Mike,

NOt to change the subject- So your pup is 10 months old? Does he shed? Mine has started to shed a lot. Could it be the warm temp of the house as he is inside most of the time?

Rashmi

My pup is 20 months old, he sheds like crazy, it doesn't bother me much anymore, but he definately blows his coat twice a year, it's not too bad at the moment, but I'm sure this summer he'll blow his coat again.

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My pup is 20 months old, he sheds like crazy, it doesn't bother me much anymore, but he definately blows his coat twice a year, it's not too bad at the moment, but I'm sure this summer he'll blow his coat again.

Are y'all sure you want to put that much hair into the swimming pool ooo:!!!! It could play havoc with the filter and the pump.
My golden ret. took his time getting used to swimming in the Atlantic, but know loves it. My GSD is still just a puppy so he is still trying to figure out where all the water is coming from and why it keeps chasing him in and out. I just took my time and made it nice and easy on them as they aclimated themselves to the waves and the water.
Unfortunately the powers that be have decided to close the only beach between Jupiter and Miami (approx. 80 miles of beach) that had access for dogs. Now I have to drive quite a distance to find a beach where the dogs can play. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> :

My first pup I had, retrieved sticks from watter when he was about 3 mos old.... HE loved watter, mud holes with just a little watter and anything with any trace of liquids.
We would swim together he would pull me or anybody else.. he just loved it.
I dont think there is an age when they should or should not swim...
BTW my pup is now only 12 weeks old and already tried to swim in river in my town...
It is only 40 degrees outside..
I did not like that..... I had to put him all wet into my car... I was lazy to get the crate out <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

My male Luke was hesitant about it, but eventually got in because the kids were in the water swimming. He is not about to let my 6 yr old do something that he himself can not do.

Elea loves the water, again, any little bit will do. We too bought her a wading pool and she often lounges in it in the summer. When she first went to the lake she jumped right in. During the summer when there is people there I take her in with the long line but only when I"m in the water with her. She'll swim out to me and back. Even now in Dec and Jan, when she goes to the lake she has to at least go belly deep in the lake.

I guess I'm the only barbarian that just throws them in? LOL

no you're not.

actually, i had my girlfriend's dad "accidentally" bump him into the pool at @ 3 months old. i haven't been able to keep him out of the water ever since.

and i'm just evil enough that i'll do the same thing to next pup whenever the time comes...

Do you take your pup in for 'lessons' even if he/she seems fearful of the pool? My 4 month old GSD loves her wading pool, but freezes at the edge of the pool. I cannot find a lake or natural body of water near me that she can ease into. I'm near the beach and she loves sand but not the surf-- shys away from waves. I do not think she has weak nerver - no fear of storms or most noises, likes people and plays with bigger dogs. On walks nothing seems to spook her (unfortunately not even cars). So do I just take her into the pool even though I know she's balking at it?

I have found that getting in the water yourself does wonders at this. I have held most of them in my arms, put some fins on, and just went off the dock. I'm sort of getting old and therefore holding a struggling pup and treading water without fins is a bit much, so I highly reccomend the fins as it leaves your hands free to deal with a pup. I go to the far end of the dock, put the fins on, and have the wife hand me the pup. I release him and we swim to the shore, and I simply don't go all the way to the shore, usually the pup goes to the shore, turns around and looks at me, gets excited and comes back out into the water with me. If not, then the wife gets him, and we do it again, but this time I'll spend more time with him out in the water, making sure to hold him a few times, and talk to him some more.
Does this work with older pups? Yes, I have done this with pups up to 9 mos old that had never been in the water. Even a Labrador and a friend's Great Dane. I would also reccomend not placing a young dog getting his confidence in anything close to a stiff current.