The theory is: if you fill it they will come! But this is not the case with Cocoa. While we were going through our basic training classes at Dog School 101, Sandy and Xalina talked about the benefits of letting your dog play in a child’s swimming pool.

Sandy says, “Just fill it up and let your kids have fun. It cools them off in the summer, and it is a good way to reward your dog at the end of an obedience session.” She cautions, “Never leaving your puppy alone in a pool or forcing it to go in the water. Making an animal do something that it is afraid to do can be traumatic. If your dog likes water. This can be another way to have fun with your pooch!”

It took little effort to go to Walmart and purchase a small pool, but alas Cocoa is just not a pool dog. This past Sunday was red hot. So I decided to drag the pool out from the shed and fill it up. I also got the bright idea to give her a bath. She has grown accustomed to Sunday adventures and I was sure this was one that would please me, if not her. With her favorite ball floating across the water’s surface, she defiantly refused to get into the water until I stepped in. But once her paws were wet, it was bath time!


Okay, the pool probably could be a little larger!

But the bath was wonderful and best of all it washed away two weeks of yard dirt!

The favorite part? Getting dried off, of course.

Cocoa tries to say “thank you.”