Water

Having the genes of both a Labrador and a Poodle, it's no wonder this boy likes to swim.

We bought him a plastic pool and on these hot, hot days of July, he can spend hours in it digging around for a sunken stick or chasing his blue raquetball across the surface.

When his legs are wet and the rest of him dry, he looks very much like a lamb waiting for his first shearing. When he's completely wet, he looks scrawny as if he's shrunk to half his size.

We go to the lake often and he dives in without hesitation. The other day I threw a stick that sunk fast. I didn't think Rubin had seen it, but the next thing I knew, he dove head first under the water and pulled it out.

Now that's a swimming dog!