[Nugget's_mama]

I would love to have opinions from those of you who have pools. I completely understand that Basset's are not meant to be big time swimmers as they are so heavy chested and are at higher risk for drowning. I also want to make clear that when Nugget spends time alone in the backyard, it is for very limited amounts of time on a lead which doesn't reach to the pool. When I've taken her to walk over on the pool side of the yard, she's curious about it and will lap at the water but doesn't try to get in (but I think it'll be another story when she sees us in it!). Otherwise, she is a housebasset...she quickly got accustomed to enjoying the a/c when the Georgia sun is shining hot & bright

As swimming season is upon us, I hear about people who say teach pups the pool is strictly off limits and never let them get in. I also hear people say put them in the pool with you and teach them how to use the steps to get out so that if they ever accidently fall in, they'll go to the steps to get out.

My son also has the bright idea of getting one of those very small, shallow kiddie pools to let her play in under our supervision...I'm not so sure about that either!

What say you...the forum folks... about swimming with bassets ??!!

 

[faysie]

I'll save you the $$$ of the kiddie pool. They don't like it. Mine was manic when I lifted him over the side and put him in. He almost cut his leg on the hard plastic, trying to jump out. He was having none of that

In my ignorant bliss, I tried everything from a big firm raft to floaties (yeah ...I'm crazy like that) to try to get Belvedere to swim with me. We got on the steps (into the water) once and he went nuts trying to climb out, scratching me to pieces. The one time I attempted to push him out into the water, his front end sank like a lead ball. I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back up. Needless to say, he didn't even drink from the pool for weeks ...and that is one of his favorite things to do.

Quite simply, they are not water babies :lol: I have only heard of a few people who have swimming Bassets. One of them has a website www. tgifhounds.com If you search his video archive, you can see that one of his Bassets loves the water. He swims in the neighbor's pool. I think the other swimmer is on this forum.

As far as safety ...I used to worry, especially when they'd go outside during the night, to potty. They seem to be able to see it and know to stay back a bit.

 

[Maggie's Mommy]

I have an inground pool basically right outside my sliding doors. When we got Rusty & Sticker we knew we would have to introduce them to this area. Stickers HATES the pool and panics terribly when we put her in. She stays clear of it. Rusty on the other hand likes to walk along the coping when we are in it. He also panics when in the pool. They both, especially him have no bounancy. He sinks like a bag of rocks :blink: We even bought a doggie life vest to keep him afloat. Even with that he is so scared he swims in a circle. I tried a bright orange traffic cone on the top step and tried to get him to swim to it using the word "target" while encouraging him and showing him his favorite liver treat. NOPE!! SO SO scared he just swims in a circle. He is too afraid to find the steps. My Husband & I worked on this the entire summer last year only to discover he just can't learn how to get out while being so afraid. My fear isn't that he will jump in but when Rusty & Stickers are running the Basset 500 around that area, someone will eventually fall in!

We made the decision last year to permanently install the child safety fence. It will stay up and we will swim with that darn fence around the pool! I have no other choice. I can't take a chance on losing on of them because we were careless.

I also doubt a kiddie pool will appeal to your baby. At least that will be a safer choice. Here is a photo of Rusty. As you can see by his face, he isn't having fun :blink:

 

[faysie]

:lol: Poor babies! We try so hard to show them how much "fun" the water can be ...but it's just terrifying for them.

 

[2hounds]

I bought a kiddie pool for Lily last year, she would have none of it.

~Heather

 

[wcandres]

I guess all Bassett's are different. My 9 year old male (Toby) loves nothing better than jumping in the local river and swimming on a hot summer day. He's a pretty strong swimmer; he's crossed the river (about 100 yards across) even when the current is strong. I guess he finds it's a way of getting into new "hunting territory") .

Bill

 

[Emma and Doris]

Even though I've heard all the time that bassets are too heavy boned to swim at all,
I've seen a lot of pics showing the opposite. Of my three bassets, only Emma has
been out swimming. She swam out to me, took a U-turn, and has never ever since
been in the water. Doris and Soffi have never done more than wading.

PS: Emma will very happily walk through every mudhole and pond she'll find....


--------------------
<span style="color:#009900">The one that drools rules,
Steinar - daddy and foodslave to Emma and Doris!

http://www.basset-hound.net.tf</span>

 

[corvuss]

I don't have a pool, but I have a pretty big water garden. It's 2 ponds connected by a stream. Both ponds are about 2 feet deep, lined with rocks. The rocks give a solid grip, if either of the hounds fell in they could get out easily. Dudley is the only one that ever fell in, that only happened once. He did it in winter, broke through thin ice. I saw the whole thing, was about 10 feet away. I stopped myself from immediately rescuing him, his head never went under and I wanted to see if he would get out himself. He was outta the water in about 5 seconds! (If he had shown the slightest trouble, I'd have been there in a flash.)
Minnie has never come close to falling in.

They both drink out of it, otherwise stay well clear.

 

[LuvOurBasset]

We bought Annie a plastic swimming pool a couple of years ago and she likes to stand in it and somtimes will lie down in it when it is very hot. We also use it to give her a bath in the summer time and she really enjoys that.

We take Annie every year to our neighborhood water park when they open it up to the dogs on the last night and the first year she sank to the bottom like a rock and scared herself to death.
We then bought her a life jacket and she likes to get in for a while and float around the water if my husband is close by her. She gets the biggest laugh every year at the water park since the life jacket is bigger than her and all you see is a lime green vest with a black Basset Hound head sticking out of it. She is always the center of attention at the dog swim and she LOVES it!

Kathy

 

[mgbrown66]

Here is a photo of Rusty. As you can see by his face, he isn't having fun :blink:[/b]

Are you sure he doesn't like it? Rusty always looks like that!!!

 

[lulabel]

[attachment=355:swimming_copy.jpg]

Both Isabel and Lula swim in lakes, river and the sea (which I hope there is a picture of Isabel above

 

[corvuss]

Great pic of Isabel swimming!

Dudley does this 'nervous unhappy licking air' thing, that pretty much looks like what Rusty's doing. Poor fella'.

 

[Nugget's_mama]

Even though I've heard all the time that bassets are too heavy boned to swim at all,
I've seen a lot of pics showing the opposite. Of my three bassets, only Emma has
been out swimming. She swam out to me, took a U-turn, and has never ever since
been in the water. Doris and Soffi have never done more than wading.

PS: Emma will very happily walk through every mudhole and pond she'll find....
--------------------
<span style="color:#009900">The one that drools rules,
Steinar - daddy and foodslave to Emma and Doris!

http://www.basset-hound.net.tf</span>[/b]

Nugget stomps all through the mud and wades in the water's edge when we take her around a pond that's in our back pasture but she hasn't tried to swim out into it.

 

[Nugget's_mama]

I love all of the pictures. No, Rusty doesn't look real thrilled!

I will definitely report back when we go for a "test swim". The water has to warm up alot more before I'm willing to get in though.

 

[corvuss]

Dudley is the only one that ever fell in, that only happened once.[/b]

:blink: UPDATE: I totally jinxed poor Duds. He fell in the pond at 3:30 am last night.

I let them out, sat on the couch and dozed, heard nothing. 20 minutes later, in come the hounds, Minnie totally dry, Dudley soaked head to toe! Pond water has a particular smell, not terrible, but unmistakable. Dudley was unhappy, but not freaked out so I'm sure he climbed out with ease. I dried him off and he went right back to sleep. <_<

 

[Nugget's_mama]

:blink: UPDATE: I totally jinxed poor Duds. He fell in the pond at 3:30 am last night.

I let them out, sat on the couch and dozed, heard nothing. 20 minutes later, in come the hounds, Minnie totally dry, Dudley soaked head to toe! Pond water has a particular smell, not terrible, but unmistakable. Dudley was unhappy, but not freaked out so I'm sure he climbed out with ease. I dried him off and he went right back to sleep. <_<[/b]

Poor Dudley!! What a sight he must have been! Probably not very humorous for you at nearly 4 in the morning though.

 

[Beverly Anne]

I can't even get Francis to walk on wet grass. Sometimes down the Cape he'll follow me out a couple of feet but the poor little guy always looks so miserable in the water.

 

[BrunosParents28]

Bruno has a kiddie pool and loves it. He lays in it plays in it and drinks the water. However when it comes to bathtime...Which is tonight..LOL..Muuuwahhahahahaha he is going to arooo his poor lil heart out and cry looking like a sad lil puppy whos parents are trying to kill him. He hates getting wet when its not on his terms...But the kiddie pool worked out nicely and it never hurts to spend the 10 bucks for a plastic pool cuz if the dogs dont like it who says you cant lounge in it...LOL

 

[Mom2Dixie]

If I didn't know better, I would figure Dixie is part labrador. She loves the water. We take her boating with us and when we pull up to a beach to eat lunch at an island (small islands are perfect. You can let her loose and let her run and she can't run off and she's easily kept up with), she loves to swim with the kids. When she was younger, she was a pretty good swimmer, but now that she is mature and filled out, she's not as good of swimmer, but she still wades out to chest deep and plays in the shallows. Still gotta keep an eye on her though.
Another thing to keep in mind with basset's and water. Aside from their short legs and heavy front end, they also tend to be a bit bouyant since they tend to have more body fat than other breeds. This also affect their swimming as they can't stay balanced.
I'd be very careful when your basset is around water.