Time for a swimming lesson

[deseeker]

The weather is hot and the water is cool--Time for Tug's first swimming lesson Tug is 61/2 months old, so it's a good time to start. He loves to retrieve dead pigeons so I knew he wanted the birds bad enough, he'd go in the water. First throw was to wading depth for the retrieve. NO PROBLEM Each throw I made the retrieve a little longer. I ended when I had him retrieving about 35 yards--long enough for his first time swimming.

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[deseeker]

More pictures of Tug bringing back the pigeon.

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He's a choppy swimmer, but I know with practice his stroke will get smoother
He's no Lab, but I know he'll get the bird back to me, so I don't have to go in after it :roll:

[Featherfinder]

VERY nice! Choppy or not, you won't need to go get your own bird in the chilly fall water!
Congrats.
Yes, he will line out and somehow having a somewhat weighty bird (even a pigeon) can help him smooth out his swim. Nothing to worry about.

[Timewise65]

Now you have a 'Water Dog'! He is just the right age and seemed to enjoy the fun.

Our last Golden had a real weird swim position also, when she started. She would hold her head up high, with the bumper and swim with her front legs splashing and real legs under her butt, a pure vertical swim. I worried about it but wasn't long she found she could go much faster lying out on the water....that did it! As a retriever much of her training was in water, but she took a few months to work out of that goofy swim she had going.....

No worries you pup will be swimming in style before you know it....

Thanks for sharing the pictures...