Swift as the ocean breeze

Artorias watched as Talyssa's curiosity grew into complete fascination once they arrived at the cove he would be using to teach her how to swim. The shallower and calmer waters here would make the inlet a perfect puppy pool to learn in! His tiny tawny pup went charging right into the water with absolutely no fear, bringing a bright smile to her sire's face. He loved the enthusiasm she tackled life with and hoped she never lost that zest for exploration and discovery! Artorias remained watchful while Talyssa got herself accustomed to being in the water, going as deep as she felt safe to, then asking if she had gone far enough. "Yes, very good, Lyssa! Do you feel that weightless sensation like you're being lifted off your paws? That's your body floating in the water. Swimming is a combination of letting your body float naturally and using your paws to move yourself around in the water."

Artorias waded a little deeper into the pool, keeping near to Taly in case she needed help, but allowing her to make all of the motions and movements for herself so she could learn by doing. "Try floating for a few moments. Take in the sensations and get familiar with them. Once you're used to being buoyant, it will feel like second nature looking for that feeling when you swim." The dire wolf sire let his pup experiment with floating for a few minutes, testing out her buoyancy and what it felt like to just drift in the water. When she eventually gave him the signal that she was ready to progress, Art gave her the next set of instructions. "Good. Now, try paddling your paws with the same movements like you're walking in the water. Don't struggle or flail, you want smooth and controlled motions."

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"