Bruce got into trouble tonight

It was getting dark so I started my normal routine of lock up for bedtime, Bruce often helps me with this task, we put the chucks away, rounded up the ducks {as they never go to bed, on their own} shut up the turkeys, picked up the feeders etc, then I thought Bruce had gone back to the house ahead of me, when I heard a strange noise, a muffled growling, and glug glug glug!!! I shone the torch across the muck heap onto the fish pond, only to see Bruce disappearing under the water, he wasn’t making any effort to swim, just panic.

Now I am only 5ft and weigh about the same as Bruce, and there wasn’t time to call for help or phone a friend, so to speak, and I am also still quite weak after being in hospital,
But I got to him and managed to get my arms under his arm pits and managed to hold him afloat, once he calmed down a little he then managed to use his back legs to climb out, we landed in the muck heap in a heap, Bruce soaking wet on top of me, he just grumbled, but he is in shock, it has taken a while for him to calm down, after we got indoors I dried him off and kept cuddling him, I couldn’t believe what had just happened, I then just sat on the floor with him and cried my heart out, I think I’m was in shock to,
Thankfully Bruce is alright
Now Bruce does not like water and I can only presume that he had walked across the muck heap which doesn’t usually get that high or close to the fish pond, and the fish pond has a water lily on it with several other pond plants, which he mistook for more muck heap.

Bruce has come a long way since being with us, and has overcome many of his fears, early this year when it was really warm, he finally took the plunge and had a paddle in the duck pond {see him below taking his first paddle in the duck pond} hopefully this experience won’t stop him having a paddle in the future, but I don’t think he will ever go near the fish pond again,

oh gosh how scary for both of you
glad hear bruce is ok except for a little shocked at what happened im sure after some cuddles he will feel better

i remember a few years back now taking my old boy and girl out for a walk (both rotties ) around the local ponds foxy the girl loved swimming and would swim round whereas major would get his feet wet at the most, ( i honestly dont think he could swim ) so when he was looking at a tree trunk out on the water i never in a million years thought he would try to get it ..... but try he did but it was further then he thought and quickly got out of his depth i was panicking and shouting for him to come out but he was determind and wasnt coming without his stick he was getting lower and lower in the water so i was thinking about going in after him although i dont no how i would of managed to get him out as he was a big lad, when i moved out of sight to tie foxy up so she didnt follow when he decided he was coming out himself i dont no if a was more releived to see him out of the water or annoyed that he had scared me so much like that
needless to say he wasnt given the chance to get back in there again

Thanks, Bruce is feeling a lot better now,

Strange thing is a have owned several rotties over the years and none of them could swim, a paddle is all they have managed, maybe it's a rottie thing ???

Oh that must have been frightening for both of you. I am glad to hear that he is feeling better now (and bet you are relieved too!).

I grew up with a Rottie who didn't or couldn't swim either :s

hmm perhaps it is a rottie thing then ruby who I have now will also not swim she will paddle with some encouragement and will stick her head/nose under to get something out and the dirtier the water the better but she has no intetions of swimming
so perhaps foxy was the exception to the rule She loved a good swim

How scary for you both. Well done managing to get Bruce out, he is a stunning boy. When Max came to us he hated the water, he's not overly keen on it now but he is better than he was.

Oh my god I can't imagine how scary that must have been for both of you.
I am so awful in a crises I just freeze and panic!!! Well done for rescuing your beautiful boy. I hope it doesn't put him off the water xx

Poor Bruce-what a scary experience!

Parker tried to walk on water once as he carried on walking from the grass at the side of the lake on to the green weeds. The astonished look on his face as he went down was priceless!

Glad you and Bruce are OK! Kiki does a messy doggy paddle rather than a nice neat swim too

Thanks everyone, I'm just so please that my baby is safe, but it is scary to think how it could have turned out, I'm not to keen on keeping the fish pond now, we already lost an old duck called Reggie who drowned {and I'm not joking} in it last year, but my husband has it full of carp and he doesn't want them to go into the duck pond because the ducks make such a mess of the water