Sheepdog who can't swim?
Tonight a friend from the dog park invited several of us and our dogs to his home for a barbecue. He has a very nice pool, one of those that is landscaped with natural rock around it. All the dogs were playing, but the only one swimming was his Golden. Suddenly he looked at me and said "Can Bella swim?". I looked around and saw JoJo in the pool! She was obviously distressed and within seconds seemed to be struggling to stay afloat. He also saw that and jumped in fully clothed and grabbed her, got her out, and she was fine. I have no idea how she got in, must have slipped by accident because I know she would never have gone in because she wanted to. I also think that had we noticed it even a minute later the outcome might have been horrible. I am still shaken by the thought that I came so close to losing my girl. When we got home all I could do was hug her and be grateful she is OK. When I think how close I came to losing her....I can't sleep tonight thinking of it. I see so many pics on this forum of Sheepies swimming.....has anyone ever had one who can't? JoJo is my deaf rescue girl. She was 3 when I got her and had never had any training or socialization before I got her. She does not have the normal silly, funny Sheepie personality. She is so very sweet, but is timid in any situation that is not mainstream. She loves the dog park, but does not play, only goes to get attention from all the people. She does play with Bella at home, but does not play with toys or other dogs. It never occurred to me that she would not be able to swim and could possbibly drown, which she almost did tonight. I am still devastated at the close call. |
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| I am so glad she is OK what an awful scare.
Like people some dogs can, some can't. Years ago a friend lost their sheepie, it fell in the pool and drowned. Happened so quick and by the time they found her it was too late 
So it does happen and can happen so quick.. Thank goodness JoJo is allright. I don't know if my girls can swim, they really don't like the water, we can walk by the river off lead and they don't go near it. I think they dislike wet anything.  |
| The funny thing is, I had just given her a bath, blow dry, nail trim, trimmed the hair between her pads, cleaned her ears, trimmed up areas that were bad from the last haircut I'd given her....she was looking so beautiful, (of course, she is always beautiful), and she had to fall in the pool.......with her red leather collar on.....now she has a pink neck and curly hair.....well, who cares, she is alive and well!!!! |
| We had to "teach" our dogs to swim. When I say "teach" I really mean that we gave them the opportunity to put their natural abilities into play. There are no summer Learn to Swim classes for dogs! We put them in a harness with a long lead and guided them into the water. We swim at an old horse pool, long, about 4 feet wide with a ramp in and a ramp out. The support of the harness and the lead helped to reassure them until they could coordinate their feet and legs into a swimming motion. The harness and lead were also there to pull them out if necessary.
I saw one woman trying to carry her dog into the water and then support it under the belly. That dog tore her up with all of it's flailing! I thought she was going to lose an eye. I think the biggest thing with dogs swimming, assuming they have a bit of natural ability  , is to get their confidence up. The harness and lead supports them so that they aren't freaking out and just thinking that they need to get out to survive. Once they realize that they are okay they relax and kind of figure it out. The worst dog that we've ever "taught" to swim was my friend's Labrador. He's a dumb water dog and he flailed like a maniac forever! What a dork!
I want all my dogs to know how to swim in case they ever need to. Like your situation with JoJo, if they need it, they'll know how. We were at a friend's house and they have a pool. Carl was ripping around the pool with their dogs and he cut a corner too close and fell in. Since he knew how to swim, he didn't freak out. He popped to the surface, did a lap, went to the stairs and got out. He was cool and calm as can be. Giving him that prior experience made his slip an okay experience. I can't imagine trying to get close to a drowning dog to save it. All they are thinking is survival and they'd be flailing and kicking so much it would make it dangerous for you and the dog. |
| First time Frank hit water deeper than he was he flailed around as well and went under for a few seconds. I know he likes the water but is very unsure. Swimming is not natural for him. I think we are going to get a life vest for him next summer and really try to teach him. |
| Cassiopia had to be taught to swim. She was going for water therapy, which was in a 16 foot by 24 foot spa. The therapist fitted her with a life vest (yes, they do have life vests for dogs) and supported her with a hand under her stomach while she learned the basics. She figured it out after the first session and has been comfortable with swimming since.
After reading the previous posts, I think that I'm going to make sure that all my dogs learn. Now to go find a source for doggie life vests/water wings. Jennifer, Cassiopia, Baxter and Sharkey |
| Clyde swam just fine last year but decided this year, it wasn't for him. He and Bear just play sea monster. They wade in up to their necks, with just their heads above water and creep around. I was surprised Bear went into the water at all, although it shouldn't have surprised me because he loves any activity that can make him dirty or stink. I guess a Komondor in the water is a rare sight. The water makes them very, very heavy! |
| i wish my derby didn't love swimming so much i have a lake out back and can't keep him out.. he also has web feet so .... my otehr sheepies one loves it and the otehr hates it and has learned to stay far away i don't think she could swim for a life anyway she is too on the plump side and would sink.. |
jennifer_t wrote: Cassiopia had to be taught to swim. She was going for water therapy, which was in a 16 foot by 24 foot spa. The therapist fitted her with a life vest (yes, they do have life vests for dogs) and supported her with a hand under her stomach while she learned the basics. She figured it out after the first session and has been comfortable with swimming since.
After reading the previous posts, I think that I'm going to make sure that all my dogs learn. Now to go find a source for doggie life vests/water wings. Jennifer, Cassiopia, Baxter and Sharkey I saw doggy life vest at Wal Mart today. |
| Drez has always LOVED to swim. Maybe it's her herding instinct that triggered it in the beginning because she won't go in by herself, but if someone is in the pool, she HAS to go in and swim around them!
This year was a tough one for her. Her hips are getting weaker every day, and she literally had to be carried into and out of the pool. We put a "noodle" under her belly to help her stay up a little higher, but she till swam fine, after all that. Unfortunately and sadly, this will probably be her last year to swim. But what memories she will leave us! |
| What a frightful experience for you and JoJo, I hope she's not too traumatized from the experience. We have a pool but Hudson (6 months) does not know he can swim yet. Initially he was scared even if we were in it. We'd put him on the first step and he'd run away and bark at us to get out. We took him to the cottage (lake) and did not like that either but it was pretty windy so the waves were big and loud.
2nd time round he started to venture in a little, 3rd time a little farther and will stick his face in the waves to retrieve toys. He actually seems to really enjoy the shallow parts of the lake now. we tried the pool again after that to which he would put his paws on the first step willingly but the 2nd step was too deep. It seems he's gaining confidence slowly but needs his paws to be touching down to enjoy the water so far. Next year I will try the life vest and hopefully he will realize that he can swim. |
| I also had to "teach" Tasker to swin. Meaning I took him into the water of a pond that gradually got deeper. We started in the shallow end and worked our way over time to the deeper water.
His "natural instincts" did kick in slowly but it took some practice before he was comfortable and competent. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Clyde swam just fine last year but decided this year, it wasn't for him. He and Bear just play sea monster. They wade in up to their necks, with just their heads above water and creep around. I was surprised Bear went into the water at all, although it shouldn't have surprised me because he loves any activity that can make him dirty or stink. I guess a Komondor in the water is a rare sight. The water makes them very, very heavy!
This all just cracked me up...I have visions of grainy photographs and a Loch with Clyde and Bear's heads attached to the end of the sea monster... |
Panda sinks like a rock too  ..Ive had to jump in after her.....she will go in the water IF it has a beach slope....but not if there are steps..... |
| Miss Ellie was 4.5 months old when she came home. Oliver was not amused.
We had a large pool that took up most of the back yard. Just a few days after Ellie arrived I notice Ollie was doing his best to herd her into the pool 
I thought it might be a one time event but after watching them the next few days, I realized it was intentional evil  on Ollies part.
I taught Ellie how to swim and how to get out of the pool, just in case. She's not a fan of water, but can get out in an emergency. |
| This post couldn't have come at a better time. I took my 9 month old to a small park where dogs are allowed off leash at certain times of the day. when we went we were the only ones. the park is fenced on three sides with the last side being the bay. But it is not a beach. it's a bulkhead and drop to the water...
I let my pup off leash and he loved it but I kept him from the water area until I rehooked the leash up. he we walked over to the bulkhead and he approached cautiously but then seemed to want to jum in...Of course I had the leash. My question would have been...do dogs instinctively know how to swim? If he were to jump in, he would be pulled out with the current into the Ocean
Thanks to this post I will not let him near that water now without a life vest... and without knowing if he can swim for sure...Thank you! |
| You have all helped me feel sooooo much better! I have now arranged for a friend with a pool to let me bring the dogs over to teach them how to swim to avoid another scare and possible tragedy. I have learned so much here...thank you! |
| During the summer, I brought Rheba to a friend's pool. Their household as 2 labs and they LOVE the water. They do a great "Superman belly flop" into the water. Rheba wasn't about to hop in the water when she saw the labs in the water but as soon as I jumped in, she was graciously walking down the stairs into the pool. She never reterieves tennis balls but because the labs were going after the tennis balls, she had to join in. She also decided that she liked sitting with her bum on one step in the water and her feet on the step that was one lower. If the ball came out of the water, she would go back to the steps, prance around the pool, pick up the ball then prance back to the steps gracefully walk back into the water and give me the ball. As soon as I got out of the pool, she wouldn't dare step foot into the water. Even if my husband was around, she still wouldn't go in the water. She can't help it, she loves her mama.
She's a sheepdog...and a prissy little girl. She wouldn't dare jump into the pool because that doesn't show grace. I'm happy that she wouldn't go into the water without me. That makes feel that it is a "safety net" so hopefully we won't have any distressed drowning moments. |
| I am glad that your girl is okay! It was sure a scary moment for both of you.
I try to take the wigglebums into the water as much as possible, but neither of them actually swim. They will wade in as far as they can while still standing. I think, with time and more exposure, they will learn. In fact, right now we are camping at 4 Paws Kingdom where they have a fenced in pond. They like being able to walk into the water (ponds, lakes, ocean), but I've never taken them to a pool. So, I don't know if they'd try to get in or not. Either way, I want to make sure they learn to swim, just in case. I had a dentist appt on Tuesday and have a new dental hygenist. She told me the sad story of her sheepie drowning in the pool in a tragic accident, too. Scares me to death. Beaureguard's Mom (Tammy)>>>>stupid AOL keeps logging me out  |
| Like Mandy and Ginny I had to teach my sheepdogs to swim. I also think it is good that they know how to so there is no panicking in case of an accident. But unless there is zero entry like a pond or a lake or steps I am not sure that Harry could get himself out.
I am glad for you that everything turned out okay. |
| I taught all of mine to swim.
They are not so good at it, but they can all make it to the steps to get out. |
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