How cold is the water - Page 1

My hunting labs used to jump into frigid water up near Canada. They'd break through the ice and work the retrieves. Conditioned to it, they didn't mind, but the ice can cut feet, so dog-boots are in order. I've found most non-retrieving dogs are fairly sensible about water... if it's too cold for them to want to swim, they won't.

If your GSD insists on swimming in near-freezing temperatures, make sure you have a towel in the car, dry him off as soon as possible, and crank up the heat to full before he gets in. It's when dogs slow down that they catch a chill. Having a warm place to go immedieately afterwards prevents them from catching a chill or "cold tail."

~JC

Here's my girl Bonnie swimming in the Atlantic Ocean in mid-February, it was a sunny day,
she's with her buddy Theo.
I'm sure that water was cold, they love it as long as they can come right out & run around,
one time I had brought my Shepherds & my goofy yellow lab to the beach, it was freezing out,
the shepherds didn't go in the water, it was 40 degrees, it was like they knew better.

Then out of the clear blue, the lab dives into the ocean, and she had this look of horror on 
her face, it was pretty funny, I never saw a dog get out of the water so fast!

This is Bonnies page, if you go down to the middle you can see her swimming in February!

www.vonryansgermanshepherds.com/bonnievonryan.htm

Mirasmom,

I love your pictures, and your dogs are beautiful. My Mojo is the only one still jumping in our newly built (gunite for sure) swimming pool! The forecast is for snow by the end of the week, and I am finally getting a cover and having it closed for the winter tomorrow.  I am on the Atlantic side myself. He loves to run about and drag the contractors Rubbermaid garbage pail all around, (they better come get it soon or there won't be much use left to it! LOL)  and then take a dip and a drink. Since it is a high tech pool with 70% less chlorine, I hope I don't have to worry too much about his drinking. He quite thinks we built the whole thing for him. (Fence is going up shortly and then he will be one sorry dog. Sure hope he doesn't try to jump the fence, like he jumps everything else.)

My2dogs,

It is funny but I was just wondering something similar to what you asked, mainly how many GSD's love to swim? Mine sure does, and he loves to drop his toys in the water but gets confused when they go in the deep end, and he hasn't learned to dive... yet! I've seen Labs who've learned that skill, but never a GSD. Anyone know of a diving GSD? Just  curious.

~Deb

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