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Author
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Topic: Swimming to far?????
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kclements
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posted April 16, 2004 04:21 PM
My dog Lucy loves to swim. I take her to the lake at least once a week, she will swim after the ducks. There have been a couple of times when I have gotten nervous because she is out there swimming long distances chasing the ducks. I can tell that she is getting tired because her pace gets slower. I will call her and call her and she does not respond she is chasing the ducks (keep in mind that she is out very far in the lake) there is no way I could get to her if something were to happen.
My question is do Dogs have an instinct of when to come to shore?
Could she eventually swim out to far and get to tired to get back?
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Posts: 6 | From: Augusta Georgia | Registered: Mar 2004
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DaxAriel's toy
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posted April 16, 2004 07:57 PM
Dogs will become over tired & drown. If you can, teach her to return to you everytime you call. Use treats as rewards. I don't know if you could attach something to her like a leash - maybe someone else has an idea but definately time how long it takes her to appear tired so you can call her back before she is exhausted.
Posts: 748 | From: Edmonton AB Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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ellierat
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posted April 17, 2004 04:09 PM
Unfortunately your dog has only one thing on his mind DUCKS, the thought he might drown will not enter his head till too late, I would stay away from your pond for a while till you have taught the come command-no matter what is distracting him.
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I love my labs.
Posts: 880 | From: australia | Registered: Feb 2004
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kclements
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posted April 20, 2004 05:07 PM
Thanks for the advice. Any tips on how to train her how to answer commands while in the water?
Posts: 6 | From: Augusta Georgia | Registered: Mar 2004
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ellierat
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posted April 20, 2004 05:37 PM
What you will have to do is put on a really long lead, even rope is fine, cause I don't think a lead will really go that far lol.
Let her go for her swim, call her back to you, if she doesn't come, pull her in, sounds like i'm talking about a boat. lol.
Give her a reward every time you do this, let her go further and further each time, but always call, and pull back in, and reward.
She will soon get the hang of it, make sure the treat is more desirable than an unobtainable duck!!!
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I love my labs.
Posts: 880 | From: australia | Registered: Feb 2004
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DaxAriel's toy
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posted April 20, 2004 08:52 PM
Ellierat has a great idea. You won't need to have a thick rope but you should make it longer gradually - then one day let it go completely, and so on. Take your time and don't let her go freely until she comes everytime without fail.
BUT if all else fails they make dog life preservers. Do an internet search. The site below had some. I thought they were TOO FUNNY and my dogs would probably rather drown. But I'm not much of a sailor anyway.
http://www.petstreetmall.com/merchant/Canine/Aquapaws.asp
Posts: 748 | From: Edmonton AB Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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MissBandit
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posted April 21, 2004 11:39 AM
Actually a remote collar would work best in this sitation. They make them water proof b/c they are really designed for retrievers (hunting dogs). I'd work on it on land first tho, to get her accustomed to the sensation.
Posts: 36 | From: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: Feb 2004
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