In our quest slim down the pugs we have brought back swim camp (more here as well). Swimming is not only great exercise for the pugs, but it is pretty much the only way they can exert themselves during the summer. The risk of them overheating is still there, but soaking their bodies in cool, pool water does a lot in helping to regulate their body temperatures.
To avoid shenanigans, we changed things up and the pugs now attend individual swim camp sessions. Which means, swim camp is a two camp counselor event. One person conducts swim camp while the other keeps the other two pugs occupied and away from the pool area.
A swim camp session lasts a total of 10 minutes. Each one of the pugs likes to spend their time doing different things, but the goal is to get in as much swimming as possible. They swim a bit, take a break, then swim a bit more. Repeat this process for ten minutes and then you have a swim camp session.
While one pug is at swim camp the other pugs do various things to pass the time. Depending on the time of day, they may go for a little walk, or they may assist in pulling weeds from the garden. Sometimes, we just sit under a tree in the front yard and enjoy the shade.
Completing 3 swim camp sessions takes about 45 minutes. Even though there is only 30 minutes of swimming, the exchange and suiting the pugs up takes time (life vests/harness). We try to do swim camp 3 times a week. That frequency seems to work well for the pugs. It keeps them from getting over exhausted.
This weekend, the pugs hosted media day at swim camp so I was able to get some pictures and take some underwater video. I was going to tell you about one of the pug's swim camp adventures each day this week, but I thought it would be more fun if I let you decide the order. So tell me, which pug would you like to hear about first? Although, I'm pretty sure I know your answer
The bin sits near a door, which gets lots of morning sun and despite being in the AC and having the sunlight reflect through the glass door, Luna gets overheated. She tried to tough it out at first, but she found it pretty hard to get any sleep while panting.
So she packed up camp and moved to a dog bed at the other side of the office that doesn't get any of the sun's rays. Oddly enough, though, on this new dog bed she always lays with her back up against the wall.
The last few days have been extremely hot and that means the pugs have been checking in on the outside world from the comfort of the couch in the air conditioned house. Barking at all that pass seems to be quite fun for them. Of course, I would prefer if they brought the barking down a notch, but they have to fill their days with something, I guess.
Luna prefers to spy on the outside world from ground level. I caught a shot of her in mid bark. I just love how her normally bulging eyes are extra bulgy in the photo. Get 'em girl!
I have talked about things I have learned from the pugs over the years (Henry, Benjamin and Luna), but I don't think I have talked much about things the pugs have learned from each other.
When Sol walked into our lives, Luna picked up one of Sol's personality traits very quickly - the act of saying no. Before Solsey arrived, I think Luna did a lot of things because the boys did them. She ate her piece of banana each morning because the boys seemed to love it. But, it was plain to see that Luna was not very fond of bananas.
The first time Luna watched Sol turn down a bite of banana a lightbulb went off in her head. Sol smelled her banana offering, gave a big huff, spraying snot all over the banana and everything else in close proximity and then looked up with her big brown eyes asking, "What else you got?" In a sign of solidarity, Luna turned down her bite of banana that morning too.
In the short 15 months that Sol was with us, Luna took pride in turning her nose up at many of our offerings. And without Sol, Luna continues to carry the torch. This morning, she didn't even bother to come to the breakfast table to turn down her banana. From the couch, she declared "Bananas, who needs stinkin' bananas!"
Benjamin has recovered well from his surgery. His incision has healed beautifully and he is back to his usual self.
Now that he is felling better, I think Benny is peeved because it is too hot to go for his usual walks. He lives for his walks and the quick little jaunts we have been taking just haven't been cutting it for him. Not to mention that the only suitable summer exercise for the pugs is swimming. And while Benny is a great swimmer, he prefers to keep his paws firmly planted on dry ground.
