‘Genius’ dog rewarded as heartwarming attempt to float in pool pay off
A dog owner was left regretting her decision to introduce her pet to a children’s paddling pool after it quickly became an obsession for the pooch.
The owner, Khristen, shared her four-legged friend Mabel’s antics in a YouTube video, revealing how the dog‘s fascination with the pool eventually led to frustration. “Mabel is always causing some kind of chaos – we call it ‘Disaster Time’,” Khristen confessed in a clip shared by The Dodo. “Mabel got this kiddie pool when she was little and one day she got this idea to drag it into the big pool to see if it would float.”
The video shows the canine dragging the small plastic paddling pool towards the family’s swimming pool before pushing it in. However, her plan to float on the paddling pool, affectionately named the ‘Blue Pearl’, quickly went awry as she began to sink.
“There was a lot of trial and error,” Khristen said, as Mabel repeatedly attempted to float the pool in different areas without success. “Ninety per cent of the time it would not float and she’s still trying to figure out why it doesn’t float.”
On one occasion, Mabel managed to avoid sinking, but was left disappointed when she realised the paddling pool had become marooned on concrete steps. “She was in, but she wasn’t quite floating yet,” Khristen explained.
In another instance, Mabel was seen pushing the paddling pool into the deep end and then jumping on top of it, only to sink again. “She just went for it,” Khristen commented. “But the weight of her sinks the Blue Pearl.”
The viral clip then showed a frustrated Mabel dragging the Blue Pearl onto the lawn and tearing it apart with her teeth. Her owner could be heard exclaiming in disbelief: “Mabel, what have you done? Now it will never float!”
Khristen reflected on the incident: “There was immediate regret. It was so sad to watch her.” However, Mabel’s spirits lifted when she received a more suitable floating platform. “We did find a second option – one that would actually float and hold her weight,” Khristen revealed about the newly-acquired inflatable pool. “There was no destruction mode – and no chaos involved.”
Despite this, Mabel’s weight caused the pool to partially submerge, filling with water and sinking below the surface.
“We received a number of suggestions to make it float better,” Khristen shared as they turned their attention back to another Blue Pearl pool. This time, an inflatable pool had been fitted around it, enabling it to float while providing a sturdy surface for Mabel.
“Nothing she could do could sink it,” Khristen proudly declared. “And now I think that’s become the new challenge – pillaging and plundering into the pool and sinking that Blue Pearl. Our goal is to keep Mabel happy. We will buy as many Blue Pearls as she wishes. We’ll keep an extra one stocked at all times in our shed. The pool is definitely her favourite toy.”
Reacting to the video, one YouTube user exclaimed: “That’s insanely smart for a dog. The ability to see an object and figure out an additional use of it. Not to mention the persistence through trial and error which is the backbone of science. That dog is a goddamn dog genius.”
Echoing this sentiment, another person commented: “Problem solving skills are sophisticated. She’s smart and has compassion for the little dog. How cute.” Whilst a third agreed: “She’s persistent and tenacious with problem solving skills. That’s one smart pup!”
