Chantal walks her chocolate brown labrador Bennie every day. Once outside, he jumps into the canal at the Schinkelweg and swims happily towards the Stadshart. Chantal keeps an eye on him on the sidelines and walks with him pleasantly. Along the way, he shows off and sometimes secretly hides under overhanging plants.
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As a puppy, Bennie learned to swim in the water at the Balijbos from the age of five months. He never came back as a teenager. “He trudges a bit, but he just likes swimming more than walking,” says Chantal.
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Friendships are formed between me and other dog owners
Chantal never had a dog on her wish list. “I got Bennie for my birthday. He is my everything and we have a special bond. I often talk to him and he always understands what I’m saying. Because I have to walk him, I get out and meet people in the park. This has created friendships between me and other dog owners. We regularly meet to go out for dinner, for example. the dogs stay at home then!”
A treat every now and then
Bennie never has to go to a vet. “It is a healthy and happy dog, but of a large size,” explains Chantal. “It looks like he’s overweight but he just has a heavy build. Swimming keeps him fit and he doesn’t get much food. Yes, an occasional snack from the pet store in the Dorpsstraat.”
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People judge too quickly
Chantal sometimes finds it sad that people regularly give their judgment along the way. “They think I’m feeding him too much because of his size and because he doesn’t walk fast. The vet is very happy with his health. People fill things in so easily when they have no idea.”
Bennie really makes distances
As soon as Chantal steps out the front door, Bennie doesn’t know how fast to dive into the water. He swims through the canals, picks up empty bottles or sticks along the way in his mouth and barks with joy under bridges. Ducks and swans don’t look at him, only neighborhood dog Kees waits for him barking at the quay as he passes. “Dogs swim more often, of course,” says Chantal. “But Bennie really makes distances. Very occasionally I continue from the Dobbeplas in the direction of the Noord Aa. And within fifteen minutes he swims from our house to the Dobbeplas.”
In the morning and in the afternoon
Once at the Dobbeplas Chantal is waiting for him and he comes out of the water. “I leash it and we walk back home together. Then his coat can partially dry.” Once at home, she pampers her boyfriend by drying him off and wrapping him in a towel. “I then put him on a blanket on the couch to recover.” In between walking the dog, Chantal works at home on websites and photography work. “I can combine my work well with caring for Bennie. At 4 p.m. the cycle starts again. Going outside together, he swimming and I walking next to it.”