Dogs love the beach. Mine have been telling me that for years. So after we got our new Australian Shepherd, Sadie, we knew we had to take her down and introduce her. It was great for her to go with our Lab, Maggie, who could show her the joys of the rotting kelp, stinking crab bodies, etc. But at some point she needed to learn about the water.
She’s giving Connie a “you’ve got to be kidding” look when Connie urges her toward the water. It was a good day with little surf. 
“Not too sure about this. It’s very strange how it keeps moving!” At this point Maggie dashed full speed past her directly into the waves. That was enough for Sadie, who went tearing after her.
The first wave knocked her over and drenched her and she came tearing right back. “You didn’t tell me it was wet and cold!” 
Do the words “drowned rat” come to mind?
Actually her discomfiture was very short-lived and she had lots more fun running around and getting plastered with sand.
Reid, thank you! You can post as many photos of your dogs as you want to! I think it’s great how you’re offering her so many experiences.
Ok but how do you get the dog HOME again without ruining the car? 🙂
Heidi – thanks for indulging my showing “baby pictures”. On her second trip to the beach, Sadie discovered birds! That was an adventure!
Matt – Well the big dog rode in the back of the pickup and the pup wrapped in a towel in the cab. Have to rethink dog transport after our wreck
Silly question, since our farm dogs never went anywhere…how do you keep your dog from jumping out of the box?
They never have seemed to want to jump out until we tell them to. Don’t know what to say.
Actually this is a big humane society and animal control concern. MOST of the time the dogs never jump out of pickup boxes — or fall out, though some have the bad habit of balancing precariously on top of the tool box so they can see over the cab. A leash is not a good solution because the dog might jump out of the box and become hanged. I’ve collected a few sad stories from owners. The best way is a harness that tethers the dog in a way that it can’t jump out, or else a kennel in the pickup box, though that needs to be tethered as well so it doesn’t get thrown out somehow.
Prairie Mary