I can't get Eddy or Takara near water (well Takara had a brief paddle in the sea on the IoW but that's it). I don't actually know a dalmatian that will go in water willingly. So does your dalmatian enjoy swimming? Or is it a dally thing? Could it be because of their coat being only a single one that they don't like getting wet? Takara only went out in the rain for 5 minutes last night for a wee and came in and hurled herself round trying to dry off!
I no longer have a Dal, but my girl loved swimming. It was next to impossible trying to keep her out of the water!
i have 2 dalls, one has never liked even going out in the rain, the other one loves the water, if you go anywhere near it she's straight in, we have to watch her like a hawk if we go near deep water.
louis hates water, if its raining heavy, he wont even go out. He gets as far as the door, but thats it. He has been in the river when weve been out on a walk, he seemed to love it, but he still hates getting wet
I'd like to add now that Takara has become a complete water baby! She'll only go in if she can paddle though - if it gets too deep for her to touch the bottom, she panics!
I reckon this is the first stages to becoming a real swimmer. Not that my dog is a dal, but when we first got Hoki she wouldn't even put her toes in the water...then she enjoyed paddling - and now she's a real confident swimmer & loves it.
Hi Lottie, Some of it may well be to do with Muscle structure and the ability to swim comfortoubly without stress on otherwise unused muscles. Your two are quite young and may still be developing so may not want to plunge just yet On the otherhand not all dogs like to swim ! lol My older girl LOVES swimming but has come with age, her daughter is dying to try but is only a baby and i dont want her to be put off yet so isnt allowd in the deeps ;-) The boys one will not go past his ankles and the other will dive - literally under for several minutes and come up with a look of " oh heck that was deeper than expected !!!!" I really woudl love to have an underwater veiw of what he does ! I vision a hippo like walk accross the bottom ! lol :twisted: When you go to pools for swimmign with dogs they have lifejackets on to aid them - if you want them to swim give a jacket a try to aid with boyancy and give a bit more confinace boost Jules xxx
Tess will splash and put her feet in - but no actual swimming. Half the time she stands there with 3 paws in the water and one in the air!
Neither of my dalmatians I have owned would go in water willingly and they preferred not to go out in the rain either! Toller_obsessed, what made you change from a Dally to a Toller and how do you find they compare? Reason is ask is I am looking to do the same, hoping to get my first Toller towards the end of this year.