[grahama]

Hi all,

I took Peanut out the yesterday and we were doing our usual walk along the canal which is frozen solid. All except for under a bridge where the ducks are. You guessed it she took off and went onto the ice, stopped, pointed and went after them. No amount of calling or treats of shouting at her made any difference. So off the end of the ice she went to my absolute horror.

I rushed round to get to her and she was 10 ft away at the edge of the ice desperately trying to get out. By this time I had two men breaking off a branch of a tree to break a channel for her to swim to me as the ice was breakable and too soft to walk on at the edge, (I tried!!)

We smashed and smashed away and had then got a lady crying her eyes out behind us and I started to get ready to go in after her, (I know the dangers due to my job, but in I was going). Then she managed to get her chest on the ice and it broke through to where we had made a channel to her and she swam to us.

Out she came, soaked and shivering so I dried her off and ran home with her to keep her moving and the blood pumping where I was told off for letting her off the lead even though she has never ventured onto the ice before off lead. Lesson learned I suppose but boy was it scary.

Hope this doesn't happen to any of you,

Graham

 

[Islander]

Oh my gosh... my heart was racing just reading your post. I'm so glad Peanut is safe and sound and you too are ok. Ya know it just shows - you never know what each day might throw at us.

Don't beat yourself up over it now, the event is over, Peanut is safe... use the event as a learning tool and move forward. Also don't forget to add the fact that your beautiful V dog is sitting next to you safe as a gratitude for the day

 

[grahama]

I had a very hard time dropping off to sleep last night, shivers went down my spine when I thought about what could have hapened. Still, she is back to her mad self today and I will keep her on a long lead near water until the thaw !!

 

[DragonTheRevolutionary]

holy crap thats awful, dang it peanut ....always doing stuff :-[

 

[Crazy Kian]

Graham,
Glad to hear Peanut and you are doing well.

 

[Lisa]

Sounds like a very scary experience. These dogs are so intense. I'm happy that Peanut has come out of this unharmed. Not sure that you'll be able to say the same.

 

[gunnr]

Well, that must have put your heart at it's max BPM. I'm glad everything worked out in the end, and getting a little wet was the biggest problem.
Ice is scary, luckily she went off the edge and didn't break through. I always worry about ice.

 

[treetops1974]

wow scary is an understatement. that is one of my many fears with Rio off-leash - as his recall isn't that good. in the end i'm glad that all is well ... towel off and warm up then get back on the horse and get peanut back out there ... maybe on an looooooong leash ;D

 

[grahama]

Hi all,

are on a long lead near any ice, thats for sure. Tomorrow we are off to a hilly area for a long off lead walk with no water !!

Regards,

Graham

 

[DragonTheRevolutionary]

you should invest in buying a leash :-\

 

[gunnr]

I'm pretty sure he has a leash, or two.

Sometimes they just get away from you.
Add in shotguns, snow,sleet ice,deep thick cover, then add a pushed deer or two, and you really have to be on your toes.
Peanut was just following her instincts. Truth be told, she may have worked it out all on her own, but there was no need to risk it.
They can get away so quickly.

 

[gunnr]

Hi all,

are on a long lead near any ice, thats for sure. Tomorrow we are off to a hilly area for a long off lead walk with no water !!

Regards,

Graham

Graham

Now is definitely too soon, but Peanut will one day be fully capable of deepwater entries and even breaking through a little ice to return.
It takes a lot to nerve yourself up to train her and expose her to it, but in the end she will be safer. You're going to get really wet and cold when you begin to expose her to it, should you decide that as a course.

 

[Kailua]

I'm glad to hear that you two survived your water ordeal. These are things that you see happening on TV with someone elses dog or another animal. Sometimes things just happen and you don't have control over...Glad to hear that it ended happily