DOG

[BigV]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

So you're saying the whole weight of the ship when it's floating is still on the anchor? I don't think so.
On each step, when then foot/paw hits the deck every joint in jarred by the weight of the critter. Buoyancy of the body reduces that shock. Moving through the water is harder work for the muscles, but that's the point, work the muscles without destroying the joints.

I noticed Carruthers is an old hand at dealing with needy creatures.

No, I'm not saying anything about your imaginary boat at anchor. A floating boat at anchor with slack in the chain has no downward pressure on the anchor chain, duh.

On each step, when the foot/paw hits the deck, all the joints are jarred; agreed. Buoyancy reduces that shock; agreed.

My point is there's no buoyancy at work in the picture above. How much positive buoyancy do you experience when you stand in water up to your crotch? I'm guessing zero, just like with the dog in the picture. Bones and muscle are denser than water and that's all that is displacing the water in the picture. Fat and air are less dense than water, that's where you get your buoyancy from and I don't see anything about that dog that suggests that there's much fat or air under the water, buoying him up, relieving pressure on his joints. *That's* my point.

If the doggy was in water up to his chest, different story.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, I see your concern. It looks to me like the chest is fully submerged, but back by the hips of course it would take deeper water because of the way dogs are built. A swimming dog would level out but of course this one's not swimming. Maybe the motion of the treadmill causes the water to move causing a bow wave, and the mutt is body surfing.