Happy Dog!

[RoadKingLarry]

It's finally warm enough to do a little swimming. Not for me but Mattie likes it.
 
Before.


Down at the swimming hole

Flying dog

[Doggy Daddy]

Those pics made my afternoon!  Thanks, RKL.

[BlueStarLizzard]

She is really cute. Love the "smile".

[41magsnub]

My Maddie learned to swim a few weeks ago and now is as much a water dog as any lab I've ever had.  I'll have to get some pictures!

It was hilarious watching her learn.

[RoadKingLarry]

Mattie took to it with no hesitation. The first time I took her to the pond she was less than 3 months old and after a couple of minutes of wading in the edges she just piled right in and started swimming. The first couple of times I thought I might have to go in after her but she was just having fun. What I thought at first was a bit of distress was her making big splashes with her front paws so she could bite the splashes.

[41magsnub]

Maddie panicked a few times until she figured out how to hold herself horizontal.  She never quit, it just took some practice over the course of a week. 

[bedlamite]

I can't wait for it to warm up, Dozer will do that all day.

[BlueStarLizzard]

I spent one summer trying to convince Pearl that swimming was good.

 

She did not belive me.

However, it prooved to be a notable test of her loyalty. I could convince her to come in the water and swim too me when I called her.
She'd give me a dirty look, step off the bank like she was stepping into a pool of hot acid, swim too me, and then try to climb into my arms.
I decided that the effort was futile and the claw marks where too painful to bother with continuing.

[Stand_watie]

How cold of water IS too cold for a Lab out of idle curiosity? I had always assumed that if the water wasn't covered by ice that a Lab would be in it.

[41magsnub]

How cold of water IS too cold for a Lab out of idle curiosity? I had always assumed that if the water wasn't covered by ice that a Lab would be in it.

Even ice doesn't stop them.  My first black lab did some amazing retrieves.  We were hunting a spot where the water was partially frozen but keeping the shots over the open water.  One duck lingered a bit and landed on the ice.  This dog broke through the ice to the duck, then broke another path back to us.

[never_retreat]

Sadie likes the water. Dog would probably fetch till she drowned.

[Stand_watie]

Even ice doesn't stop them.  My first black lab did some amazing retrieves.  We were hunting a spot where the water was partially frozen but keeping the shots over the open water.  One duck lingered a bit and landed on the ice.  This dog broke through the ice to the duck, then broke another path back to us.

Do they need some sort of re-warming after a retrieve like that or is the coat protection enough from hypothermia in short exposures?

[41magsnub]

Do they need some sort of re-warming after a retrieve like that or is the coat protection enough from hypothermia in short exposures?

Didn't bother her in the slightest.

[bedlamite]

I spent one summer trying to convince Pearl that swimming was good.

 

She did not belive me.

However, it prooved to be a notable test of her loyalty. I could convince her to come in the water and swim too me when I called her.
She'd give me a dirty look, step off the bank like she was stepping into a pool of hot acid, swim too me, and then try to climb into my arms.
I decided that the effort was futile and the claw marks where too painful to bother with continuing.

Several years ago we went up to the cabin with some friends, and as usual as soon as the door was opened my Golden Retriever would run down the hill and jump off the end of the dock and land already swimming like he always had. My friends Samoyed followed him off the end of the dock and went right under. When she came back up her hind legs were on the bottom and was splashing away with her front paws. I don't think I ever heard a dog scream like that before. It took us a while to quit laughing.

[RoadKingLarry]

How cold of water IS too cold for a Lab out of idle curiosity? I had always assumed that if the water wasn't covered by ice that a Lab would be in it.

For me it's too cold when I don't want to get hosed down from her shaking it off when she brings me the bumper.

Here's one after her first swimming trip.


And one from last Spring

[41magsnub]

Maddie has some potential for waterfowl when we get bored of upland game!

http://s238.photobucket.com/user/trebligb/media/puppy%20stuff/VIDEO0001_zps098ebea2.mp4.html

http://s238.photobucket.com/user/trebligb/media/puppy%20stuff/VIDEO0002_zps7779caa2.mp4.html