Black streak...how well do hairy holders dog swim in the deep water...
Many years of testing and observing my dogs I have found certain physical traits that the strongest of swimmers have in common...and some of these curs will hit the deep water in thE marsh like a well bred lab...
I have found that their confedence and comfort with the water often dertermins how relaxed and well they swim.
I don't want them pulling there front feet out of the water. Often when a dog does this, it's kinda panicking or uncomfortable with its situation. For puppies I put a big plastic swimming pool in there pen. They will get to playing in and loving the water if they are summer puppies. I always do a lot of swimming in tanks with the young dogs and older ones alike. To me, them being comfortable in the water and confident and good swimmers is a big deal to me eventhough I don't have many water catches the way I did when I run bay dogs.
When my dogs go cool off in water on a hunt, usually the only thing you see of some of them are their heads because they go out to deep enough water and lay down in it. Pups will run and jump into the water like labs jumping for a bird that hit the water. Even the stags I raised did this which is pretty uncommon for such dogs. usually stags will only go as far as getting their feet wet when cooling off, less they are really really hot, then they might go a a few steps farther. I don't see the physical characteristics coming into play as far as their ability to swim. To me I see it more as their level of confedence and comfort with the water.
