A Tiny White Dog Kept Watch While the Ducklings Went for a Paddle
Splash by splash, a line of yellow ducklings makes its way along a shallow creek while a small white dog watches from the grassy bank. The dog's fluffy coat is as spotless as a cotton ball, and his round dark eyes follow the ducklings with great concentration. Fallen leaves float on the dark water, a fence and potted plants stand in the background, and ripples spread behind each tiny paddling foot. Sunlight catches the splashes, and everything smells of wet grass and spring.
Ducklings love water, but they can't spend long in it when they're very young. Their feathers aren't fully waterproof at first, and they can get chilled quickly, so short, supervised swims in shallow, warm water are best. Small fluffy dogs such as Maltese or Bichons are often cheerful companions, but their white coats pick up mud fast, so an after-adventure bath is likely. Always make sure the water is clean and the banks aren't slippery. Rinse and dry any pet well after a muddy outing.
The little dog stays exactly where the grass ends, as though the creek is the ducklings' territory and he has no plans to cross the line.
It is a small outdoor adventure, played out in miniature. The ducklings paddle on happily, the dog sits like a worried but loving chaperone, and the creek keeps trickling along.
