Just wanted to a drop a note to be careful when you take your dogs out on the water. Even if they are great swimmers think about putting a doggy PFD on them as the best swimmer will sink if he's unconscious.

The reason I bring it up is because I on the olympic pennisula at Lake Crescent and helped an older guy with his boat at the ramp. As it turns it out it was his first time out with his dog and boat and he fell/jumped off the bow rider while underway and drowned.

The water at lake crescent has no plankton and is therefore as clear as the Caribbean(no joke) - the poor old guy watched his dog sink for 50+ feet.

I don't know if the dog could swim or not but a pfd would have likely saved this poor old guys best friend.

Saddest thing I've seen in a long long time - so watch your furry buddies out there.

First time I ever took my GSP into the boat was in Upper Campbell Lake.She loves the water so when we were way out from shore she decides to dive in while we're underway and go for a swim. Everytime I got the boat near to her and tried to grab for her collar she would turn away.Time went on and on and she was tiring so I tried herding her to shore hoping that she had enough energy left to make it.It seemed like forever but she finally made it.She was only about 5 or 6 at the time and was in pretty good condition.Had it been in later years she would have never made it.Had she had a leash on I would probably have been able to grab it but that wasn't the case.I agree with the PDF idea.
Dave

ya my lab always has her vest on unless its to hot out. She see's a fish jump and she's off to retrieve it. Not as bad as she was when she was young but....

reminds me of a time I was fishing the cowichan for coho and hooked a nice one, my dog jumps into the water, swims into the middle of the river and grabs the fish and retrieves it for me, so much for C&R.