What We Do at Summer Camp...Woody's Story
by Al Murphy

Summer camp is fun for kids of all ages -- especially for Border Collie kids.  What's even better, is that camp is a great place to learn new things.  Our camp is located in the Town of Maccomb, just a short way from the Canadian border near the Thousand Islands.  While it takes us almost 4 hours to drive there from Buffalo, our Border Collie doesn't mind the car ride.  In fact, when we turn off the New York State Thruway and onto Route 81, we are certain she knows where we are headed -- and why not?  It's her favorite place on earth.

We started bringing Woody to camp when she was a puppy.  We opened camp for the season when she was only six months old.  On her inaugural car ride, she did as many pups her age would do -- she puked!  Our first learning experience with taking our dog to camp involved learning to make sure her tummy was absolutely empty before starting out (and a jelly bean or sugar cube never hurt either!).  Due to space constraints, we couldn't bring her crate and we were unsure as to how she would be without it.  Thus started our camp tradition of having camp be the one place where our puppy was allowed to sleep on the bed.  It also started my addiction to morning puppy breath!  

It was always our intention to have a swimming dog -- but how does one go about teaching a dog to swim?  Many of the dogs we knew were afraid of water.  Well, we worried over nothing.  Our pup took to the water as if she was a fish.  Her first forays in were playful and splashy -- and it only took her a few tries to realize she could swim.  She was, however, taken my surprise the first time she jumped into the water from the dock.  This was because she didn't expect to end up under water!  That did put her off swimming for a bit -- but in the spirit of puppy resiliency, Woody bounced back and was back in the water with gusto.  We realized that we should not take her newfound swimming skills for granted -- so we bought her a nifty pink life jacket.

Woody's life jacket was a big hit.  She didn't particularly like wearing it at first, but it served her well.  No, we never had an accident -- but we had a serious near miss!  One day Woody decided she'd like to be the hood ornament for our speeding boat.  Before she could be stopped, she was standing proudly on the bow -- at 45mph!  Doggie life jackets have a handle on the back -- which made it possible for us to grab her and haul her back where she belonged.   Had she been thrown from the boat, she probably would have been knocked unconscious -- but her life jacket would have kept her afloat.  Woody was easily visible in her pink flotation device.  Passing boaters would spot it and yell their greetings to her.  When it was time to line up boats and sit and chat at the end of the day, Woody was handed off from boat to boat -- garnering the nickname "six pack" because her life jacket's handle made her easy to pick up.  Being handed off from boat to boat was a great experience for a young pup -- it made her eager to meet new people and comfortable with being lifted.

Camp was also the place where Woody experienced her first thunder and lightning storm.  We'd always dreaded that day in fear of her developing the storm phobia of so many dogs we knew.  However, when a bad storm occurs in your favorite place in the world, it's easier to take it in stride.  That first storm was a big one and it woke us up.  Woody just cuddled in our arms oblivious to it all -- basically her reaction to any storm that followed.  Her reaction to fireworks was pretty much the same.  Having positive initial experiences with these two events is most likely what led to her healthy acceptance of them.

Woody made a lot of doggie friends at camp.  Being an only dog, she needed this social interaction with "her own kind."  There were older dogs who served as mentors, young dogs who served as playmates and some who actually taught her a thing or two.  Having a circle of dog oriented friends, we learned a lot about training and found it was possible to have six or seven dogs confined in a cabin on a rainy day -- without any scuffles or problems.  During  her first summer, Woody earned the title "Lake Dog."  Not bad for a little white fluffy pup from the city!

We did learn that camp isn't always fun and games -- especially when your pup gets injured!  One night our girl ran into an open car door.  She sliced her side open -- at 11PM.  We could not find a local vet willing to stitch her up at that hour and were nervous about leaving the wound exposed until the next morning.  So, we contacted our vet who helped us track down the nearest emergency vet.   It was a two and a half hour drive and none of it was fun!  The lesson we learned was that it is important to establish the nearest emergency medical facility in advance -- and find lodgings nearby that allow pets.  We also have a doggie first aid kit which comes to camp with us.

Camp is a great place for Woody -- and we have chosen it as our main vacation spot.  We get invited to join friends on cruises, we've been offered bike trips in Europe.  But we turn them all down!  A week at camp with our dog is the best vacation around.  While Woody's main fitness activity is a daily swim, a weekend at the lake offers swim potential 24 hours a day.  No matter what we're doing, if we say "OK" -- she takes off running and heads straight for the water.  It's on her mind 24 hours a day!

Summer camp is a great place for youngsters to learn -- especially four legged youngster.  We are very lucky to be able to enjoy a cabin on a lake.  A large part of our enjoyment of camp comes from experiencing it with our dog.   Woody's learned a lot at summer camp -- but we've learned a lot too.  So, if you have a chance to bring your dog to camp -- do it!!!  It's not just fun -- it's a learning experience too!