hundred times.
  • Insight: The “Aha!” moment cartoonists depict with a shining light bulb. We were watching when he discovered that kicking with his back legs kept his head above water and propelled him forward. Suddenly, he was swimming.
  • Follow through: Practice, practice, practice. This is where we come in. ”Throw the stick! Please! Now! Again!”

Video courtesy Diana Haass

How many times can you throw the stick into the middle of the pond? We’ll let you know in about 14 years. Meanwhile, swimming is Bleu’s new favorite thing, and he’s an awesome swimmer. Sometimes he just plunges in on his own and strokes across, no stick needed, just for the fun of it.
That, hamburger, family and sunshine make Bleu’s perfect day. If only life were really that simple.

Maybe it actually is. Peace be to you and yours!

—Eric Lucas

more articles