I saw that earlier today, it is a trip. It seems obvious that the dog has done that route many times. It is practically an obstacle course and there is no hesitation at all.
I used to have a couple of Golden Retrievers that would do the same thing when we were at the cottage, but that was less than 100 yards and a straight shot. Someone REALLY likes the water.
I think Retrievers are the best well-rounded dogs for pets. They're always friendly, loyal and happy but they have relentless energy and a skull that can deflect small arms fire.
Ah, retriever puppies (lab or golden): life's great paradox. The cutest thing in existence, and an absolute, unabashed destroyer of all things. I swear those adorable little bastards could chew through High-Speed Steel if you gave them five minutes alone. I do want a Lab eventually (unless I get a Basset first), but not until we have a bigger yard. It's not fair for a dog that energetic to have a small running area. They're wonderful animals, but also perpetually on cocaine and I think they deserve space. My daughter wants a dog so next year we're getting a Spaniel.
My grandpa's prized golden retriever was nearly a fish when it came to water and swimming. He used to walk along the beach with her and see how long he could keep her from diving in the water. It was funny to see the dog battling her instinct on those walks until she'd just had too much and have to run in the waves. You couldn't walk by the pond on his farm without her making a dash for it. They do fucking shed terribly.
Taking a retriever or spaniel near water, you might as well be waving a giant striploin in front of it. Those dogs would LIVE in the water if you have them half a chance. My father-in-law has a bulldozer of a Springer Spaniel and as soon as it gets outside it runs to the pool gate and howls non-stop until you let him in for a dip. Retrievers, even more. Swimming is hard-wired into their DNA. My friends' new puppy they brought over a couple days ago:
We've only successfully gotten Buddy to ignore his fear of water by taking him to a pond with ducks and geese. Just goes to show how strong hunting instincts can be because that dog friggin HATES water.
I have a lab mix. She's a great swimmer. Too bad she hates it. We tried one of those doggy dips last year. The kids would take her in the water and she would move....right to the edge to climb out. She isn't too bad with the chewing--except boxes. It's a constant battle to get any kind of deliveries before she does if she happens to be outside when they come. That's led to some unpleasant surprises. But I don't want to talk about that.... On the upside, whatever she's mixed with (they told us German Shepherd) she's not going to get bigger than 50 lbs. Which is great because I wasn't too keen on having too big of a dog, but I went with their personality when deciding on what to get. So it's really the best of both worlds. And she's adorable:
When my dog Rudy was a puppy he'd chew on dry wall and bed posts. My dad loved that. Amazing dog, but Crown is spot on about labs, when they're puppies they will destroy anything they can get their mouths on. However, there's nothing more sincere and sweet than an old lab. I feel like thats when they really come into their own. When I have the resources, and time, I'm looking at getting a big goofy Newf. I love labs, but I just want a big lazy dog.
This is why Ill probably always go for a short haired breed. My best friend has a husky, fun dog, lots of personality etc. Fucking shedding is out of control. High functioning OCD sufferers would be the only people capable of keeping up with that mess. I'll probably go lab over goldens because my grandparent's house is a disgusting mess of this.
Funny thing is those tiny little legs can MOTOR. They can run a lot faster than they look, and their howl is to die for. My favourite breed.