[Lucky Me]

This week-end we hiked into some high mountian lakes. One of the lakes is a good size, but is only about 5 ft. deep at it's deepest point. We did the fetch the stick from the water thing. This was Marley's 3 time out swimming. He had done well the other 2 times so didn't think much about worrying about him.
Well......I threw the stick out and away he went. He still does the splashing with the front paws and all of the sudden, he stops, his body goes down & then his head goes under. I rip off my jacket and start to jump in after him, then up he comes. He apparently pushed off of the bottom & came back up & headed for shore.
I guess what I am trying to say is that to make sure your dog REALLY knows how to swim before you put him in deep water. I assumed since he was swimming, he had it all down and all was good. THANK GOD the bottom was shallow.

 

[Dextersmommy]

Thank god he was okay! I thought you were going to say a snapping turtle bit him.

 

[annabelles mom]

OMG how scary, I'm glad he is ok. Will he not swim with a lifejacket?

 

[MaxandMe]

JUDI...sure your heart skipped a few beats on that one,
Glad all went well too
AND with summer here THANK YOU for good reminder.

many think dogs will automatically swim esp doodles, not always the case.

Max and Peanut both wore vests in our pool (only 4.5ft) so they could get comfortable learning to swim, NOT scratch us (dave got bad welts once helping get Max), and also it's easy to grab them by the handle on the vest (if incecessary).

I wonder if like kids learning to swim, if our dogs get anxious when they can't touch the bottom when 1st learning to swim.

petsmart, petco hae them $29...so do boating shops
COUNTRY Max has them on sale this week $19

 

[DebBrown]

Do I need a vest for our beach trip this summer? Charlie's never been swimming and I imagine him spending most of his time frolicking in the waves with my granddaughter - not actually swimming. Also, Hilton Head's beach is known for being shallow and safe for kids.

Deb

 

[lmtoth2]

Do I need a vest for our beach trip this summer? Charlie's never been swimming and I imagine him spending most of his time frolicking in the waves with my granddaughter - not actually swimming. Also, Hilton Head's beach is known for being shallow and safe for kids.

Dex and Kirby both do totally fine at the beach w/o a lifejacket. Dex will go out, but only as far as he can comfortably touch. Kirby will just get his feet wet. We have more trouble in a pool because you are either all the way in or all the way out

 

[sdrudge]

OMG that had to have be scary. :shock: I guess life jacket is necessary.

 

[L's Mom]

Really must have been frightening!!!
Took Lucas awhile to really swim too, without the front feet going all over the place... Della really just was natural...she went deep deep right off the bat (she jumped my heart stopped for about a second) and really swims very well....
I am glad all is well with your doods!

 

[PlainJane]

I HATE this thing :twisted: but mom's makin me wear it. I wanna be a dock diver !!!!

 

[annabelles mom]

In the boat I have to wear my life jacket - I'm allowed in lake with Daddy right there without my jacket coz I will only walk in up to my knees - I dont really like to swim, but Mama says if I was in ocean, I'd have to wear jacket coz she's a nervous mommy and afraid waves would knock me over and I might get scared.
Daddy put my jacket on me and floated me out and I didnt think to much of that :shock: I prefer just walking along the shore line :wink:
Have fun - love Annabelle

You might want to get a life jacket and take it along since going to the ocean is a new experience

 

[DebBrown]

I appreciate all the advice. I don't expect Charlie to go boating or in the pool so I think we'll try to do without a vest. (I can't imagine him liking it!) If it turns out we need one, I can likely buy one there.

Again, I'm glad this came up and I was able to think through what would work best for us.

Deb

 

[Lucky Me]

In a lake at least, I worked with Marley the first 2 times in a section of the lake that gradually went deep, that's why I thought nothing of it when I threw the stick out in that shallow high mountian lake.
I will continue this until I know he is swimming well. As said, I could have pulled him out but if I had assumed in the middle of a deep lake, that he had it down, it could have had a different ending.
Then again....he could have drowned this week-end. I really don't care to go thru that again.

 

[OLIVER DOODLE]

Thanks for the heads up. Oliver is just in the process of getting his feet wet. Good to know for when he finally takes the plunge though. I would have assumed as you did. Thanks!

 

[annabelles mom]

You would think that a doodle would be a swimmer, being lab/poodle, but not all are and you really need to test the waters with them and be careful.

2 of our Labs would not swim until they were a year old - flat out refused, then we couldnt keep them out of the pool, lakes and oceans I'd be much more cautious, especially oceans with riptides that come out of knowwhere, I'd prob have a life jacket and a long lead on Annabelle in case I needed to pull her to safety, but I guess I might be over cautious :wink:

 

[blueteal]

I got in the water with Denver in the beginning and his first summer
he did not like water at all. The next summer I went in with him
again and he was like a different dog.............He is now an excellent
swimmer but when we go to a new beach or on holiday or whatever
I take him into the water with a lifevest on until I am convinced he
is safe in a new body of water. You never know in a new area what
currents are like so I am always very careful.............

 

[annabelles mom]

Maybe Annabelle will like the lake this summer, she did a little better last summer as to her first summer.

Guess I'll have to get up early some Sunday and go out to the lake with DH and take AB, see what she thinks

 

[Tink]

Wow that had to be scary! I'm so glad it turned out well.

 

[Lucky Me]

Another BUMP!
It was like summer today...took the dogs to the lake.
They had a blast retrieving sticks, then people started coming , one after another with their dogs,,,
It was some of the dogs first time in the water & I remembered going thru this incident with Marley.
So....if you are unsure of your dogs swimming abilities, PLEASE start him off in shallow water until you know they are a strong swimmer!

 

[kirama]

Beck tries to swim in his water bowl, so far he has done ok though...well, except for the time he fell asleep with his face in it..fortunately he woke up before he drowned though. Here he is in his new 'water bowl' he thinks its way too small though

 

[CharlieBear's Mom]

Jazz is absolutely adorable......

Annabelle -- thanks for posting that picture -- that is exactly what Charlie looks like when attempting to "swim"