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First day I ever brought Ella home I took her for this big long walk and down to the canal for a drink and she marched right in and started to swim in the direction we were walking. It was awesome! I took her in the Highwood River a few times that fall before it got too cold too. She was a bit put off by the current but followed me. Seemed to have fun in the end. Plunging in.

I have been taking her wading lately in creeks and the ocean. She likes that.

Today I wanted to swim too and she PANICKED!!!!! Flailing around in the water trying to get back to shore. I stayed real calm and just kept tension on the leash and called her to me. I'd "fight" her until she started sputtering water and then go back just far enough so her feet could touch. Let her settle down and then lead her back out. I made sure the leash was high and not tight and out of her way. It was totally loose except for when she would start to panic. So I don't think she felt like I was dragging her in.

I might as well have been torturing her! I kept calmly and persistently doing this a few times thinking she would eventually settle into it and see how nice it feels when its this hot out. Lead her in with loose leash and then she would panic!

At one point she tried to crawl on top of me and I didn't push her away in time and I am now clawed all over my chest, arms and one leg. Bleeding claw marks! Which is ridiculous because one of my cats peeled out on me the other day and left a big scratch across my chest. Co-workers are going to be wondering what goes on in my house with all these marks on my throat and chest.

In the end, I was sitting in the shallows and she was sitting beside me and she made the most pathetic cry sort of groan. I've never heard it from her before. She was shaking like a leaf.

I got up and made her walk with me in the shallows all the way back down the beach to the car. She kept trying to bolt for dry land just doing that but I didn't let her.

I've also noticed in the last week or so that she wines with her breath out sometimes. It's quiet, but just audible enough that I have noticed. So, not sure if she is anxious about something in particular or what.

Mama bear with three cubs in the yard again last night... I don't know. I know she isn't getting long enough walks because of all these stressors I have mentioned. ARG! I don't know.

Strange! Thoughts?

Sounds like a pleasant swim

Seriously - it sounds like she freaked because you wre in the water with her. Have you ever gone in the water swimming, etc. with her? or have you always stayed just "up to your knees" ?
Is she a rescue ? I think I've heard you mention she is. Do you possibly think someone tried to "push her under" or something in the past? That she has had a bad experience in the water with a person?
Gosh - I hope not . There has got to be be a reason why this triggered something in her that made her panick like that.

Bears in the yard - yikes. Are you taking in Ella's food and water dish at night?
When you posted an original thread about the bears in your yard, I researched about bear "deterrants" and that was one thing. Another was to bang pots, etc when you see them in your yard. Make their experience in your yard an unpleasant one, so they won't want to come back.
I know that hanging a nylon leg from pantyhose filled with human hair (like from a hair salon) will help keep deer away. I wonder if it would work with bears since their sense of smell is so strong?

My neighbour/co-worker came home around midnight after Canada Day fun on his bike and in the light of his headlamp he saw the mama bear shooing three cubs up a tree and she was grunting at him. I\'d let Ella out for a pee around 10. When the cubs go up my friend\'s tree that means they are in the branches that are level with my lawn. His yard/home is about 6-8 feet below mine. LOL!

Anyway. Ella came from a landlocked reserve and probably had no access to much water. I wonder if the vastness of the ocean with no clear destination in sight was part of it AND while I went in up to my waist with her before in the river, I\'ve never swum so that might have made her goofy too.

The cuts are now bruises too. Good times yup. Good times.

Today we walked at the same beach and we were super hot so I took her down to wade. She did no problem but when the waves started to roll over her feet she jumped out. I am going to try a fresh water lake near here on my days off and she if its any different.

Do you suppose Ella freaked out cause there was no bottom for her feet when you went out deeper and she wasn't sure where the rest of you were You said she swam by herself in canal and river-so yes I think you are right -its more vast or she thinks you can't swim (just kidding)

Ella might have been freaked out because you were in the water with her....my airedale loves to swim and usually I stand on the shore & throw stick for her to retrieve. The first time I went for a swim she freaked out!! She stood on the shore barking and jumping up & down like a freak, then she did a huge belly flop into the water to come and "save" me, which resulted in her almost drowning me ...she did the same, got on top of me and scratched me all up!!! She is used to it now and we can swim pleasantly together...maybe just introduce her slowly into the ocean and to swimming together...she will figure it out, she is a smart girl!!!!

HA! The lifeguard/movie leap into the water to save you. That's picturesque!

Yes, it may just take time like everything else.

How old is Ella?

Nica is 1.5yrs. Last summer we tried to introduce her to the water. She's part border collie, but has webbed feet so we think she might have lab or something in her. She loves to go in the water up to her belly, but hated to leave solid ground.

This summer she has been getting slowly more daring when we throw her water toy. She has a lab for a big brother. He's part "evinrude" and loves to swim. Last year if her toy got too deep we'd send him to the rescue. Today she swam out quite a ways. We take her to the river so she has current to deal with too.

Normally we stand on shore and throw the toy. When we took her backpacking a few weeks ago my boyfriend went swimming in the lake. She was pretty calm while he was wading out, but barked like crazy when he did a little dive in from thigh deep water. Although she didn't make ANY moves to leap in to "rescue" him.

Give Ella some time. She may slowly push her own boundaries if there are toy incentives to retrieve.