Anyone lose a dog offshore near St. Petersburg, FL?

[offline]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.: Dog found treading water 2 miles from Fla. shore | State | Bradenton Herald

Dog found treading water 2 miles offshore of St. Pete Florida

[gamayun]

Makes one wonder how often this happens...in San Francisco Bay this past August, a young dog was found barely treading water about 3 miles offshore Berkeley.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Portuguese Water dog almost completing trans ATL???

Hope the fisherman didn't ruin what seemed to be sure success....

Boaty??? Are you missing a pooch???

[boatman61]

Damn.. the little sod..
Actually.. much as I love dogs its a choice..
sail? no dog.. dog? no sail...
so until I change... dog ownership is something I did.. and will do again if/when I give up this lifestyle..

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Damn.. the little sod..
Actually.. much as I love dogs its a choice..
sail? no dog.. dog? no sail...
so until I change... dog ownership is something I did.. and will do again if/when I give up this lifestyle..

Agreed.... I know there are tons of folk who do both... But the inconveniences and logistics don't level the scale "for me"....

Last one was a German Shorthair that bounced from the most loyal and disloyal extremes... Summed up??? DAMN! good pooch...

[Kenomac]

The dog didn't necessarily fall off a boat.

A friend of mine had a dog while growing up, a Lab retriever I believe. One day he went fishing with some friends and left the dog at home. Five hours later while on their way back into Boston Harbor, they saw a dog swimming at the mouth of the harbor, three miles from his house and dock... it was his dog, swimming out to go fishing with the guys... he didn't want to be left behind.

[Fiveslide]

My lab follows me when i windsurf. He can swim much longer than i can surf.

[danblu]

Well over here in NZ it sometimes blows dogs off chains so just maybe.......

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

The dog didn't necessarily fall off a boat.

A friend of mine had a dog while growing up, a Lab retriever I believe. One day he went fishing with some friends and left the dog at home. Five hours later while on their way back into Boston Harbor, they saw a dog swimming at the mouth of the harbor, three miles from his house and dock... it was his dog, swimming out to go fishing with the guys... he didn't want to be left behind.

Could there be a Darwin Award for dogs coming next....?

[Nicholson58]

Good friend grew up in Newfoundland with Newfies. They would swim out and 'rescue' anyone they saw in the water. No one could go swimming unless the dogs were kept inside. Our poodles wear flotation.

The old fella at my helm passed a couple years ago. We are thinking we will keep the current fuzzball for the St Lawrence & east coast but then she will go to my daughter's home. Seems International can be trouble from what we read. Both poodles loved to sail and would cry if they didn't get to come on my Tornado, Jon boat, patio boat, canoe.

Sure hope the owners & dog are re-united. Maybe a PLB with AIS for the dog is order? I love my guys. Can't imagine what the owner is going through who lost his best friend.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Could there be a Darwin Award for dogs coming next....?

People really underestimate the swimming ability of dogs, they're like polar bears and can swim for hours and not get cold. Their owners seem to think of them as human, so we have stories here in New England and elswhere in the north that get repeated every winter... Where Fido falls through the ice on a pond, the dog's "human" panics and tries to rescue him, only to fall in and drown. Then the rescue squad shows up to save the dog that's still swimming... and go diving for the drowned human.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

People really underestimate the swimming ability of dogs, they're like polar bears and can swim for hours and not get cold. Their owners seem to think of them as human, so we have stories here in New England and elswhere in the north that get repeated every winter... Where Fido falls through the ice on a pond, the dog's "human" panics and tries to rescue him, only to fall in and drown. Then the rescue squad shows up to save the dog that's still swimming... and go diving for the drowned human.

Yes quite, but my experience is in any large body of water , dogs can get seriously confused as to which way to swim. Some breeds are better then others , some dogs can also panic ( and some really really panic) , virtually swimming around In circles. Also in any wave action they really struggle. To compare them to polar bears is nonsense.

Yes they can withstand the cold better. But that's about the size of it.

Dave

[Nicholson58]

Kenomac - broad statement. Retreivers, Newfies and a few others can swim for a long time. They have guard hair and lanolin mats against their bodies. My poodles are great hunters, but with human-like hair, they barely float and get cold just like us. I used to hunt ducks with them but one water retrieve and they are done. (Michigan in October) I had to switch to upland birds & rabbits.

[Nicholson58]

Did anyone follow the link of the OP? This is not a big ole' huntin' dog. this is a lap dog named "BABY".



ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — A fisherman discovered a small dog treading water about 2 miles from shore in Tampa Bay, rescuers said.

The commercial fisherman saw the dog's nose rising above the waves Thursday morning, the Tampa Bay Times reports (Dog found treading water was reported missing 2 years ago | Tampa Bay Times ). The bay water temperature was 68.

"We're assuming she fell overboard at night and nobody even knew it," Suzy Johnson, who is helping take care of the dog, told the newspaper.

The fisherman took the dog to Demens Landing marina, where resident Tony Basile wrapped the dog in a towel.

"She shook all night," Basile said.

The pooch was wearing a red collar with the name "Baby" written in rhinestones. A trip to Banfield Pet Hospital revealed she had a microchip.

Workers there scanned the chip and discovered she had been reported missing two years ago. But the phone number associated with her name doesn't work.

A Banfield spokesperson told the newspaper the dog's family might have reported her missing and then found her and never updated the information.

The dog is brown, about 18 inches tall and 20 to 30 pounds. Her caretakers aren't sure what breed she is, but said she appears well groomed and cared for. Veterinarian workers are continuing to try and find the dog's owner and all are hoping for a happy reunion after the dog's lucky rescue.

Read more here: ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.: Dog found treading water 2 miles from Fla. shore | State | Bradenton Herald

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Damn.. the little sod..
Actually.. much as I love dogs its a choice..
sail? no dog.. dog? no sail...
so until I change... dog ownership is something I did.. and will do again if/when I give up this lifestyle..

I have a 180lb Rottwieller (Cyrus T. Dog) that's 10 years old. We lived together on a 26' boat when he was young. He's the only reason I keep this cabin for now. It's his home until he takes that long walk and I'll be as patient as he needs me to be until then.

Besides, there's always work to do to the boat until he's ready for me to go. After that, no mas!

Until my daughters put me back in a cabin again that is..........