Swimming With The Yellow Lab

Our Yellow Lab, Dakota, loves the water, as most dogs, and especially his breed do.  Last August we took Dakota over to a local lake for a cool dip, since the mercury was hovering around 88 here in Northwest Michigan.
We walked toward the lake, my husband picked up a large stick, knowing it would entice Dakota further to get into the water (as if he needed any encouragement), pitched the stick quite a ways out and Dakota leaped in to retreive it. 
After watching him swim rather awkwardly towards the stick, I began to think it was too far for him.  There was a pontoon boat full of teenagers bobbing in the water right next to us, and they seemed to be observing Dakota.  This was comforting to me, because they all looked able-bodied enough to help if need be.
Well, Dakota never made it to the stick, he turned around and started pounding the water with his front paws with a panic-stricken look on his face.  He was about 25' out.  I immediately tossed my camera to my husband, and went in after Dakota, myself being fully clothed, but not even thinking about that!
In the process of wading out there at high speed, I shouted to the teenagers, "My dog is drowning!" just so they would realize what other reason a fully clothed woman would find for swimming in her clothes.
Do you think they helped? Heck, no! They stood at the rail on the boat watching! I guess they found it entertaining when I finally reached my dog and got ahold of his chain collar. It wasn't easy trying to pull him in as he was still floundering around.  I wasn't real happy with the teenagers at that point.
We managed to get him on shore and he shook himself off, soaking me some more in the process.  We walked around the park in the warm sun, me in dripping wet clothes, just to dry out a bit.
Later on, in relating this story to others, they tell me dogs cannot drown, that my Yellow Lab was "acting out" for attention.  I'll admit we have a rather dramatic Lab on our hands, but I guess at the moment, I wasn't willing to consider his acting ability. 
Since then, we have been more cautious at the lake; afterall, Dakota is eight years old and not the lively puppy he thinks he is!
If you enjoy my blogs, please consider making a contribution to my time and also so that we may continue to pamper our beloved dog and our two cats, as well as the animal shelter canines and felines we like to try to support in these tough times.
If you go to
and log in, click the Send Money tab and then type in my email address, which is brbwhite@msn.com you can determine the amount of money, however small, you would like to assist us with! It is greatly appreciated by us and all the animals we love to love.