# still not swimming, but nearly



## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Rubes still isn't that keen on swimming, so on the second part of our walk today I thouht I'd try and coax her with a tennis ball,,,she ain't fooled that easily!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Ak...xt=C3c02432ADOEgsToPDskI2hyK7y-XQ84xWvRONGt2X


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## laurita (Jun 12, 2011)

Oh my goodness! I love the few seconds of her extending one paw to reach and her tail going straight up. Sooo cute! I got mine to swim as a puppy by having him play with a water loving dog near a small pond.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

we're away at easter for a week, near a beach, with 2 other V's and a GWP, they love the water so hopefully Ruby will take the plunge with them ;D


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Good Girl Rubes   

That's the way, Ours (Brook) learnt the hard way!! But fast!!

At about 4 months he got 'Bullied' by a 5 month old Vizsla (not known to us at this stage) Barged him into a reservoir and out of their depths, still wrestling with eldest 'V' still trying to push him under, until he was able to scramble out!!! :-\ :-\

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8um0wGMbmg0&feature=email

He's now a very very good swimmer but is still very cautious and choosy on where he enters the water and where he gets out. He's a bit too clever sometimes watching currents,swells and river/sea conditions, as you might notice in the clip we took today at a local weir/river (Taff) 

Hobbsy1010


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## raps702 (Dec 19, 2010)

hobbsy1010,

Your dog is an excellent swimmer, My dog (Axel loves the water) but he splashes all over the place when he retrieves a stick or a ball, his two front paws are going crazy (up and down hitting the water), your dogs looks so graceful..


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

My Ruby jumps right in the water but does the panicky doggie paddle. She hasn't figured out how to use her back legs yet. We haven't taken her for a few months and need a trip to the dog beach soon to get her back into it. 

That water looks pretty cold. I would be the same way and not go in


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

All three of mine love the water thankfully. But, they have been exposed to it since i have had them. So they have had loads of time to get used to it. The more exposure pup gets to the water, just like us, the more confident they get. But, the first time they take off way across a big lake, you panic, thinking they will get tired and start to sink. But, they have strong survival instincts and I have never had to wade in to retrieve one  

Next time we are at the water, I'll make sure I take a video of them swimming. That's one Video that I can manage single handed and all mine swim strongly and for what seems like forever. My pointer in particular is a water girl. She is first in and last out always. 

The waves at the beach are the only thing they are yet to gain confidence with. If there are no waves, they are happy as pigs in mud. But the waves worry them a little.


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## Ozkar (Jul 4, 2011)

There is a short vid on the blog from this afternoon if you want to look. It was a bit cold, so Astro wasn't all that keen, but I couldn't keep Zsa Zsa out!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Nice one Ozcar, Zsa Zsa can come and give soft lass here some swimming lessons


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

*harrigab*, Ruby is sooo cute!  It took me about six months of every-day training (similar to that in video) to get my Sophie to swim. I cheered every time she grabbed the stick/ball and treated her. Ruby will be swimming eventually, I have no doubt!


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Mac went swimming when he chased a bird that was on a tidal marker. He went running out on the flat sand of the beach as the tide was out. However there was a pool where the tide going out had taken loads of sand with it at the base of the marker. So wham! he hit the water and went all way under and quickly swam out. I thought it would put him off the water but he is fine with it. The rain though is another story. I still have to work him a bit to get him to walk in the rain.


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## finch (Sep 19, 2011)

It was a beautiful, spring-like day here in Maine, so we took Finch out for a swim at a local beach. Her brother (the lab on the leash) won't go in past his stomach, so he steals the sticks after she retrieves them. The water was cold but she loved it!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-J...DvjVQa1PpcFP18UOKMIobNQsrRXUSEUh4YqiEXg1HmOM=


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Hey finch,

Looks like a nice time was had by All  

Good weather, Good dogs, Good Times  

Hobbsy


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

I am loving these swimming videos! I too think Rubes will get there before you know it. Oso did that too before he made the plunge. He's now at the front leg splash/swim stage, but looks proud while doing it.  Some of you really have water dogs. Looking forward to Spring/Summer swimming. 

Keep up the photos/videos. Very fun!


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

great Vid finch- I always knew that LABS were afraid of the WATER! LOL


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

just uploading some vids to youtube now, will post when they're uploaded ;D


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

sometimes you've just gotta lead by example and get in there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7wg9QtWahc&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbNdrftopjg&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elpLnmnBVoc&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLcCGupDcGw&feature=youtu.be


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Harrigab, 
Lovely shots of your girl swimming, she looks quite confident even in the deeper faster flowing water, really nice to see her legs working in the clear water.
Hope you had your fishing waders on! Still a bit cold for those 'Budgie Smugglers' 

Hobbsy


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I had my waders on Hobbsy, I also made another discovery....they've sprung a leak lol!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Good deal. She is going to love it over the summer. Once they get used to it you can't hardly keep the out of the water.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

just wondering if I've opened a can of worms,,,aaarghhh...as she'll be coming with me when I go salmon fishing and those pools that I posted her swimming in are my favourite salmon "lies" and I really really don't want her plunging i there in the autumn lol! (whe the salmon are running)


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Getting in there with them is definitely THE BEST way to get them to swim. I was so excited with Kobi that I even went to a local private lake. It had recently flooded and it was a bit nasty with all the stuff floating around, BUT it was worth it when he got in the water and started to swim!

As for the flailing, I am pretty sure that is how they ALL start out. IF you can get them to do the crazy paddling, you're on your way to having a swimmer!

Here are a few videos of Kobi's first swimming experiences:

NOT swimming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBtTtPu58Ng&list=UUXjkCfw3tlNKuZSKk6GRpsw&index=21&feature=plcp

Much more confident, recorded in July... but he thinks I am his personal island!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ge32kVUF60&list=UUXjkCfw3tlNKuZSKk6GRpsw&index=19&feature=plcp

This was after a summer full of swimming on the lake... quite confident now!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPjyjASSx50&list=UUXjkCfw3tlNKuZSKk6GRpsw&index=16&feature=plcp

My proudest moment may have been in August, near the end of boating season, when it was SO HOT that as soon as my dad killed the boat engine, he jumped in all by himself! He had NEVER jumped in the water before other people got in!


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## hobbsy1010 (Jun 4, 2011)

Me and my daughter (12yrs) just sat watching your post and your youtube clips, Sooo funny the 'drying off' clip after toilet  
Both couldn't stop laughing at the look in his eyes laying on his back ;D ;D
We both think you've got a star there, loves the camera 

Hobbsy&Co


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## Melda (Feb 22, 2012)

Must get my hands on a pair of waders, mine still won't take the plunge!


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

Love the videos. Must say that Ruby is really bright - brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr that water looked really cold. Bet she will take to it in the summer. Mine love to swim but only in the spring and summer - sensible dogs 8)!!!!!!


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Take him out when ducks are around. Having another swimming dog around will help also. I would also put a fish in a bucket and let him watch for a while. Usually they try to get the fish out of the bucket. Let them, and at some point when the fish can't swim any more, throw it in the shallow water and the dog will go in and get it. After a few throws he will be charging into the water and swimming to retrieve.


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## Kobi (Oct 26, 2010)

Linescreamer said:


> Take him out when ducks are around. Having another swimming dog around will help also. I would also put a fish in a bucket and let him watch for a while. Usually they try to get the fish out of the bucket. Let them, and at some point when the fish can't swim any more, throw it in the shallow water and the dog will go in and get it. After a few throws he will be charging into the water and swimming to retrieve.


Having another swimming dog around DEFINITELY helps! That's what we did with my girlfriend's puppy this past weekend, and she really picked up on it quick! Check out the pics if you want... the black/white one is her little puppy, born 9/24/11 I think:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150746348454108.459022.779899107&type=3&l=45b7c94c59


Linescreamer - do the dogs actually retrieve the fish? I'm not sure Kobi has ever seen or taken an interest in fish. That would be fun to watch!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Kobi said:


> Linescreamer said:
> 
> 
> > Take him out when ducks are around. Having another swimming dog around will help also. I would also put a fish in a bucket and let him watch for a while. Usually they try to get the fish out of the bucket. Let them, and at some point when the fish can't swim any more, throw it in the shallow water and the dog will go in and get it. After a few throws he will be charging into the water and swimming to retrieve.
> ...


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Make sure you are in an area where dogs are not susceptible to salmon poisoning.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

all clean in our river


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

My V goes fishing with me. He has seen many fish landed and loves to play with them. We have caught fish from .5 to 25 lbs and he is interested in all of them. I have never heard of Salmon Poisoning and he has eaten allot of Salmon eggs over the last couple years with no issues. We have minnows in a bucket and have also caught small Perch in the 4-6" range and put them in with the minnows. The dog loves to dunk his nose and try to grab the fish out of the bucket. The minnows are fast and small but the perch usually gets pulled out and flopping around on the ground. Once the interest is there, he will follow it where ever it goes. A really funny thing to watch is a bucket of crayfish. Put that in front of them and be prepaired laugh. ;D


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

In the Pacific Northwest Salmon, Steelhead, and some other kind of trout that I can't remember can carry a type of fluke (intestinal parasite) that kills dogs if the fish is eaten raw. If symptoms (vomiting, lethargy) are noticed early, the dog can be treated with medication and it's no big deal. If the symptoms are not caught early, the dog will typically (something around 90%) die. 

I don’t know if the fluke is elsewhere in the world. I just thought I’d post the caution for people to check their areas before using fish as enticements into the water.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

jld640 said:


> In the Pacific Northwest Salmon, Steelhead, and some other kind of trout that I can't remember can carry a type of fluke (intestinal parasite) that kills dogs if the fish is eaten raw. If symptoms (vomiting, lethargy) are noticed early, the dog can be treated with medication and it's no big deal. If the symptoms are not caught early, the dog will typically (something around 90%) die.
> 
> I don’t know if the fluke is elsewhere in the world. I just thought I’d post the caution for people to check their areas before using fish as enticements into the water.


Thanks for the info. Our Salmon here in the great lakes, are transplanted Pacific Salmon. I don't let him eat the fish but I guess I need to be more carefull with the eggs. Thanks Again!


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## pippa31 (Aug 2, 2011)

Pippa went swimming for the first time today!!! It took me throwing some treats in and her best Vizsla friend Bodhi swimming circles around her, but she did it!!!! (We've only been trying to get her to swim since she was 8 weeks old - she is 11 months now!!) 

Best Vizsla "Mother's Day" ever! I attached a pic!!


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## luv2laugh (Oct 6, 2011)

Congratulations Pippa!!! What a fun Mother's day gift!


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