[MissMolly]

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[Guest]

Well, as we all know they can truly sink due to their bones. I remember when we adopted Molly we were concerned because we have a pool.
Well, we have nothing to fear. She stays as FAR away from the pool as possible.
Our Lab though likes to jump on in with the kids!
Jennifer

 

[Guest]

While on our cruising adventures every year, Huck has gradually (and I do mean gradually) become more daring with water. He will now go up to his belly but only if he's racing, chasing and barking after Grace (Lab) who loves to run into the water, lay down and taunt the heck out of Huck! One of the funniest (and scariest) things I've ever seen was when Huck misjudged his jump and went overboard. He promptly sunk and when he was coming back up to the surface all you could see were these HUGE eyes staring right at you seemingly to say, "What the H_ _ _ L is with this?" Luckily we were dockside and had no trouble fishing him out. The cost of a life vest - $50. The relief that it gives - priceless!

 

[Soundtrack]

Most of mine like to swim, but they don't get much opportunity.

Last summer I went to check out a potential home. I brought a few dogs with me so that we could see how their current basset was with other dogs. Gabby surprised me by taking one look at the inground pool and diving in. She did a few laps before she decided to come to the side so I could pull her out.

[ March 28, 2006, 04:34 PM: Message edited by: Soundtrack ]

 

[emmasmom]

Emma HATES the water. She's fallen in the lake twice while on vacation at the cabin with us. The first time, she was just a baby and we had her life jacket on her. She was on the dock, and so were the rest of us looking at a big bass my son had caught--and we turned around and she had her back feet on the dock and her front feet on the edge of the boat looking in and the boat was going away from the dock and yep, she fell in between the dock and the boat. Like I said, she had her life jacket on so we just scooped her out of the water. But the second time the next year, her daddy and the rest of the crew were coming in from fishing....and she saw them coming and ran out on the dock, with me on her heels, and as they pulled the boat up to the dock she did the very same thing...and I yelled her name and down she went. My husband jumped overboard--fully clothed--lost his fishing hat

 

[Guest]

We go hiking quite a bit and there are many trails around various lakes here in North Carolina. Claire will follow Porkchop (Who LOVES to swim) into the water until it gets about shoulder level, and then she stops. The only time that she has gone further than that, we were at a lake on the beach, and she freaked out when she realized she was in too deep, and it was soo funny seeing her little legs desperately paddling back to land.......... now keep in mind that she was less that three feet from us, and still had her flexilead on, so she was going no where! it was just funny to watch her reaction when she realized she couldn't touch anymore!!!!

She also likes to shake the water off..... WHILE SHE IS STILL IN THE WATER! her little antics sure are endearing!

 

[Grommett]

Olivia has not done much more than get her toes wet. We take our Retriever to the water quite often, all Olivia does is run up and down the shore barking at him.

 

[Guest]

Sabian hates the water! We had a boat until last year. Both of my hounds LOVED to ride in the boat. The faster the better, noses up and ears flapping! Sabian managed the courage one time to jump in after the kids (lifejacket on)and WOW he was suprised. We couldn't get him out fast enough! Pearly all the time was barking orders at us to "Get him out" and then I am sure told him, "I told you you wouldn't like it". He never made another attempt. yvonne

 

[Terry]

I took Moe to the beach one time to walk. We followed the shoreline till we came to a place where the marsh drains into the cove as the tide recedes. At that particular time the water was flowing out of the marsh pretty fast and in the middle it may have been about five feet deep. I was VERY curious what Moe would do... would he stop or swim? The answer was neither! He happily trotted right into the water... to his belly... to his chin... then, still walking, under he went!

Terry

 

[Guest]

Maggie Mae HATED the water. Bath or swimming pool. Rusty & Stickers look curiously through our saftety fence at the pool. Once their stitches are removed, we will teach them how to get out of the pool. I'm hoping they don't like it because I would rather them stay out of the pool. Not crazy about all that dog hair clogging the filter! We bought an orange traffic type cone to "hopefully" give them a visual target to swim to so they know how to get out. I just read on a grief pet website I frequent that a member just posted she lost her Basset puppy. Her Husband left the sliding door open just enough for him to squeeze through and fall into and drown in the family swimming pool. That just broke my heart.

 

[Guest]

Belvedere won't go near the pool, except to drink ....when no one is close to him. He actualy looks back and checks. I tried to put him on the steps when we first got him because someone told me to get him used to swimming to the steps, in case he fell in. That was just NOT happening. He froze stiff. I could't lift and move him so we gave up. I also tried bathing him in a kiddie pool, so my shower wouldn't get so messy. That wasn't happening either. He hates water.

 

[Valerie and George]

LOL! Poor Moe! Obviously a Dry Land Basset. George hates rain and baths and snow, yet he wants to wade (not SWIM, just wade) in this nasty drainage ditch that runs behind the park and between it and the corn and soybean processing plant on the other side. Heaven only KNOWS what they've dumped in that nasty thing and I won't let him wade and in fact, avoid getting near it so we won't have to argue about it, but the FIRST time we walked down there, I figured he wouldn't go near it since he hates rain and baths. I was so stunned when he waded in that it took me a couple of beats to react! Then we had a frank exchange of views when I said you gotta come out and HE said, NO, I want to WADE! In fact, I questioned his intelligence and pointed out how nasty it looks and he was immovable. Literally. Mom had to go pick him up and TAKE him out. Ick. And Terry, I sympathize totally with the rolling in putrid substances problem. George has been known to roll in, well, droppings. Even his own, on occasion. UGH. WHAT are they THINKING????

 

[Oliver Twist]

We were visiting my parents with our first basset Jeffrey ATB and had gone out somewhere and he was left home alone. My brother opens the front door and out goes the dog. He chased him all over, parents live on 7 acres, the only reason he was caught was because he tried to go through a normally dry creek that had four feet of water. John said he went in and stopped and just looked at him for help. The nice thing was he actually went in and got him out starched jeans, boots and all. He never tried to swim again. Oliver on the other hand doesn't mind water but has never tried to swim in it either.

 

[starr]

Tootie LOVES the water. We have an above-ground pool, so she can't get in (thank god!) but when Brian and I are swimming she will cry until we pull her into the pool.

 

[Guest]

When he was younger, Jake once saw some ducks swimming in the canal and decided go and see them. I shall NEVER forget the ker-SPLOOOSHHHH when my basset hound fell into that water...!!!

Still don't know if he can swim.

 

[Guest]

I've enjoyed reading everyone's stories about their bassets. So here goes mine.

My parents have a house on the lake and it has a pool too. We spend a lot of time out there in the summer and my kids love it. Pixie(my mutt) is part fish. She loves the swim and plays basketball with us. Maggie on the other hand is NO where in site when we are in the pool. She absolutely hates the pool. But every once in a while I'll put her in for a swim to cool off(on really hot summer days) and she has a horriable look on her face. She tries to swim as fast as possible to get out. But their is a ramp that goes into the lake and she'll go over there and drink the lake water and get her feet wet. I just don't get it!

Well Mollie is completely different. Last summer she was jumping in the pool and swimming. She still needs to learn where the steps are. She was so young last summer, I'm not sure if she knew what she was doing. This summer should be interesting!

 

[Guest]

We took Annie swimming at the community pool on the day before it closed for the season last year and she walked right in with Steve and seemed to really enjoy it

As it got deeper she seemed worried so Steve put his arms under her and she was kicking like crazy so he let her go and she sunk to the bottom like a rock! The poor thing was hysterical when she bobbed back up and got herself over to the side by herself which we have no idea how she did it. After about 5 minutes of calming her down she walked right back in with Steve but avoided the deep end of the pool.

Hence..the reason for my earlier post about life jackets for Bassets! Our next door neighbor has an inground pool and said he didn't mind at all if Annie swam there this summer.

Kathy

 

[Lina]

Both mine hate water. Everytime we take them to the beach, Henrietta will bark at the wave and try to stay away from it.
So I guess I could never see them swim. :roll:

 

[Terry]

Valerie, I believe that dogs LIKE foul stenches and rolling in disgusting stuff is the doggie-equivelent of applying a fragrant cologne.

 

[copsmom]

Copper hates water also. I have to hold an umbrella over him when it rains to get him to go potty. Baths are a nightmare but he loves to ride in the boat.He jumps right in ready to go every time.I guess he likes to be on the water not in it.