Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Can all Danes swim? Does yours?

Collapse
X
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Can all Danes swim? Does yours?

    We have a little cabin on a lake. The dock has about 12 feet of water off the end. Our first Dane had no interest in swimming, but fell in the water once.

    He was able to keep his head above water and swim back to shore, but it was somewhat of a struggle and looked nothing like the retriever next door

    We are getting a new puppy and soon and wondering - can all or most Danes swim? Should we keep her tethered or away from the dock?

    Do your Danes like to swim? Are they able to swim?

    You can buy life vests for dogs, but with the rapid growth of a puppy it seems impractical. It is also very hot.

    I have half a mind to sneak her into our subdivision pool late at night to see if she can swim
    sigpic

  • #2
    Danes can swim, I believe baby Faust is quite the swimmer...

    Tucker only splashes in the water right now, I think we can get him to swim if we go out in the water with him.
    sigpic
    What Tucker's up to now: http://greatdanetucker.blogspot.com/

    Comment


    • #3
      Right now, Giovanni's only been to the lake twice so he's not used to the water enough to swim. We'll be on Galveston Island for a few weeks in August so we'll be at the beach all the time. For now, he will only go deep enough to get his legs wet. He's not a big fan of getting his manhood wet...yet.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by shawnzy View Post
        We'll be on Galveston Island for a few weeks in August so we'll be at the beach all the time.
        I am so jealous!! I LOVE Galveston Island! My husband and I got married there. He is originally from Port Arthur, Texas and still has family there, although now in Dallas. We go to Texas as often as we can and every time we go he has to bring me back kicking and screaming.

        My boys LOVE to swim! You can't keep them out. My Kaiser (RIP) just liked to wade out and stand in it but the others just run, play and swim. I would have to say Runner is the biggest fan. He will jump off the shore banks, docks, anything to get in. We took him camping with us once to the Chesapeake Bay, it was his first experience in the ocean, and he ran up and down and crashed into the water and waves like a complete fool! I swear he was grinning and smiling from ear to ear! It was soooo funny!

        Of course, all that running made him have to poo and where did he do it? Right in the water in front of a few dozen people and it disintegrated before I could pick it up. I felt awful but what could I do? Needless to say, we got out of there quick because of the looks. They always do it at the worst times and in the worst places!
        Lisa & "The Boys"

        Comment


        • #5
          2 of my 3 danes love to swim in anything wet. The 3rd only does lakes/ocean he doesn't like pools. I think that most dogs have the ability to swim. but some take to it easier than others. Our last house with a pool everymorning we'd hear Loki get up and go out the dog door then Splash! He'd go for his morning swim and then lay out in the sun to dry! Loki LOVES swimming! It's also a good form of exercise for danes, young and old, because it's easy on the joints (just like with people!) but great cardio!
          sigpicAndre post run, and ready for more!
          Loki 7/2002-3/2013
          Clyde 3/2003-8/2013
          Andre ~5/2006
          Bob the cat

          Comment


          • #6
            Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in and correct as needed....
            I've always thought that all dogs can be taught to swim. Most figure it out if they have a gradual entry into the water, but some need help - like a golden mix I once knew who would sink like a stone! (Didn't stop him from going in over his head - not the brightest dog!) Anyway, we went in with him and held him up him until he got the hang of it. Wet-suit recommended - they'll claw you to pieces!!

            ETA - duh! Forgot to answer the question! Yes, Breez swims, she will put her nose in the water and blow bubbles too!
            Last edited by ouesi; 07-13-2009, 07:54 AM.
            Until one has loved an animal, part of one's soul remains unawakened.
            - Anatole France

            Comment


            • #7
              Faust actually believes he is an Otter and not a Great Dane. I think the key with getting any dog to swim is doing it early in a fun and safe situation. We took Faust to this creek when he was 9 weeks old. We had already had him 3 weeks because of unforseen circumstances and he had bonded very strongly to me. We first got in the water where it was just walking height, maybe 3 inches deep and put him in next to us. Praised him a lot for standing in it. We walked around and he followed us but you could tell he was not crazy about it at first. So that was the first trip. The next day we came back and did it again but this time we just called him to us and he got in the creek and came to us. So we kept walking deeper and deeper and he could no longer touch the bottom anymore. He didnt freak out or anything he just started swimming after us. The trick seemed to be that he wanted to be with us more than he wanted not to have to swim.

              Now he absolutely loves the water. He is too big now and the Creek too shallow for him to swim anymore but it goes up to half way up his chest. He runs through it and plays with dogs in as deep of water as he can. The only thing I have noticed is he needs a reason to be in there. He will not just run out into the deeper water if we are not there or another dog is not playing with him.

              The one thing i STRESS is watch those Paws when teaching to swim. They can be very painful when they try to use you as a resting point or just be near you.
              sigpic

              Comment


              • #8
                My dogs do not seem really like water. They will wade in a baby pool, but will not lay in it or anything. We also have a pool and they don't ever try to jump in. I will say though that my female can swim, on vacation two weeks ago, i jumped off of the dock and she followed me, and then paniced that she was in the water ( even thoug it was only 2 feet deep, she could have walked)
                sigpic
                Nichole Monahan
                www.ohiogreatdanerescue.org
                www.meetup.com/greatdane-nwohio/

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by johnsondanes View Post
                  I am so jealous!! I LOVE Galveston Island! My husband and I got married there. He is originally from Port Arthur, Texas and still has family there, although now in Dallas. We go to Texas as often as we can and every time we go he has to bring me back kicking and screaming.
                  My in-laws live 20 minutes from there and have a beach house on Jamaica Beach on the west end of the Island. We're actually going down to look at houses and get hubby enrolled in school. We'll be moving in somewhere down there in November. It's really beautiful. I can't wait to be able to go to the beach all the time... mmmm and all u can eat fresh seafood...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Oh...Now I am just downright envious!! My hubby has agreed that when we retire, we can move down there. Of course, that answer was not acceptable to me! He told me the only way we would do it sooner is if there was a school district (he is an Elementary Principal) down there that would pay him as much money as he is making now and guarantee him a contract. Why do they always have to be so damn practical?? Takes all the fun out of everything! I'll be too old by then to enjoy it! Geesh....
                    Lisa & "The Boys"

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      lol* My hubby is getting out of the Air Force and we don't want to live here. I'm sick of the cold... Lived in ND and NY and then here. He's going to be an engineer on the oil rigs so it was no question that we'd move down there.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Goofy isn't a big fan of swimming. He will go up to his chest but no further. He looks at me some times like he wants me to go in so in a few days I guys I'm going for a swim lol
                        sigpicThings are doing great!!!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Titan almost drowned the other day and had to be pulled from the water. He spent the rest of the day coughing up water. So no. Not all danes can swim.
                          sigpic
                          -Sara-
                          -Classic & Zuma-

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by Titan_87 View Post
                            Titan almost drowned the other day and had to be pulled from the water. He spent the rest of the day coughing up water. So no. Not all danes can swim.
                            OMG! That's so frightening!! I think we'll try to find out if Chaucer likes to/can swim at a young age. I can't imagine having to rescue a 150 lb. dane. (Especially when I swim like a ROCK--straight to the bottom !!!)

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by johnsondanes View Post
                              Oh...Now I am just downright envious!! My hubby has agreed that when we retire, we can move down there. Of course, that answer was not acceptable to me! He told me the only way we would do it sooner is if there was a school district (he is an Elementary Principal) down there that would pay him as much money as he is making now and guarantee him a contract. Why do they always have to be so damn practical?? Takes all the fun out of everything! I'll be too old by then to enjoy it! Geesh....
                              Oohh...if he gets that job, tell him I'm K-12 Admin certified and will work as a vice or assistant principal there....lololol. I want out of the city schools sooooooooo bad some days, but more than that I sooooo long for a BEACH!!!

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X