24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 31,969
L
las Offline OP
Campfire 'Bwana
OP Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
L
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 31,969
Honey HalfLab in her 3.5 years has never let her feet leave the bottom. She had no idea she could swim, until yesterday, and judging from the panic on her face, she doesn't like it. smile. Even with a PFD on.

Well, the water is still cold- ice on the banks, air temps below freezing at night.

We were doing a short float trip (two days, 11.5 hours on the water) in the Achilles inflatable before the rocks and skeeters came out too badly. I pulled into the bank behind a big rock for a whizz and told the dogs to stay in the boat. She snuck her front feet out onto the rock, with apparently no clue as to what often happens in such situation...

Unlike my first Lab 40 years ago who knew exactly what was going to happen when it got too late to get his front back in the canoe (His eyes just got bigger and bigger!), and stayed mad at me for two days for telling my wife about it, and laughing.

We were both expecting the 13 month old Dachshund, Choco, to go swimming. He likes to run the floats-gunnels - and had he been up there when we rock-bounced several times, he would have.

Everyone had PFDs on..

I need more expertise in avoiding rocks, especially in multiples. Only got hung up twice tho - and one of those neither of us saw. Stealth rock! Bounced maybe 6 times.

Did I say I was on the oars about 90% of the time? "Float"? HA! I have decided I am not too old for this crap - but I just got too smart for it. smile.

At least for a year....

Last edited by las; 05/08/20.

The only true cost of having a dog is its death.

BP-B2

Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 44,416
Campfire 'Bwana
Online Content
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 44,416
We've had more than one dog like that. Feet leave the bottom they get panicky. Or even more fun, when they jump in after something and it's deeper than they thought right off the bank.

Hope Honey at least had fun the rest of the trip.


The desert is a true treasure for him who seeks refuge from men and the evil of men.
In it is contentment
In it is death and all you seek
(Quoted from "The Bleeding of the Stone" Ibrahim Al-Koni)

member of the cabal of dysfunctional squirrels?
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,890
2
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
2
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 3,890
las.....I got to get up there.

Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 31,969
L
las Offline OP
Campfire 'Bwana
OP Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
L
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 31,969
Our first Dachs- DJ, aka "The Weasel", only went swimming once in his 11 years. I threw a stick in the Kenai for the Lab, and DJ went running out there at full speed. He could NOT walk on water, as he apparently thought. When he came up he was pointed back to the bank, swimming as hard as he could. He even walked around mud puddles for several years after that. The Kenai is glacial, so cold year around.

Choko has been swimming - my wife tossed a stick for Honey last fall into a local warm lake, and it was too far for Honey to get to without swimming. But Choko did.

I got me a water retriever! smile

A goose might be a little too much. Heck - even a teal!

Last edited by las; 05/08/20.

The only true cost of having a dog is its death.

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 11,650
2
Campfire Outfitter
Online Content
Campfire Outfitter
2
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 11,650
I had a Cocker Spaniel that wouldn't even try. He'd just bounce on his butt at the bottom until we jumped in and rescued him.


Broncos are officially the worst team in the nation this year.
IC B2

Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 16,367
Campfire Ranger
Online Content
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 16,367
Surprised that the Lab swimming genes are not as dominant as I would have thought...


-OMotS



"If memory serves fails me..."
Quote: ( unnamed) "been prtty deep in the cooler todaay "
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 85,964
Campfire Oracle
Online Happy
Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 85,964
You could toss the dachsy in and have gone retrieve him.


If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.
--Pat Parelli

American by birth; Alaskan by choice.
--ironbender
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,699
M
Campfire 'Bwana
Online Content
Campfire 'Bwana
M
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 44,699
Years ago I had a rat terrier style mutt. If you picked her up anywhere near the pool she'd start air swimming. Not a water dog at all.

My nephew's dog is the opposite, just try to keep him out of a pool. He is a Golden Retriever, so I suppose it goes with the territory.

Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,499
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,499
My last lab, if you picked up a water hose, she would run over and stand there, waiting to get sprayed. She would lay on the sprinklers if they were popped up out of the ground and bite the water. If it was raining, she would leave the covered patio to lay in the rain. We had a pool in AL, she thought it was for her, she was in that thing constantly, no matter the temp.

I have had 3 labs, and they all loved the water, period.


There is no way to coexist no matter how many bumper stickers there are on Subaru bumpers!

Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 150,067
Campfire Savant
Online Content
Campfire Savant
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 150,067
Originally Posted by Hawk_Driver
My last lab, if you picked up a water hose, she would run over and stand there, waiting to get sprayed. She would lay on the sprinklers if they were popped up out of the ground and bite the water. If it was raining, she would leave the covered patio to lay in the rain. We had a pool in AL, she thought it was for her, she was in that thing constantly, no matter the temp.

I have had 3 labs, and they all loved the water, period.




My labs loved the water, loved it.

IC B3

Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,399
H
Campfire Outfitter
Online Content
Campfire Outfitter
H
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 9,399
Dad got his last lab in '95 or '96, a long and lanky lab that was an ungainly swimmer. His back end was always a little deep as he tried like the dickens to keep his head completely out of the water. He'd readily go swimming and/or go in the water to retrieve a bird, it was just awkward looking, slow, and kind of clumsy. My 1st English Cocker could swim laps around that lab.

Our 2nd lab HATED retrieving waterfowl. He'd do an aggressive retrieve on them. Charge into the water, swim hard to get them, swim hard back to shore, and promptly spit them out when he was on land. He'd stand on a wounded bird but wanted it out of his mouth ASAP. Shoot a pheasant over water or drop it into the wet part of a slough and he'd retrieve the wet bird to hand just like you'd expect. He musta not liked the taste of ducks, and, I can't say I blame him.


I can walk on water.......................but I do stagger a bit on alcohol.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,562
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 9,562
My last lab would chase sticks in the water until he was tired I thought a few times he was going to drown before he made it to the bank. He would crawl up on the bank and fall over.

Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 46,899
Campfire 'Bwana
Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 46,899
my buddy Raul had two springers, you could throw their toy into the 8ft end of the pool and they'd swim to the bottom to get it.


God bless Texas-----------------------
Old 300
I will remain what i am until the day I die- A HUNTER......Sitting Bull
Its not how you pick the booger..
but where you put it !!
Roger V Hunter
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 16,367
Campfire Ranger
Online Content
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 16,367
We trained ours with chukar. And she was bird crazy thereafter... would Ron up and down the beach chasing seagulls until she was plumb tuckered out...


-OMotS



"If memory serves fails me..."
Quote: ( unnamed) "been prtty deep in the cooler todaay "
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 25,668
I
Campfire Ranger
Online Happy
Campfire Ranger
I
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 25,668
Originally Posted by horse1
Dad got his last lab in '95 or '96, a long and lanky lab that was an ungainly swimmer. His back end was always a little deep as he tried like the dickens to keep his head completely out of the water. He'd readily go swimming and/or go in the water to retrieve a bird, it was just awkward looking, slow, and kind of clumsy. My 1st English Cocker could swim laps around that lab.

Our 2nd lab HATED retrieving waterfowl. He'd do an aggressive retrieve on them. Charge into the water, swim hard to get them, swim hard back to shore, and promptly spit them out when he was on land. He'd stand on a wounded bird but wanted it out of his mouth ASAP. Shoot a pheasant over water or drop it into the wet part of a slough and he'd retrieve the wet bird to hand just like you'd expect. He musta not liked the taste of ducks, and, I can't say I blame him.


We had a lovely golden retriever female for about fourteen years as a family pet. She liked hunting quail and pheasant. But she hated ducks. We had a live drainage ditch through the property fed by warm water springs. Some winters it was the only open water for miles, and you could not see the water for the mallards swimming. My young teenage son and I would step up on the bank and shoot five or six as they vaulted off the water.

The dog absolutely loved to swim, and practicaly lived in that drain ditch during the summer. But she would swim out and take a sniff of the ducks, and come straight back to our side. No way was she putting one of those nasty things in her mouth.


People who choose to brew up their own storms bitch loudest about the rain.
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,208
D
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
D
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,208
Our late lab Cooper would dive feet underwater to retrieve a toy. We had a ski boat back then - he'd jump off anywhere, and at any speed to cool off and swim. But, I hunted him too, so he knew to love the water.

Our current dog, Stella the Wonder Doodle, is a house dog. She will go out of her way to not step in a puddle.


The DIPCHIT ADD, after a morning of drinking:

You despair, repeatedly, constantly! daily basis?
A despair ninny.
Sack up, despire ninny.

Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,855
W
WAM Offline
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
W
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 4,855
Both of my Labs will break ice to get in the water. She-dawg didn’t want to swim until she was 2.


Life Member NRA, RMEF, American Legion, MAGA. Not necessarily in that order.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,359
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,359
I love these dog stories. I think we are on our last one now; she is close to 16. 3.5 lbs of chain lightning, with 250 lbs of attitude. no teeth left; she gets a raw food diet mixed with scrambled eggs and yogurt. My last big ole good dog is gone now for about 6 years.

Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 3,667
O
Campfire Tracker
Online Content
Campfire Tracker
O
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 3,667
I had an amazing GSP years ago that was trained by a prominent person in that field. She would tie a rope around that pups neck and drag him around behind her rowboat on a pond until he learned to swim, really swim.
That dog was unstoppable anywhere, water, ice, logs, flooded timber... If it was to be tracked or retrieved he never faltered and never gave up.

Osky


A woman's heart is the hardest rock the Almighty has put on this earth and I can find no sign on it.
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,418
C
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
C
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,418
I had my Lab in a kiddie pool the day we brought him home at 8 wks. In another month, I had him in the small river behind my house. I put on waders and stood in a slow shallow part of the river and just kept calling for him until he walked out in the river until it was over his head and then he swam to me whining all the way. In short order it was hard to keep him out of the water. When we started with water retrieves with training dummies, it didn't take him long to learn to read the current and launch well in front of the the moving dummy to intercept it. He turned into one helluva hunting dog (pheasants, ducks & geese). I trained him myself and my proudest day was when I was on a guided Canada Goose hunt in Ontario and after finding a goose on a blind retrieve, that I directed him to via hand signals, the guide said; "He's obviously been professionally trained. Who trained him?"

Allow me one more story. On a pheasant hunt at my club's preserve, a buddy of mine hit a bird that glided down to the other end of a field where another hunter was working his GSP. He said, "My dog will get it.". I let him try. When his dog couldn't find it, he yelled back at me, "It musta run." My hunting buddy said, "Maybe I missed it" and wanted to continue hunting. I said, "Wait, let me send Sam." From where we were standing I gave him the "back" command and off he ran. We watched him run to the fall area, work the scent and then run over to an old stone fence. He stuck his nose under one of the stones and pulled out the wounded bird and delivered it to hand.

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
700 members (222Sako, 007FJ, 10gaugemag, 10Glocks, 06hunter59, 222ND, 75 invisible), 2,781 guests, and 1,318 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,630
Posts18,398,794
Members73,817
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.149s Queries: 15 (0.004s) Memory: 0.8996 MB (Peak: 1.0529 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-28 16:15:18 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS