Episode 47. Water Rescue Dogs with Lynne Cox

While Lynne Cox is known to the world as an elite world-class swimmer who’s set open-water swimming records all over the world, she is also someone whose life has been shaped by the love of dogs and the lessons she has learned from dogs.

When Lynne found out there was a school in Italy that trains water rescue dogs to jump out of boats and helicopters to save people from drowning, her first thought was: I have to go there right now! So Lynne traveled to Italy and was able to learn first-hand about the training process of these elite canine athletes.

Which brings us to the story of Al, an exuberant Newfoundland with a lust for life who isn’t quite meeting the expectations of the Vice-President of the Italian School for Water Rescue Dogs – or is she?

Lynne’s new book, Tales of Al – The Water Rescue Dog – The Making of a Canine Athlete, is a story of dreams, expectations, disappointments and courage. And if you’ve ever felt misunderstood, you might find a piece of yourself in Al’s story.

Lynne & I discuss:

Lynne’s childhood experiences with dogs and the lessons they taught her;
How Lynne was introduced to swimming;
Lynne’s record-setting swim of the Catalina/San Pedro Channel and setting the world record for swimming the English Channel – twice! – as a teenager;
How Lynne decided to take on new swimming challenges;
How Lynne was introduced to the Italian Water Rescue Dogs;
Similarities between elite canine athletes and elite human athletes;
The procedure that Water Rescue Dogs are trained to follow when rescuing a swimmer in trouble;
The training process – and post-training process – of the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs and how dogs learn from other dogs;
Why dogs are so beneficial for water rescues;
The special traits of Newfoundland dogs for water rescue;
Meeting Donatella & Al;
Why Lynne was inspired to write a book about her experiences at the Italian School of Water Rescue Dogs;
Learning to swim after having a bad experience in the water;
Water safety for both people and dogs;
Lynne’s dog, Cody, and the joy of swimming with dogs;
The food in Italy; and
Lynne’s encounters with marine life while swimming

Where to Find Lynne:

BUY the Book, Tales of Al, The Water Rescue Dog, The Making of a Super Athlete

Links Discussed:

New Podcast:

Check out my new podcast, The Alternative Dog Moms, discussing news in the fresh dog food community and the pet industry as a whole, with dog blogger Kimberly Gauthier of Keep the Tail Wagging. To learn more about Kimberly, check out Episode 18 of the Believe in Dog Podcast.