What is it with people sending their dogs into lakes in April and May to fetch a stick or toy? If the water is not warm enough for the owner to swim in how is it warm enough for the dog? Not cool. —Howlin’ Hounds

This article appears in May 23-29, 2013.

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27 Comments

  1. actually in my experience, lots of dogs like swimming in water that is too cold for humans. If the dog likes it, what’s your problem?

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  2. What a strange thing to be concerned about. I would think the dog would know whether or not it was a good idea. They are not made of glass.

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  4. I’m pretty sure the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever was engineered for just such a thing.

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  5. Cranky is correct. You practically have to tackle Duck Tollers to the ground in order to keep them out of the water, no matter what time of year it is.

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  6. I saw a dog literally pulling its leash last weekend to get into the bottom swell of a waterfall at Victoria park (truro).
    Just a tiny thing and was perfectly content once immersed.

    Your argument is invalid.

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  9. i think dogs have a rule when they get out of the water, detect closest human, shake water all over them

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  13. Three words:
    Fur. Fucking. Coat.

    And many breeds were bred to jump into cold water. You want to deny the genetic joy these dogs get doing their bred-for jobs?

    Do you punch babies, OB?

    w the p

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  17. Some dogs have thick coats and and/or are bred for water. Other dogs are not equipped for this. Many “fur-challenged” breeds sport winter clothing to offset their lack of a natural coat.

    In late March I saw a guy at a lake throw a stick in the water for his dog. The winter ice had barely melted. The poor dog was shivering like hell when it came out of the water into the two degree air, but dogs being suckers for a thrown stick, this one still went for it. Just had a regular indoor-dog coat of fur, not thick and protective. Contrasted with the couple, a day or two earlier, whose little dog went unexpectedly into the water: they were concerned about the wet shivering little furball and wanted to protect it from itself. You know, much the same way good parents protect their spawn from the dangers of childhood exuberance, instead of encouraging risky behaviour.

    I guess it would depend on the breed whether icy water swimming is humane or not. Like dogs, owners are not created equal. Some are more conscientious than others. Not all dogs belong in frigid lakes, but the ones that are naturally equipped for this, have at ‘er!

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  18. dogs get hot, they cannot sweat to cool off. they pant to bring in cooler air, and cool from the inside out. this is why they COOK from the inside out when you leave them in a car on a sunny or warm day. they cannot bring in any cooling air.

    dogs can cool themselves quickly by jumping in the water. one of my dogs (not the newfie mix) has such a high metabolism he gets hot in the middle of a snow storm, because he runs so fast. he needs to break ice to immerse himself, full body, in the frigid water. then he runs around like a fool again. and then finds another iced pond to lie in. plus he eats the ice while he is lying there. he is not thick coated, kind of lightly feathered.
    if he was left outside tied up he would freeze extremities, or to death. dogs that are tied up cannot build up body heat because they cannot move around. but because he gets to race around after an icy swim, then snuggle up in blankies in the car, then gets warm stew at home, he is fine.
    like someone else said, there are owners and then there are owners. to send a shivering dog into frigid water because the dog is bound to obey the call of the stick is thoughtless.

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  19. I guess polar bears didn’t get the memo, because they love to brave the icy waters…a little sarcasm, yes. Lol

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  21. You’ll love this story Nurse. Last week I walked into my man-cave (Op-Center Alpha) which has models of some of the aircraft Me Old Dad jumped out of hanging from the ceiling. Suspended between a C-47 Dakota and a DHC-2 Otter was a hideous arachnoid at least six inches in diameter with venom dripping from its fangs and murder in its 8 dead eyes*

    Boldly I advanced upon the Cthulu-esque beast and heroically fought it for possession of my fortress of solitude#.

    Securing victory after an epic battle of Tolkein-like ferocity I showed mercy to the interloper and removed it to the balcony@

    I then celebrated my triumph with the adding of chocolate to milk.%

    *Disclaimer: It was scarcely larger across than a pinky fingernail.

    #Disclaimer2: Ivan screeched like a little girl and wet his pants. He then tearfully pleaded
    with SOBova to “Kill It, Kill It”

    @Disclaimer3: Shivering like a terrified chihuahua, Ivan gingerly corralled Spidey in a plastic container and let it go, outside, because that’s what Paingirl would have done.

    %This part is true.

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  22. Haha! I have one for you Ivan:

    Two summers ago, there was a huge, furry beast dangling just beside my patio doors. Every time I peeked outside, the monstrous spider was hanging there, eyeballing me. I admitted defeat and gave the spider the patio for the entire summer. At the beginning of September, I saw my neighbour out hanging laundry. Opened a window and begged her to come and rid my patio of the beast, by any means necessary. After 2 months of deeming the patio ‘off limits’, she came over and flung it onto the grass with a broom. You know it’s bad when you scrap barbecue season for something the size if a loonie! Lol

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  26. Tim, I can’t even look at one on tv! Zed, I’m afraid to open that link…it’s highly suspicious lol

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  27. op knows nothing about dogs.

    Dogs have thicker skin than humans and are also covered in hair that helps waterproof that skin. This causes a dog to heat up no matter what the time of year.

    And op i’m sure you also don’t know that dogs can’t sweat. Humans are extraordinarily efficient at managing heat. We were engineered in Africa so we have thin skin and sweat glands. We’re perfectly engineered for hot weather. Not so much so for cold. Dogs came into their own in colder climates. To even compare the two situations is just a gross display of ignorance.

    You’re talking like human beings are the barometer by which to measure cold-weather adaptation. Not even close. We are NOT IN THE LEAST cold weather adapted which is why we wear clothing.

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