Wworm

Hiya,

My person's letting me use the computer to ask my buddies what ya do when ya go swimming. i never gone bfore. but i might when i visit gramma's house this weekend 'cause they have a pool.

do i need to be careful about getting water in my ears when i swim??? what do y'all do to keep the water out...? we were thinkin' cotton but dunno if enough to keep the water out? last time i got water in my ears during a bath, i got an ear infection yeasties grew in both of them.
--thanks,
Worm

Mikey T

[quote]need to be careful about getting water in my ears when i swim??? ['quote]

Basset don't swim, they sink. Not eniterly true but true for some most basset do not care to swim and avoid open bodies of water whenever possible. The one swimer I had basic ran as fast as she could into the water and let her momenteum carry her out when she stopped moving doggie paddled it back to shore that was enough in and out. Never worried to much about water in the ears. If concered rather than trying to keep water out I would do a cleaning after with a ear clearner or home made cleaner with good water dispersing and drying properies ie contains alcohol or witch hazel


as far a swiming pool that was the beagles domain not because she liked to swim rather she was tracking my sisters cats that like to drink from the pool Bandit never got the trail ended at water edge and fell in many times the one and only time her blindness showed up

Penny Arcade

Are they ok with a life jacket? I was wanting to get one for mine since swimming in the local river is the thing to do.

mhvonalmen8908

Doppler can swim but we also got him a life jacket. We haven't tried the life jacket in the water yet. We haven't had time. But we don't know if Virga can swim yet. But we'll end up getting her a life jacket too.

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Megan & Chris
-Mom & Dad to Doppler (2 year old Basset/Redbone/Golden mix) and Virga (1 year old Basset)

Esther

i can swim pretty durn well. i do it only under duress but they take me the the grandparents' pool every weekend. they seem to be under this delusion that I'm a labrador or something. they get me in and put me on the step. "Here Esther, just cool off a little." lies lies. ALL LIES. I'm fine just standing on the first step but NO... he human just HAS to get me out to the end of the shallow part and let me go and watch me swim to she' human at the steps... my ears never get water in them bc my head's always above sea level.

Mikey T

The vast majority of basset do not like to swim. I had a few that walk in water to cool off but only one that ever liked to swim. Forcing a basset to swim is not going io endear them to the practice. Also keep in mind the effect water has on most basset. what does you do after a bath. If typical a mad basset 500 running around like a chicken with a head cut off , are you prepared for that when they come out of the water?

CatherineM

When I lived in Florida, all mine wore life jackets. They sank like stones in water. Not so much an issue here in Canada. Gandy is sitting outside in the rain right now.

Cassidy

Don't know, but good luck Worm!

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Mom to Fergus aka Ferg-a-licious- a spunky, eats-everything boy.

Bessiethebassetsdad

I read in one of my basset books that it is not healthy for a basset to swim...Sorry do not remember the reason.

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Basset Hounds are a lot like potato chips....You can't have just one!

roscolaylamommy

Life jackets do work for bassets, however Mikey is right, it doesn't make them love swimming. Our usually frantically paddle toward shore