Labs and water

claireandnadia

claireandnadia

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My 20 month old choc lab HAS to walk through every puddle, every mud patch, every mud puddle and has to dip her feet in every river and stream that she see's.
Are they all the same?:D
 
My friend has a chocolate lab that he says they should take to the desert as it can find water anywhere (although no sure the water would be drinkable after Rufus has sat down and rolled in it!!!).
My other friend has a husky X malamute that lies down in puddles (muddy puddles not clean ones!!!)
 
Mine LAYS down in any body of water he comes accross- not so nice when it is a puddle next to a farm where cows are in sheds and there is seepage- GROSS

PS: he's not even a lab!!
 
One of mine is obsessed - her previous owner (yellow lab was a breeding bitch and is now retired with us) nearly lost her when she jumped into the pool at the bottom of a waterfall. I won't walk her near the canal as I'm worried if she jumps in I won't be able to get her out. We have a lovely clear shallow river near us though (Lambourn) which is great for her to swim in. My other one enjoys playing in the water but certainly not obsessed like the older one. :)
 
Yes my mutt loves water. She also loves to share the water with you by shaking right beside you when she comes out - such as generous giving dog :D

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Naryafluffy said:
My friend has a chocolate lab that he says they should take to the desert as it can find water anywhere (although no sure the water would be drinkable after Rufus has sat down and rolled in it!!!).
My other friend has a husky X malamute that lies down in puddles (muddy puddles not clean ones!!!)
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Funnily enough, I've always said that if I were ever lost in the desert, the one thing I would want with me would be a Labrador, for this reason! My choccie seems typical of those already mentioned - every walk has to involve water at every possible opportunity. Freezing weather is no deterrent - she will happily break ice to get into the water. Not surprising, considering where they came from and what they were bred, for but it does take some people by surprise :)
 
Izzie loves to roll in wet grass if there is no water around too. I took her to the beach last year and she didn't go in at first until another dog went in then there was no stopping her lol
 
Oh dear my pup must be the odd dog out! He's a one year old black lab and hates water. He goes for a walk every day on the beach but won't go in the sea, not even to follow us in - strange boy!
 
My lab is a bit weird!

It took him about 18 months to brave water, he'll now happily paddle in clean water, but on walks avoids muddy puddles (perfick!).

But he is an excellent swimmer, and as long as he has something to retrieve will swim real distances. I can use a ball flinger to send a ball to the opposite riverbank and he'll swim across to retrieve the ball, yet if there is nothing to fetch he just has a quick paddle!
 
Dylan (2.5 year old choc lab) loves to paddle in water, the dirtier the better. He can swim, but he doesn't really chose to. I took him for a few sessions at the hydrotherapy pool to help build his confidence & hope to encourage him, but he still prefers to splash in the shallows - bless him. If he's really hot he lays down in the shallow water rather than go in deeper. I've tried lakes, rivers & the sea tna. If I throw something for him to retrieve he will go after it until he is just about to go out of his depth then paw at the water trying to coax the item towards him, squeaking like a big girl!

Anyone has any bright ideas on how to encourage him?
 
Our 2 love it to, the old girl has become more obsessed with swimming as she has aged, perhaps she likes the weight of her joints. She's not so fussed by puddles and the like thou. Her daughter would belly flop into the muddiest puddle going given half a chance, loved to paddle in the sea but not so keen on swimming. That may have something to do with her running into the sea as a pup and going straight of the edge of the slip, she never did trust me to throw the ball into the sea again :o
 
My choccie lab (also a Rufus!!) LOVES water... Will fully submerge his head to retrieve something- if he has concentrated long enough to see where it has gone...

Also gets in water trough, much to the horse's displeasure to cool off in the summer. He is a mud magnet and the back seat of my car is beyond revolting!
 
Aw my little 16week old will avoid water at any cost other than to put a paw in it even then it must be clean clear water. I hope as he gets bigger he decides to take to water! Evenif other dogs in he won't go just stands barking at the edge!!
 
Slinkyunicorn said:
daviesn - will Dylan go in with other dogs or to chase sticks or balls?
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No, not really. His best mate Murphy (the IWS) loves to swim. We also tried a stooge dog at the hydro pool, but it made no difference to Dylan. I can't get him out of the water, but he only chooses to go in so that the water is over his back, but he can still keep his feet on the ground - bless him. He'll happily retrieve from that depth, but will not go further by choice.

Sometimes he misjudges & he will happily swim back to safe ground. He isn't scared or worried & will put his whole head under water just for fun - strange boy!

Him & Murphy have a system which works for them. If I throw something into the water & it can't be reached from the shallows, Murphy swims & retrieves it. As soon as he reaches shallow water Dylan takes it off him & brings it to me. If it were left just to Murphy, he drops the item at the shore or starts chewing it, so neither are any good on their own! Could we enter them in the pairs?

It's not a big deal, I just think he misses out on fun sometimes. Perhaps the BBQ should be near water this year!
 
Not that I can throw a ball very far but if I could I'd never be brave enough to encourage her to swim across a river as I can't swim. I know they say you should never go in after a dog but if she did get in to difficulty that is what I'd want to do.
She goes swimming in the river thames all the time with her lab mates. They run and jump off the side in and go down the little beachy bit in.
 
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