Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Patsy Thompson on August 22, 2009 at 7:29pm

If your Corgi is anything like mine she will go in on her own agenda. Cookie was very skeptical about water her first summer (last year) but all of a sudden this year she goes in and loves it. I'm thinking the life jacket might just freak her out. I know Cookie wouldn't have liked it as an intro to swimming, too much like a harness....
Give her time, she'll probably warm up to the idea on her own.

Permalink Reply by Les ley on August 31, 2009 at 12:35pm

My parent's dog did not ever willingly go into water. Then one summer we were camping and it was HOT. There was a beautiful lake but she just waded in and wouldn't swim. I threw a stick for her and she bounded in, swam to it and retrieved it. It's her favorite game and now she always jumps right in.

Does your corgi fetch? Try tossing a stick or her ball?

Permalink Reply by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on November 30, 2009 at 2:09am

LOL, be careful what you wish for! Unless you have a real need for your corgi to swim, you might want to let her decide if it looks like so much fun that she wants to join you. At the time we got Rookie, my beloved corgi, we didn't have kids or a fenced pool. I had to teach him where the steps were so if he ever fell into the pool, he could get out safely. We taught him too well. Soon he was swimming every time the temperature reached 70º, which is like every day in southern CA. He'd get soaked, roll in soil and be covered in mud all summer. Also as a herding dog, every time my husband or I were in the pool, he'd jump on our heads. I have to say that he had the most amazing diving moves. For a corgi with maybe 4" legs, he could dive almost 8' from a standing position on the pool coping. I'll have to dig up and scan some old pictures. I loved the Rookie dives. He was the Greg Louganis of dogs. I was thrilled to learn that one of the famous corgi owners was Greg Louganis.

Permalink Reply by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on November 30, 2009 at 2:22am

PS
6 mo. after we got Rookie, we got a beautiful Corgi puppy, Maggie. She had zero interest in swimming, but would run around the pool barking and yelling at Rookie every time he took a swim. Installing a pool fence was our best purchase!

Permalink Reply by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on November 30, 2009 at 2:31am

Here's our youngest daughter (who's now a volunteer in the Peace Corps, West Africa) with our 2nd pair of Corgis, Dylan and Emily. Note the pool is fenced! haha.

Permalink Reply by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on November 30, 2009 at 2:40am

Dylan and Emily, at almost a year old. Dylan is in the rear. They were litter mates. When Dylan died at 14yo, we were bereft and got Lucy within a few months. I think the only way to ease the sorrow of losing a beloved Corgi is to get another one! Or 2 or 3!!!