Maile Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 (edited) Just three weeks ago, we started to bring our two young 6-month-old Goldens down to a river for a swim. And they looooved it! It's such a joy watching them splashing around and fetching sticks (not too far away!), our girl literally 'waited' in the water to fetch. Lol. OH and I spend invaluable time bonding special moments among ourselves and the dogs. We took them to the river about twice a week now! I'm just wondering though, is there anything I should be worried about taking them for a swim? Anything I should look out for? Also, how long do you think I should allow them to swim? We usually allow them to swim for 20 minutes, with regular breaks in between.. Should we keep it shorter? Or make it longer? Thanks! Edited September 10, 2006 by Maile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOGWARTZBOXERS Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Be wary this time of year for sharks (if its salt water) bull sharks are very active and will come in very shallow. shayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 And don't throw sticks as they can cause serious damage to a dogs throat or eyes etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tilly Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Instead of the stick - you could try a floating toy. Kong has one wich is basically a blue/white kong shaped toy with a yellow rope attached. When I started taking my GSD pup to the river I usually swim him on a long line (which I try to keep up out of the water so they don't get tangled). This way if he starts to get into trouble I can still pull him out. I would just keep an eye on the dogs and rest them when they are showing signs of getting tired. Swimming is very good for their muscles but at the same time there is a risk of bull sharks in creeks/rivers. It is your dog and I am sure you really love them so you just need to make the best decision you can make. Hope you all have lots of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t-time Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 And be wary of underwater weed (Heard a terrible story about a young Lab pup drowning because he was caught in weed - had died by the time the owners got to him ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Definitely SNAKES!!!! from September to April and if you are swimming them near the city I have had dogs cut their pads on broken glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7464 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 (edited) Be careful with sticks as they can cause injury. I throw balls, there are always some in the car because they get lost occasionally and that is not an issue with cheap tennis balls. Cody will find sticks in the water and drag them in, they're often longer than he is but he's a determined old thing. Watch out for broken glass, Cody jumped into shallow water and cut his paw so beware that if there is glass on the bank there may be glass in the water too. Some dogs will keep swimming all day even if they are exhausted, I knew people who had their Lab nearly drown because it had been swimming all day and finally collapsed out in the middle of a river. Also remember that dogs won't always stop when they are cold. I will let Cody swim for an hour or so, I take him to a place where I have swum so I know what the conditions are usually like and I know if I ever needed to I could walk out as far as he swims and have the water come no higher than my neck. Watch out for boats. Make sure you dry their ears, floppy ears stay wet longer than those that stick up and a dog with sore ears is not a happy dog. Have fun with them. Edited September 11, 2006 by ~Nic~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maile Posted September 11, 2006 Author Share Posted September 11, 2006 Thank you everyone! I didn't know that sticks could be dangerous .. would definitely improvise on that! Would be too bad though, Shayla loves sticks! Also, thanks for the tip on bull sharks! What a scary thought! We bring them to the Maribrynong River, ever thought there would be anything dangerous in it! Also, now we need to keep an eye out on snakes as well! So far, no cuts on paws I will always keep an eye out on broken glass. And sharp rocks! Now that the dogs love swimming, I will try to bring them to the river as often as I can and look out for these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7464 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 (edited) Sticks can be dangerous as they can poke the dogs in the neck or throat. The dogs often run at sticks with enthusiasm and can catch them at the wrong angle. Cody loves to chew sticks and I let him do this but I avoid throwing them, if he's chewing it it's because he's picked it up himself. All this advice should be taken into consideration and you should use your own discretion but there's no need to panic. In the 5 years that my dog, Cody has been swimming we've only had one minor incident and that was the cut on his paw. You just need to pay attention to your surroundings but you more than likely already do that to ensure your own safety. ETA: I forgot the minor incident of Cody being run over by a canoe. - Don't worry, he wasn't hurt. Edited September 11, 2006 by ~Nic~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Australdi Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 all good advice...& just wanted to back up what Nic said... because they've got floppy ears, make sure you dry them carefully, as infections/canker can develop very quickly & can cause the dog alot of distress...as well as distress to your wallet after a trip to the vets to get antibiotics, ear fungal cream etc... cheers Aus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachie Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I'd be doing regular tick checks as well. I mean, we all should be anyway but i'd imagine there would be a few by a river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Australdi Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 I'd be doing regular tick checks as well. I mean, we all should be anyway but i'd imagine there would be a few by a river. ticks aren't actually a problem in Victoria thank goodness! Aus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7464 Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 (edited) I'd be doing regular tick checks as well. I mean, we all should be anyway but i'd imagine there would be a few by a river. ticks aren't actually a problem in Victoria thank goodness! Aus Thank doG they're not a problem in the ACT either. Edited February 5, 2008 by ~Nic~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Blue green algae, bacteria levels and pollution are issues to consider in fresh water. If it's not fit for humans to swim in, don't swim your dogs in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7464 Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 I forgot about that, Poodlefan. The river that Cody swims in is tested reguarly, there are periods when he doesn't get to swim because thay've said it's unsafe. Another thing I've thought of is to make sure you only let your dogs swim in areas where dogs are allowed and don't forget to scoop their poop. And watch out for people fishing, they often get cranky when dogs swim past and catch their line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maile Posted September 15, 2006 Author Share Posted September 15, 2006 We just took them for the 2nd swimming time this week! It was awesome, both for the dogs and us. Thanks for the tips, people! I was indeed more aware of the surroundings after reading those comments.. Not to worry! The water's clean and there's clearly no ticks on them.. which I'm very glad of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7464 Posted September 17, 2006 Share Posted September 17, 2006 Good stuff. There's nothing quite like a soggy, tired and very happy Golden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now