Swimming Habits

[kelpie_gal]

I've just come back from the dam with Jasper and it got me thinking: I've seen many dogs swimming and each seems to have its own unique 'style', be it the enty/exit, or the actual swimming part.

So, my question is this - what kind of style does your dog have when swimming? Is he a graceful swan-diver, or a cannon-ball diver? Could her graceful strokes earn her a medal at the olympics, or would she be more at home in a children's splashing match?

My dog:
Jasper will run - full pelt - down the paddock and do the equivalent of a bomb-dive into the dam. He will retrieve anything in the water (leaves, sticks, even the float), regardless of whether or not you've actually thrown anything in.

One of my friend's dogs, Bailey, has the most unusual habit I've come across; when he swims he attempts to bite the splashes that his paws make on the water. Most of the time he ends up nearly drowning himself, but he has a great time.

 

[Sasroc]

My girl Sasha,kelpie x has to be the most sookiest dog alive.She has to swim in flat,calm water.Actually she doesnt swim at all,just has all paws on the ground and runs around.She,d much prefer her clam shell kiddie pool.At the beach she wont hesitate to go to the waters edge but as soon as a wave rocks in shes off like a flash of lightning!:lol-sign:

 

[mrose_s]

buster won't jump in. he will hop on the step in our pool then swim uut. he loves swimming but once he gets in he just swims really fast. no splashing. just swimming. sometimes i grab his collar if i wanna get to the edge because he' sreally strong for a little dog.

 

[Brattina88]

Maddie swims like a little retriever... it doesn't matter how cold it is, or how rough the water is. She's an excellent swimmer! It doesn't look like she could take up syncronized swimming or anything, but she's a strong / skilled swimmer nonetheless

Missy and Charlie will wade, but they don't go where thier feet can't touch.

 

[MomOf7]

Maybe this will explain what kind of swimmers I have

If you look closely you can see half of her back is out of the water and theres a pretty good size wake behind her. She is 50lbs btw

 

[RD]

If he has a dock or elevated wall to jump off, this is Dakota's entry.

Otherwise he hops in and launches himself forward until he can't touch the bottom anymore. He's an amazing swimmer for a Border Collie, he easily outswam two Labs and a GSD over the summer. He's graceful, pretty fast, and he can swim all day if he needs to.

Ripley puts his feet in and then inches forward, slapping the water with his front legs. He's a very graceful swimmer once he stops splashing, and he's also FAST. Those little tiny, skinny legs are kicking a mile a minute under there!

I like watching my dogs swim

 

[2BlackDogs]

That is an awesome pic RD.

Momof7 your pics are awesome too. I wonder how fast the dog in the 2nd picture can swim!

I don't even know if Bear likes to swim. We never went to the beach this year and we don't have a pool up yet. I'll find out next year I guess. LOL

 

[squirtsmom]

If Squirt is jumping off of a dock, you can alm ost hear her yell, "cannonball." She is noisy, and makes lots of splashes and waves. If we are in thel ake or the ocean, you have to be in a boat because she will start swimming, and keep on going. and going. and going.

 

[makka619]

Great action shots guys.

Gordy is just starting to get into the wadding pool by himself and he walks around carefully. Haven't introduced him to a bigger pool yet. I am not sure if he will like swimming at all as I read somewhere that generally Beagles don't like water.