[trapper1]

Hi I have a chocolate Lab. he is 3 years old and hi is excellent shape . just wondering how far could the Dog Swim .

 

[Jeff Atkinson]

I think they are capable of swimming further and longer than you or I can imagine. I saw my 13 month old make back to back swims of 150 (one way) yards plus, which were blinds with several periods of treading water for handling. Cold water might be a little different, but I after seeing that I doubt I'll ever shoot a bird where she has to swim that far.

 

[Rick_C]

My in-laws have a 4+ acre pond where they live in N. California. The last two years we've visited it's been 100+ most of the time we were there. My now 3yo BLF would jump in the pond and just swim. Around in big circles, see something over there and go check it out and on and on and on. I'd make him get out after 30 - 45 minutes of this non stop swimming. He didn't act tired or anything, I just wasn't comfortable with the idea of him swimming for that long straight. I have no idea what kind of distance he swam but it was way more than he'd ever get in tests or hunting.

 

[2tall]

Nothing to do with retrievers or hunting of any type, but when I was a kid my family had a 2 acre pond in the horse pasture. We watched one evening when a neighbor's cocker spaniel decided to go for a swim. The pooch swam round and round the pond without ever beaching for over an hour. When he got out he shook off, and walked home to supper.?!?!?!?

 

[Scott Parker]

I've heard of dogs that have fallen overboard in the ocean and swam for days until they reached land or were found. Your not thinking of sneaking in to the US with your dog by swimming are you? Were wise to you Canadians doing that

 

[davewolfe]

My first lab use to go canoe with me, he would swim half the way on a ten mile float.

Several years we shot a goose that swam out, my lab went after it. The goose got thru some stumb fields, so we couldn't get the boat to help. We watch him thru binoclars, he had to have went 500 yards before running the goose down.

I have heard that retrievers use less energy swiming that running. But cold water is another story.

 

[truray4]

Had a FT Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever that would go for a mile swim just for the fun of it. Hunted on an island in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron and while we went in for lunch we saw him swim by the cottage, watched him swim 1/2 a mile to the nearest island and cruise around the island and then turned around and came back. We were hunting on Thanksgiving weekend so the water was cold.