EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Just wondering if how many people have had issues with catch dogs that couldn't swim. My Zeus is almost two years old. 3/4 Pitt 1/4 Catahoula. Started him recently and I'm satisfied with the initial results but I do have one reservation. I took him to a swimming pool when he was a year old and he jumped in and sank like a rock. I pulled him up and pushed him towards stairs, he paddled but his butt started sinking and ended up barely keeping his nose out of the water before I grabbed him. That's the only time he's been in deep water and it didn't turn out well. Lol. He loves ponds and will walk out and lay in the water and run around in the shallows. Need more swimming work maybe? Or just a sinker? Never owned a dog that couldn't swim.

i had a pit x cur hell of a catch dog but couldnt swin a lick had to save him a few times

i just started a young cur dog earlier in the year first couple of times he attempted to swim he looked like he was trying to climb to the top of the water but after while he figured it out may just need a few more trips to the pool

Kevin,
Go in the water and swim. Let him see you play with other dogs while you are 12-15 from shore. Then go to shore and pet him. After, walk back into the water and call his name. Tell him to come when you are knee deep. If he won't, get him by the collar. Stand in knee deep water with him. Do this while petting him and talking to him calmly. After a minute or 2, call his name as you go deeper. Show him it is fun in the water, and you enjoy his company while in the water. A tennis ball is also a good tool to play with while near water. Do this a couple times a week, and he will learn to glide with his back riding out of the water. Once he gets the hang of it, he'll love to get in.  ;)

Had a bluetick hound that couldn't swim...all you could see was his nose in the water....

Your dog must be hard headed rolleyes

Put this over the cut vest
http://www.petstreetmall.com/Dog-Life-Jackets/615.html

All right someone had to think the life jacket was funny besides me.

I really did duck hunt with a guy that put life jackets on his labs. He said if the gators grabbed a swimming dog they would pull it under to drown it but the life jacket would pull them up. The gator would get tired and give up rolleyes Not sure if it was true or not because we were duck hunting in the cold and I don't think the gators are very active then. Maybe the handle on top makes it easier to pick them up out of the water.

But if the dog just sinks then it might really work. But I will still laugh at the whole situation. If it was my dog I would laugh.

Fat floats so the leaner dog will tend to sink. Also lung capacity or how much air is in the lungs. If the dogs exhails it will sink easier. I am not sure how you teach a dog to keep air in his lungs.

Seriously I would put a dog life jacket on the dog. Put the dog in the water so he can learn to swim. After he can get around in the water with the life jacket take it off and see if he swims. If he still sinks I would come up with some kind of tough life jacket. You don't want a hog running into the water and your dog drowns.

Chromedome on here had a bluetick that couldnt swim one time too! we found out when he entered him in a water race at a field trial! That was ultimately his demise...drowned in a creek...

Don't know if it is true but people have told me that if a dogs tail isn't docked right they wont be able to swim.

I may be wrong but I think I've seen a cut vest with Floats in the side just for dogs that have hard time swimming. Doesn't sound like your dog is scared of the water just can't swim.

Lots of good theories/ stories. Zeus is definitely a character. I'll work something out. I don't release unless I'm close anyway so I really don't think it's gonna be an issue. I can play lifeguard, lol.

Some dogs just can't swim... strange stuff...