Nah, the dog had already been swimming for about an hour and was completely soaked.

Also, the dog is not overweight either, she's in good condition and I didn't think she seemed very tired.

Thanks for all your answers though. I thought it was wrong, but it's good to know I haven't missed a huge problem in a breed I claim to know well!

I've never heard of 'throwbacks' but someone did tell me the other day that chocolate labs have a tendency to be more clumsy and a bit less bright??? Is this a complete defamation of character?

Have to say one I know fits the bill perfectly and his owner agrees! He is completely gorgeous and on first name terms with all the staff at the local vets as he is always getting into scrapes, most recently when he tried to eat a bee!

J.

Definitely a load of twaddle - we have had Labs for nearly 40 years and they have all been active until at least 12 years old. Even if the dog had a medical condition like arthritis swimming is the best exercise so wouldn't affect the dogs ability to get home. Being a chocolate has no bearing whatsoever either. You are right - the owner of the Lab is talking out of her windyhole as our granddaughter calls it!

ive never heard that either...

nor me. but I have heard of a Newffie that doesn't like water

It's crazy how many people go out and get a dog based on what it looks like, give no thought to what it was bred to do and then cry and complain when their Springer chases birds, their Lab spends every waking moment ear deep in water and their Collie tries to herd the children.

I feel for the dogs more than anything, imagine having to spend you whole life with such an idiot!

God if we didn't let Ruby and Dyson off lead at the beach our lives would be Hell! They are water dogs being doodles and Dyson will find even the smallest puddle to jump into. Labs and Standard poodles are water dogs aren't ehy so we expected the doods to love it.

Actually a number of my Labs hated water. I think it is a matter of early socialization. I usually get them in the fall and they my be 8-10 months old before they get a chance to swim. They then want nothing to do with it. A couple of them, their mother lived on a lake and loved it.

Oh edited to add that Tux, the Golden I had a year ago once drank out of the river without wetting his feet.

I think the whole thowback thing is laughable, but, to be fair, the owner knows her dog best, and also knows its limits.

My dog would swim until she drowned, I have to make the decision to stop for her. She may not seem tired, but when the adrenaline wears off, she's so tired she can barely walk. Maybe this owner has experienced this with her dog and is being proactive, if not maybe a little over cautious now.

But why the silly excuse I'll never know. Throwback??

Lovely way of putting it!