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› articles by michael goldberg, dvm
Can All Dogs Swim? Q: Can all dogs swim? In answering this intriguing question, I have looked at a number of breeds, which are commonly seen as I stroll through the many swimming spots in our fair city. Labradors are built to fetch birds through any terrain imaginable, including swamps and marshes. Most of the sporting breeds have an illustrious long neck and are long legged and fleet footed. Generally, sporting breeds are known as either gun or water dogs. The German Shorthaired Pointer for instance is more used for hunting as the coat is short but the Wirehaired Pointer has somewhat of a water resistant coat and is more comfortable in the water than it's short-haired cousin. A number of these dogs (retrievers) also have webbing between their toes, perhaps long lost ancestors to the Mallard or Canadian goose! Watching these guys chase balls and sticks, tossed to the water by their loving masters is a treat to behold. They glide effortlessly through the ocean water no matter how the chop, with their heads held high their mouths held up out of the splash. Suddenly, they are ready for another long bomb... and another... and another! Then there are the types who have long necks, long legs and will watch their masters toss the stick... they will take one step in and refuse to go any further. Perhaps they've had a bad experience at their puppy swimming lessons. No matter what you do or say or try, they just won't go in. Does this mean they can't do it? NOT!!! It isn't called the "dog paddle" for nothing. Any four-legged creature can swim. Of course there are many breeds that through many centuries of carefully breeding have just the right ingredients. These tend to have an easy time with gliding through the water, there are others who may through the same careful breeding, will and do have a rough time of it. Take the British Bulldog. Short in stature, short in length, short neck, short legged (but I must admit... long in character!); have a rough time rolling through the surf. They also I might add have smaller nasal cavities and nostrils, which make breathing a little tougher when they must close their mouths on a wavy day. BUT... as if on automatic pilot, if they find themselves without ground to stand on such as two feet of water and if I were a betting man, they would make it to shore. Same goes for the Dachshound, bred for reliability in hunting small land vermin. Given the opportunity, they too would move four little legs in routine manner to get to land. Would it be their preference? Probably not. Could they do it? You bet they could. Another variable is the type of coat. A shorter coated breed such as the Doberman, may have a tough time with the cold water and though they can swim, may get cold too quickly. A Portuguese Water Dog is built for delivering messages swimming from barge to barge and this reflects in their wooly coat. Instinct, four legs and constant movement... that's the ticket. Who finishes first? I'd take the Lab! Read more Articles by Michael Goldberg, DVM... |
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vancouver
105 east broadway |
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vancouver animal wellness hospital Michael Goldberg, DVM; Sue Hughson, DVM 105 e. broadway, vancouver, bc v5t 1w1 / phone: 604.738.4664 / fax: 604.738.4694 Hours of Operation: Monday, Thursday & Friday: 9am - 6pm, Tuesday & Wednesday: 9am - 7pm, Saturday: 9am - 5pm © Copyright 2004-2006. vancouver animal wellness hospital. All rights reserved. › Contact Us › Privacy Policy › Sitemap › Home |