Malakai The Great
Founding Member
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2025
- Messages
- 20
Last summer, I took my shepherd, Koda, out to a quiet lake I like to visit when I need to reset. It was one of those hot afternoons where the water looks like glass, and I figured it’d be a perfect chance to let him swim and work off some steam.
Now, Koda loves water… but in his mind, if I so much as put a toe in, I must be drowning.
I walked out waist-deep, and before I could even dunk my head, I heard this huge splash behind me. Here comes 85 pounds of determined shepherd plowing through the water like a torpedo. He grabbed my wrist (very gently, thank god) and started pulling me back toward the shore with this laser focus, paddling like his life depended on it.
I couldn’t stop laughing! Here I was, trying to cool off, and my dog was in full rescue mode. The second my feet touched the sand, he let go, circled me, and barked once as if to say: “You’re safe now, don’t ever scare me like that again.”
After that, I decided to turn it into a game. I’d swim a few meters out, splash my hands like I was struggling, and Koda would launch himself in to “save” me. He probably thought I was crazy!! It became his favorite summer activity. By the end of the day, he was passed out in the grass, wet fur smelling like lake water, snoring like a freight train. I’ve never seen him so happy or so exhausted.
Moments like that remind me why I love this breed. They’re not just dogs, they’re partners, protectors, and goofballs all rolled into one. And honestly, if I ever do wipe out on a paddleboard one day, I have zero doubt Koda’s going to be the first one in after me.
Now, Koda loves water… but in his mind, if I so much as put a toe in, I must be drowning.
I walked out waist-deep, and before I could even dunk my head, I heard this huge splash behind me. Here comes 85 pounds of determined shepherd plowing through the water like a torpedo. He grabbed my wrist (very gently, thank god) and started pulling me back toward the shore with this laser focus, paddling like his life depended on it.
I couldn’t stop laughing! Here I was, trying to cool off, and my dog was in full rescue mode. The second my feet touched the sand, he let go, circled me, and barked once as if to say: “You’re safe now, don’t ever scare me like that again.”
After that, I decided to turn it into a game. I’d swim a few meters out, splash my hands like I was struggling, and Koda would launch himself in to “save” me. He probably thought I was crazy!! It became his favorite summer activity. By the end of the day, he was passed out in the grass, wet fur smelling like lake water, snoring like a freight train. I’ve never seen him so happy or so exhausted.
Moments like that remind me why I love this breed. They’re not just dogs, they’re partners, protectors, and goofballs all rolled into one. And honestly, if I ever do wipe out on a paddleboard one day, I have zero doubt Koda’s going to be the first one in after me.