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Any ideas for taking Maya swimming?


JackieMaya

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I would love to take my two girls, Jackie and Maya, swimming sometime, as I live a block from a lake. I've taken Jackie swimming, and she loves it, and I don't have to worry about her running off.

Maya, on the other hand, is a fence jumper, so I fasten a cable to her harness when they're out in the back yard. Once Maya is loose, she has WAY too much fun and takes off, and I wouldn't be able to trust her off leash.

I thought that if I attach a very long lightweight leash-type thing (was thinking of a cotton lunge line like I use for my horse) to her collar, and then attach some floaty-type things to the line so that it stays above water, that maybe that would work. I just know that they would love going swimming. It's going to start getting hot here, and it would be nice for them to be able to actually swim besides just sit in their doggie pool.

Does my idea for Maya sound like it would work? Has anyone else ever let their dog go swimming while being tethered?

I would love to hear of anyone's experience with this. Thanks!

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I never have to worry about Jackie, because she ALWAYS comes when she's called. But Maya just has too much fun and forgets to come back when she gets loose! That's one unfortunate thing about rescuing dogs is that you inherit someone else's bad training or lack of training. Maya's only bad thing is her wanting to roam. The people who surrendered her apparently had her tied up all by herself in the backyard all day (and I think they turned the hose on her to keep her quiet), so that probably explains part of why she likes to roam if she gets out of the fence!

When it's time for Maya and Jackie to go outside, Maya sits down in front of me and I just hold her harness in front of her. She steps in with her right foot and then her left foot, smiling the whole time, because she knows she gets to go outside with Jackie and run and play and have fun!

So I think that this check cord that I found (that they use for training bird dogs) will be just the right thing for taking Maya swimming!

I'm think I'm going to get a "check cord" like this one. They're light and they float, and they use them in bird dog training. It sounds safe and it sounds like just what I need! I think they have some at Petsmart or Petco. I'm going to check them out before this weekend.


[img]http://store1.yimg.com/I/gundog_1796_1348426[/img]
[size=2]Check Cord/Super Cord by Mendota - Yellow - 7/16" x 50'. This polypropylene Hi-Viz Yellow check cord has excellent properties of strength, floatation, stiffness, non-stretch and non-tangle. It is perfect for training in field and/or water, for teaching quartering, for teaching whoa and honoring. It can be used for retrievers and/or pointing breeds.[/size]

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The only long leads I've seen at petco/petsmart are the cotton web leads, but maybe different ones will carry poly long leads too. If not, most hardware stores or any boating store should carry poly rope in varying widths, and you can get however much you need and just tie on a snap. The poly rope will float, and it's usually in bright colors, so you wouldn't have to worry about tangling her in it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sounds like a good idea. I wish I could take my pups swimming. We used to go to the dog park but they have both gotten a little older and we just can't take them anymore to be safe.

Leo loved to jump in and swim out to retrieve a toy but a lab usually beat him to it - one day as a Yellow Lab was coming back in after retrieving the toy, as he passed Leo (who was getting a bit tired by then) Leo grabbed onto his tail and caught a ride back in! It was so funny! As soon as his feet could touch again he let go!

But we took Piper over to a friends pool one day and she was so worried about all of the kids she ran around in circle around the pool and wouldn't stop, just watching every child as they jumped in. Finally she couldn't stand it and jumped in after one of the kids - She sunk!!!! The boy she jumped in after grabbed her as she sunk past him and pulled her back up and I had to pull the poor baby out. Gonna have to buy her a life jacket to do that again!

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