Swimming

[JeannieCO]

Omg..this is heartbreaking! Our pool is cross fenced and very unreachable. We have ALWAYS been so afraid of first our children..when they were small..now our grand babies...getting to that pool. Jake just saw that part of our yard two weeks ago...much more interested in the avocados on the ground than the pool! Such a sad story @JeannieCO ..people. ..people.

Sad indeed, just glad I didn't know them. I think of that story often and let people know about it when I can.

Horse loves to swim, but he can't by himself, he just sinks. We found out that he can't swim at all last summer when Horse was playing with a Lab puppy in a shallow stream and decided to walk along the stream and find the steepest bank to jump off of, into 10 foot deep water. He swam for about 2 feet towards me then just sank like a rock. Thank goodness I was right there and dove to the bottom and got him. I have to be just as careful with Horse around a pool as I would with a small child, he would just jump in. I plan on getting Horse a lifejacket, but for now he just "swims" with his front arms over my shoulders, hugging me. Bulldogs love water, but I have yet to see one swim.

WOW lucky indeed! So glad that ended well and you were there. Was it a fast or slow moving stream? You must of been terrified. I walked my other dog Ace, who's a great swimmer, to an inlet part of the lake about 7 years ago and tossed a tennis ball for him to go get. Well bonehead me forgot his rear legs were still week due to recovering from a TPLO surgery 6 months prior and he started to go down like the Titanic, literally. All that was left before I jumped to get him was his yet and the tops of his feet. I was stunned and thought he get his swim feet but he didn't. He was ok swimming the remainder of that weekend but he's never been in without his life jacket since.

 

[BruceP]

My intro to bullies was about 45 years ago . A friend's family had a bully. Sam loved to ride in their boat but when they would come back to their dock he would step off the side of the boat instead of jumping onto the dock and sink like a rock. Someone would have to jump in and retrieve poor Sam from the lake bottom. LOL He also would walk into the lake to get a drink and walk into water over his head and just stand there till someone would retrieve him.... Sam had emergency stomach pumps a few times!!!! Sam is also why we have a bully today,,, I just loved that crazy dog.

 

[laurendoodler]

Delilah can't swim..like..at all. She doesn't have the natural instinct for it really.

If you do plan on introducing him to the water..do it slooowwwwllly! I can't stress that enough. Just tossing him in there one day could terrify him and make him not want to ever go back, lol. You have to let them warm up to it on their own. Start by putting them on the steps with the water just barely touching them..then maybe down a bit..and eventually, if he likes it..he'll go out on his own accord!

Delilah wears a life jacket. I think any bulldog should wear a life jacket, really. They just are built so awkwardly for swimming..incredibly top heavy. She still sinks a bit WITH the jacket on. I'm always right by her when we are in the water.

 

[SargeandGriffon]

Sarge tried swimming once at the lake... and he sank. Thank goodness it was only about 2 feet of water and there were 3-4 people in the water so it was easy to pull him back up. I couldn't imagine taking him on a boat I'd be so frightened. It is only baby pools for Sarge now and when we play in the waves at the lake/beach it is ONLY with a leash so he can't jump in!

 

[ediep]

my two swam fine. It was for short swims. I agree with the life vests.

edie