Can all labs swim?

gazette · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:19 pm Post subject: Can all labs swim?

I live next to the coast and am concerned about taking my 2 yr old lab, a recent addition to the family, to the beach. May be a daft question- but would welcome your thoughts...

Amandajvv · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:29 pm Post subject:

In my experience, they can but don't necessarily all want to!

If you are taking your lab to the beach for the first time, unless your recall is excellent, consider keeping him on his lead incase he loves the water and wants to wonder too far!

thrupence · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:53 pm Post subject:

Hi I agree with Amanda.

I have 3 labs 2 of them love to swim 1 will only swim when she wants to Confused

.

Good luck and i hope Rubino likes the water it's so good for them to swim.

gazette · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks Guys,

I've bought one of those variable length leads, so I'll try her out with that. Hopefully she won't get freaked out with the waves!
It smy first post by the way, I just found the site today.

Lucy · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:27 pm Post subject:

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Mario didn't like the sea at first but I think that was more to do with the noise of the waves. He paddled quite a bit at first. Then we got in the water and he followed us in and hasn't looked back since. We practically have to drag him away Laughing

Hope all goes well - let us know!

Lucy and Mario x

Lucysmum · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:36 pm Post subject:

Have never been able to keep Lucy away from water and loves the beach especially the waves!

Had her since a pup though and not sure if you know Rubino's history. Think the long lead is an excellent idea.

Have fun! And welcome to the forums!

JohnW · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:00 pm Post subject:

Labradors are not always good swimmers when they first start. They tend to swim very head high. As they get tied the head gets even higher and the behind lower in the water until they are literally standing vertical in the water. At this stage all the swimming action is doing is powering the dog higher in the water. It has completely lost forward motion. The next you know is that the poor dog gets exhausted and can so easily drown.

Once they know what they are doing they are a very powerful swimmer but be aware, the muscles used for swimming are not all the same as running so need building up before expecting too much.

Regards, John

Karen · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 3:32 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the forums ... Very Happy

Our pup Corbie loves the water, but it was a while before he went deep enough in our local river to actually swim - the look on his face when he realised his paws weren't touching the bottom was a picture!

He tends to splash about a lot at the moment if he swims. When I took him to the beach recently for the first time he only paddled - think it was a bit bewildering for him, all that water!

anna · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 6:54 pm Post subject:

id suggest first swimming somewhere fairly closed in with no tides or currents where they can easily get out, (a pond or lake with a sloping side for instasnce) progressing to bigger things when theyre confidant, also labs (i know vogues sister renee does) suffer from a condition where the base of the tail goes limp although the tip can still wag, i think its called wet tail and they can get it from swimming too long in cold water, the base of the tail is used as a sort of rudder and the cold water affects the blood vessels and they sieze up.
Anna

dylansdad · Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:18 pm Post subject:

funnily enough I found out the answer to this question tonight.

I went to a friends to help with a problem he had on his pc, took dylan as they have a 8 month collie cross (his best mate at the moment), and they were happily in the garden playing.

Next thing I know my friends wife is panicing, dylan had jumped into their 'paddling pool' which turned out much to dylans supprise to be deeper than his own lol Rolling Eyes

I run out and there he is happily swimming round nudging the doll that was floating in the water, so I call him to side and lift him out......... give him some fuss for coming back, let him go to go play again ..........SPLASH Rolling Eyes

straight back in as if to say 'look dad I can swim Laughing

' Their kids were loving it as their dog shows no desire to get wet.

anyway he had to be kept under close supervision the rest of the night, he always seemed to have one eye on the pool waiting his chance. Smile