It’s been a busy week for Devyn, full of playing! She’s getting good at getting very dirty, but also good at getting baths, so she might just get a good spray down once a week!

Our adventure to the Woodland Park Off Leash Area extended into a multi-day affair: It’s a GREAT park and Devyn couldn’t wait to go back! We went there two days in a row. It takes Devyn a few visits to any one dog park to feel comfortable enough to start bossing all of the other dogs around, so the first time we went there, she was a little shy.

Devyn mostly observed for the two hours that we sat around the park, though she did have a couple of crazy Corgi moments with a few other pooches.

It seems that this is a Big Dog park- most of the dogs at this particular park are large; Labs, Pit Bulls, Goldens, Great Danes, Malamutes, etc. Devyn got the chance to get comfortable around big dogs, really fast.

Devyn felt more comfortable on the second visit and had a few romps with some other dogs, including one adorable little pooch that I believe might be a Swedish Vallhund– either way, super cute. One pup had been there the day before, begging Devyn to play, and she decided to give in the second time around.

Devyn and I decided to wander around Green Lake on the second day. Green Lake is a huge recreational playground in Seattle. There is no limit to the amount of things to do in this park. Besides the Off Leash Area, there is a path around the whole lake that one can run, bike, rollerblade, walk, etc around, boathouses for crew, canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboating, a tennis court, a golf course, a baseball diamond…and so much more. Every time I drive past this area, I see at least several dozen people recreating in some form or another. It’s a pretty neat place. So, finally after a year of living in Seattle, I took Devyn to check it out further.

We only walked a little ways away from the dog park when we came to a clearing in the shrubbery around the lake where people could wade or dogs could swim. I’ve been trying to find a place to teach Devyn to swim at a place where I could get in the water with her- this area seemed perfect! The water was about a foot deep for several yards off the shore, and several logs lined the shore so that it created a sort of barrier from water to land. I figured this was a great opportunity to continue Devyn’s swim lessons. Instead of forcing her into the water, I simply walked a few feet away from the shore and called to her. She paced back and forth for several minutes, tormented over the desire to be near me versus the desire to stay dry.

For a moment, it seemed that Devyn would voluntarily jump into the water, deciding that I was more important than her vanity.

But then…

She jumped onto a rock by just a little too much, and in she went! It’s probably safe to say Devyn will refuse any and all conversations with me pertaining to her swimming career ever again, but it was kind of worth it. Look at that poor puppy!

She tried her best to retain her dignity, but after she realized all of the people who were becoming happier people just by looking at her, she decided she could put up with the embarrassment, as long as people were aware of how awesome she still was.

After the unexpected dunk, Devyn went a little nuts and ran around trying to dry off. This continued the general public’s amusement, which really only encouraged her craziness. Oh well, as long as she can find some way to put the trauma behind her…

Other than the unbearable humiliation of falling into a lake, Devyn approves of Green Lake and Woodland Park and has decided it ranks as one of her top favorite parks in Seattle. Maybe next time we go, Jake and I can rent a paddleboat or canoe and take her with us! Hopefully she learns to balance a little better by that point.