Swimming

[Nicole]

Just after some advice on how to get Tayla swimming.
She loves the water and just loves to be wet by the hose or lay in her kiddie pool. She even tries to hop in the shower with you. When we take her to the beach or a lake or something she will run straight into the water but will stop as soon as her feet can't touch the ground. How can we get her to go in furhter and swim? The vet wants us to get her swimming regularly now becaus of her hip displaysia. Can anyone help?

 

[GAD]

With Cozy it helped to have another dog (Daisy) who loved to swim. She was missing out and Daisy was having fun.

Also we would through sticks just out of her reach and eventually she would dive to get them. The first time she actually dove too fare and went under, we were a little worried, but she popped up, stick in mouth and started paddling! We were very proud. There's even pics of it all here: http://www.gad.net/Cosette/CosetteSwims.html

GAD

 

[AmyPC]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Nicole:
She loves the water and just loves to be wet by the hose or lay in her kiddie pool. She even tries to hop in the shower with you. When we take her to the beach or a lake or something she will run straight into the water but will stop as soon as her feet can't touch the ground. How can we get her to go in furhter and swim? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Rory is exactly the same Nicole. (God, everything you say about Tayla, I'm like, 'Rory does that too...' - I think we would have worked out they were sisters sooner or later just by the similar behaviour patterns!!!)

Take yesterday, for example. We were in the water at Brighton Beach for about an hour and a half. But Rory would only go in shallow water - up to her back at deepest. Feet must be on the sea floor!

I've decided the only way she will swim is if I go in with her. I walk around in the shallow parts with her but haven't gone for a swim yet as it has been too cold for the most part. I'm pretty sure she will follow if I go out far. So I'm waiting for a hot day and in I'll go! I think she'll only need me to do that a few times before she realises she likes it herself.

Unless our girls just aren't natural born swimmers!

 

[Maggiesmom]

The 1st time we took Maggie swimming she was one of those natural swimmers and just took off. But my brother had brought his Rottie pup (1 mth older than Maggie) too and he wanted no part of not having his paws touch. He kept looking out were Maggie was but wouldnt go out there til my brother swam out there & called him then he started swimming and hasnt had a problem with it since.

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Shawn....
Maggie, JoJo, Alex, & Destiny too

 

[Cathy Nelson]

Odin was also afraid of going out over his head and it was suggested to me that I take him out in the water on his leash and lead him around in a circle so he started with his feet touching and ended with his feet touching but had to swim in between. Gradually we made the circle larger and then dispensed with the leash. He is now a great swimmer but would, of course, prefer to always have us in the water with him.
Cathy

 

[newby]

Do newfs swim above water, just like other dogs or do they go under, I was reading gads post anout Cozy going under and just didnt know if that was an oops or not!

 

[Maggiesmom]

I'm not sure if all of them love to dive for stuff but I know for sure some do! We lived on a lake when I was in highschool and the male Newf my dad got would break out of his kennel during the day to swim in the lake and our beach at that time was pretty slimy, mucky, and had lots of debries buried in it. Well Beau would dive down and drag this stuff out. By the end of the summer we had a really really nice beach!!

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Shawn....
Maggie, JoJo, Alex, & Destiny too