LooneyTick

I have heard that bassets can't swim. I didn't find out until after I took my Lucy for a swim, well no one told her she couldn't swim. She paddled about 30 yards to one side of the creek and then back. What is your experience with this??
Lucy's Dad

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I love vertically challenged dogs!!!

shallhb

I did the same thing many years ago. I'd never heard that BAssets couldn't swim, either. We were out camping with our two bassets, and it was very hot. So I pushed both of them off the dock near the shore of a lake to cool them off. They paddled safely the short distance to the shore. I shudder now that I've heard stories of bassets that can't swim at all about what could have happened.

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Sharon Hall

Grace (puppy in training)
Bella, UD, VER, TD, RE, CGC
Pearl,UD, TDX, RE, CGC (Waiting at the Bridge)
Samantha, Theodore, CGC, Louella, Zeke and Arty, Bassets All; (All Waiting at the Bridge)

dealia

Zoey can swim- but her hind end doesn't keep up with her front
She doesn't go in the water unless i'm next to her. And lately she's too much of a diva to even get her feet wet.

vonny

Both of my Bassets can swim.
Precious has swam across the estury in pursuit of ducks
and Rupert regularly swims.
They are quite strong swimmers and do not seem to have any major problems.

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Owned by Rupey Doopey, Cuddley Dudley and Pretty Patience

RIP Precious gone too soon.

Kat

I Have taken Dee to the river for a swim but being an ex show dog she is a bit of a Diva too!!
She just gives me the face of "I am NOT going in there I am a show dog"..
Dee will only go in enough to get her feet wet...

FredMom

I read that bassets aren't very good swimmers because of their heavy bone structure and that floating would be difficult becuase of it. But, I've seen bassets swim and from what I've seen, it wasn't a struggle either, so books don't tell you right about everything.

Sherry

Reggie swims like a duck, but he's so chest heavy that he will eventually tire and goes down head first. So... he has his own life jacket for when we go to the lake. He's always the first one in, too. The others don't have the same interest in it that he does, and Henry hasn't been yet, but I have a feeling he'd love it.

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Owned by Reggie, Bear, Honey, Henry, Kelly, and Phil the C@t
(basset, basset, basset, basset, Walker Hound, Russian Blue)

Maggie's Mommy

Stickers can swim but is scared of the pool. She panics and swims in circles Rusty is so heavy he sinks like a bag of rocks!! Poor guy! We invested in a life vest to keep him afloat. It did but he couldn't overcome his fear. We tried the entire summer last year. I got an orange cone to place on the top step and tried to teach him the word target, swim to the "target" get a liver treat! Nope! He swims in circles and is so scared his heart is pounding. So we will forever leave the ugly child safety fence up around the pool. Now neither one will come near it even when we are swimming.

See for yourself how much Rusty is enjoying his dip in the pool

Oh_Doc

Both Dutchess and Dixie can swim. Dixie does a lot better as she is not as big as Dutchess. They both get in the pool to cool off on hot summer nights. But only with adult supervision and walking right beside them just in case they would need help for any reason. Dutchess has even jumped in a creek while out hunting.