Retriever Rescue

If any of you are familiar with the Black Country, you'll be aware of the strong canal network we have. Jasper is regularly walked along the canal, although when it was icy we avoided it, as he wasn't able to distinguish path from frozen canal. Yesterday we were having a stroll following our usual route, when out of the blue he jumped in, in the 16mths we've had him he has never attempted this. He tried to get out, but the side was too deep, he fell back in and was completely submerged at one point. My adrenaline must have kicked in and I managed to kneel down, grab his collar and lift him out with one hand, (thank God I had tightened his collar the night before) it felt like he was in there a lifetime although it was probably on 30-60secs. I was in shock, my Mum burst out crying, needless to say we got off at the next path and walked home along the road. I have a few more grey hairs, but Jasper was fine once he'd dried out. Today he has galloped around the Wyre Forest, we'll be avoiding the waterways in future!

What a frightful experience How on earth did you get the strength to pull him out. It's a wonder you didn't have a heart attack.

These Goldens will always do something daft when we least expect it, thank goodness you are all alright.

We are glad that Jasper is OK and hopefully none the worse for his frightening experience...

Neither Cobi nor Ginnie have walked alongside a canal, no one would be strong enough to stop Ginnie pulling to get to the water.

Megan's Mum and Dad had a canal boat until last summer and she and Lottie were as good as gold, Lottie was almost 15yrs and wore a harness and doggie life jacket 'just in case'.

My Ceili used to swim in a local canal until she frightened me by getting too close to a moving canal boat one day, no more canals after that, and especially when I saw what was thrown into the canals, shopping trollies, beds etc.,

On a lighter note..... my husband was walking Ceili along a local canal and she was trotting merrily along walking past and ignoring all the fishermen....my husband spoke to a couple of them about fishing...as he was walking her back, all of a sudden one of the floats went down under the water and Ceili saw this, next thing 'SPLOOSH' in she went, she did come back when called, and my husband spent the next few minutes apologising. Good job they were ok about it.

So glad to hear that Jasper survived his ordeal. It is a worrying experience at the time.
We had a similar experience with Candy who decided she could walk on ice and went through.
Fortunately the local Canal ( Lancaster - Kendal ) is one that was constructed along contours and the tow path is earthed up in places so they can walk in the shallow water in many places. Anyway Candy managed to get herself out. Big Jazz is far more Canal wise.

P, S , J & C

Jazz saw a moorhen on the opposite side of a canal bank once. It was stagnant and covered in green algae, which she mistakenly thought was solid. Having dived in she emerged covered from head to toe in black sludge. Thankfully she was able to have a wash further down the canal before we got back to the car. We have a good laugh about it now.

Daisy once went after a duck down a riverbank and couldn't get back up. I had to get down on my hands and knees and grab her collar. She was then able to scrabble back up.

The first time Honey decided to have a swim in the canal where we walk, I was in a panic, couldn't believe what she'd done, how on earth was she going to get out, and in what state would she be in?

She swam back to the bank, climbed out as it was a bank slope, came running to me with that golden smile (you will all know the one) and then gave me a soaking with a good shake. This slope soon became her place for swimming (as well as some others) where she could soon draw a crowd (tho she never understood just why no-one wants to make a fuss of a soaking wet hound). Soon she learnt the command for big shake where I was out of range.

As she's got older and the joints clickier, she'll still go to her slope (if we get that far on her walks) and have a mooch around; thankfully she's no longer that interested in taking a dip. Strictly bubblebaths now.

Dan, my old boy, a stray (lab x) from the Dog's Trust, loved canal walks during fishing matches, or rather he loved the tuck boxes of the fishermen. He could spot an open box at 10 yards, snaffle a sandwich (or anything else that took his fancy) with stealth speed (only time ever used) and be off before it was even noticed; who would suspect a gentle, confused, old boy when there were other dogs around? His game was eventually rumbled, thankfully they laughed (and the next time kept the lids on).