>With your Dog in front of you like that, does (s)he do the paddling?

No, Shadow just gets in the way and pushes in my sprayskirt. If I give her a "shove" and make her swim, she figures out that it is easier if I give her a ride, so she tries to scramble onto my deck (read: scratched varnish :( )

>Do you own a special Dog Paddle?

She does, but it is more of a technique common to dogs, rather than a wooden implement with flat blades on the ends. :)

My black lab loves the water, and my kayak (which was the main reason I got such a water-loving dog in the first place) She isn't real easy to paddle with, though. I'd love to take her on longer trips than just out from the beach and back; it's just not feasible. Reaching around her or paddling with very bent elbows (behind her) are both extremely tiring. She's a 55 lb. dog, so not as easy cargo as a Yorkie or other small "punting" breed. She's not real enthusiastic about sitting in the back hatch either, so I guess she'll have to enjoy just playing in the water and not go on any trips with Dad (me) for now.

Shawn