Do German Shepherds like to SWIM?

[thepoultrygirl]

My GSD is barely a year old. I'm going sand camping at the lake in august and would like to take her with me, but I'm not sure if German Shepherds even like to swim? It will be hot, but we'll be right on the water, and she'll have endless opportunities to cool off exect for being crated at night.
HOW ABOUT YOU? EVER TAKEN YOUR GSD BEACH CAMPING? DO THEY LIKE TO SWIM? We don't live near water, so I've never had a chance to see if she wants to swim or not! She's a long coat if it makes any difference.

[SpeedBump]

Some do, some don't

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubb...&gonew=1#UNREAD

[elisabeth_00117]

Mine does not like swimming in the pool (inground) but LOVES swimming in his kiddie pool or in the lake.. LOVES the lake and river!!!

I can hardly get him out!

[tawnyhillshepherds]

Mine all love it but it is harder for my LH (that hair gets really heavy when they are wet!) so my experience is that all of mine love to swim but don't force her and make sure you are with her the first time she goes over her head (Believe it or not some dogs haven't a clue how to swim and actually sink!) Even if she doesn't like to swim I'm sure she will love wading and keeping cool that way and bet she will love the camping!

[Jessica H]

Dozer loves swimming, he even jumps off the back of the boat.

Here is my recent trip to the lake.
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/ubb...rue#Post1142336

[JJDBike]

My 1st two loved to swim, especially when it is warm out. They want to get out. They both hod to learn but they quickly figuered it out. My last on used to bite at the water like she was playing w/ it. I can't wait to get my latest two resuces in the water. We'll do some hiking in the White Mountains on our upcomming trip to NH, I'm sure they will appreciate a cooling dip in a mountain stream.
JD

[doggiedad]

all of mine like the hose and swiming. my dog
is 23 months old. he just started swiming.
we're in the woods a lot with a lot of dogs.
when the other dogs went swiming my dog
would only get his feet wet. slowly he started going in
deeper and deeper. last summer he only went
untill the water reached a foot deep or so. i could see
him going in deeper and deeper.

i guess it's like anything else some like
to swim and get hosed while others don't. i've had Lab
owners and Golden owners tell me their dogs
won't near the water.

since this is your dogs first time swiming maybe
you should get a life jacket for her and have her
attached to a long line.

[LDB158]

I was surprised a couple years ago to find out Speedy loves to swim. I always take him walking at the park and there is a stream there that he would always go in and splash in when he got hot. I got to the point where I would always make that place a spot we would stop and I decided to play fetch with him there. I would at first keep a retractable leash on him and throw a stick into the stream and he would swim out and get it and come back. Now when we go, I take the leash off and let him go and splash around and swim all he wants to. One of my goals is to eventually take him to the beach or our local lake and see how he does there. I want to rent a boat out on the lake and take him and Satin out there.

[Jax08]

Jax screams, twist, and yodels as soon as she gets near water until I let her go. She's so embarrassing.

[Liesje]

Nah!!!! *wink*

Actually, I'm not sure if he really likes swimming, or if it's just a function of loving fetch/Kong Wubba. He does go in on his own to cool off or get a drink.