Swimming dogs

The day foster dog that we look after is a large breton spaniel and loves the water. But I had a fright today (just got back.) We walked down to one of the many streams in our area and of course he skidded in at the first opportunity. It's quite hot today. But there has been a lot of rain here lately, and part of the stream was in flood. I got to the bridge and could see he was struggling, starting to swallow water, almost going under. I called him to encourage and TG he managed to struggle to the bank. He seemed none the worse for his experience.
At one point I thought I was going to have to venture in and grab him, and I know he's too heavy for me to lift.
He's getting old now (?10) and overweight, so perhaps his swimming days are over.
Our border collie found a shallow part where she could lie down and cool off.

Those were the days grumppa. John Bradshaw's book on the history of dogs starts by reminding us that in previous generations, all dogs had a job. His grandfather's job was to walk around the village, calling in at various shops, including the butcher where the dog would be given a sausage. Dogs today suffer imo from not having a job, they get stir crazy, especially if left alone for long periods.
I try and make sure my dotty doodle dogs work for their 2 meals a day, they only get fed after their morning and evening walks. They get treats for good behaviour, their favourite job is swimming out, or running through the field, to retrieve a tennis ball. They're clever dogs and need to be made to think or they find their own entertainment…..

One of the doctors in Bridgend in the late forties/early fifties had a St. Bernard (Honey). When she fancied a swim she would hop on a bus to Ogmore-by-Sea, have a dip in the briny, and catch a bus back to town.

I thank you for that and all anglers appreciate it I can assure you. I have to say that most dog walkers yesterday were similarly considerate. I regularly fish one of our largest upland reservoirs and it's not unusual to find walkers stripping off and having a dip on a hot day! They send ripples out a lot further than a paddling labrador and spook every fish in the area. Don't get me wrong, I love to see dogs swimming - I would have loved to see the dog we had swimming, we lived within quarter of a mile of a beach - but he shrank away from water like Dracula with garlic!

Greyduster - the reservoirs I walk all have anglers and I make sure my dogs don't disturb them. Some folks eh - no consideration

I'm on my second - when I've finished it I might be a little more sanguine about it!

grey My grandson would say "that's life"

I have no objections to dogs swimming, although the only dog we ever owned was a lab who hated water! What I seriously object to is people allowing their dogs to leap into water where folks like me are fishing! I was on the river today, trying to be as stealthy as possible having found two swims where trout were rising, and on each occasion in came doggie and fishing over! The owners can see you, but they never consider that (a) you have paid for your day on the water (sometimes dearly) and (b) if you had started your cast, doggie might have ended up with a hook in his a**e! One lady said she was sorry and called the dog out, the other one just laughed at the commotion the dog was making. Okay, I'm just back, tired out, and please feel free to shoot me down in flames if you wish. Just my opinion.

Swim? My dogs walk round puddles.

Oh yes indeed - our current dogs are a cocker spaniel x miniature poodle (first generation x) and a 5th generation labradoodle, with standard poodle and working lab in her background. They are swimming maniacs, will retrieve balls from water endlessly it seems. They actually dive into the water from the banks, if given the opportunity. They feel it's unfair that along some stretches of our reservoir walks, they're on leads at the moment. They would love to swim with Mr and Mrs Duck and several ducklings or Mr and Mrs Goose and their numerous goslings…….

My little Parson Russell terrier use to love the water, and would leap into the river at the first available opportunity. She is very elderly now, and I can hardly get her to go for a walk, never mind a swim. My DD has a lovely photos of her in the snow, entitled, "spot the dog". She loved that also, and came home with snowballs hanging all round her!

when - Who flattened the fish?

We had a lovely GS when I was a teenager. On a long weekend in the caravan, we were parked by a river which provided her with endless entertainment. She was retrieving a stone, when suddenly we heard a shrieking from the river which was running red with blood. A large nail had gone through her paw between the pads. The paw was never the same again, with one claw sticking up, but the vet did a first class job on her. It didn't deter her from water play. Her successor, a daft yellow lab would go for the filthiest ditch imaginable.

I was out in the local park yesterday and was struck by how many dogs were enjoying themselves retrieving balls and sticks from the river.

One of the clumber spaniels we had years ago would charge into muddy streams at the first opportunity. Clumbers have lovely, white silky coats - hers usually had a tide mark half way up her body, where the white became dirty brown. She was a rescue dog who had been trained to retrieve from water. On the second day of her coming to live with us, she headed for the garden pond and I shot after her before she went in and flattened the fish. She turned back, I missed my footing and landed in the pond on my back, legs in the air! She stood there weighing me up - 'who's this nutter I'm living with?'

Other friends used to have a Newfoundland. He loved going to the beach and "rescuing" swimmers, whether they need rescuing or not......

We no longer have dogs but our long lamented black Labrador Sheba loved the water and took any chance she could to have a swim.
When my DS2 was a teenager she went with him and his friends to a local park where there was a boating lake. DS and his friends took a boat out leaving Sheba on the lakeside. Before they knew it she had jumped in the lake and was swimming towards them.She then insisted on getting into their boat, how they managed to get her dripping wet into that boat without it capsizing I will never know as there were four of them minus the dog.

When I was walking the 3 dogs (2 black labs and a cocker) of our friend that had had a stroke, and especially when he was able to join us again, I chose a good level, flattish walk. There was something between a pond and a lake. Willow (female lab) knew when we were getting near to it and got very excited! To see her launch herself into it (sometimes breaking the ice to do it was a joy in doggie delight! Nil points for style though

Oh yes! Loves a doggy paddle with her webbed basset feet and she's not averse to jumping in the paddling pool with my grandchildren and lying in the middle in everyone's way, but only allowed just before it's going to be emptied. Her other favourite is running through spraying water from the hosepipe. But ask her to go for a walk in the rain........no, thanks!

The scruffy gobby dog I 'babysit' is a Jack Russell and she'll gleefully chuck herself into mud, filthy ditches, rivers etc but never the sea.
She just launches herself straight in off banks (and bridges given half a chance)
She's fearless (or gormless!)

We no longer have a dog, but our DD's beautiful black lab, Connie, is the nearest thing to having a dog of our own, as she is here so often and I'm sure she thinks of our house as her second home. Water is definitely her element - she is never happier than when she is playing in the water, Like the lab you mention, vegasmags, all she wants is for one of us to throw a ball, or a stick, or even a lump of seaweed - anything that she can chase after and retrieve. Here she is waiting for one of us to throw something.