In Oxford, to be a dog is to be a “boat dog.”  It’s a time-honored tradition and brings great bragging rights among the initiated. Our trainer, Brenda Hasbargen, advised us that sooner is better and so we put Pete in a bright orange life jacket and took him out last Tuesday for a maiden voyage.

I must say that he was brave, overcoming the confusion of the earth moving beneath his feet.  Within minutes, he was confident enough to realize that he was also curious.  He began studying the boat’s wake, computing our speed over ground (just 6 MPH as we were in our Town Creek).

He watched as our house became smaller and smaller.  I recalled one of my favorite quotes from Andre Gide: “One does not discover new lands, without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”  Did Pete wonder how long it would be before he saw his new home again? I felt the adventure that Pete was experiencing.

He kept a close eye on Skip at the helm, feeling secure next to his leader. Even though Pete’s heart was racing, he stayed in the game.

As we returned to the Creek from a short excursion into the river, we passed an osprey nest.  Two osprey were on the nest and a third was returning. Pete went on high alert; he was fascinated watching the birds.  I sensed that it was a “call of the wild,” and I appreciated all that stirs within the little guy.  What a brave new world for Pete Case Labradoodle.