I just have to vent! Yesterday I came very close to losing a very good friend and his Golden! I need not go into detail, suffice it to say, please, please, remember to take care of your dog around ice covered deep water! I know you hunters know this but so many others just don't realize that if a dog breaks through ice in deep water, it's not going to be able to get out. It's a dead dog!!!!!! [unsure][
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Leaky
What lake were you on and how thick was the ice?
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Check out Leaky's post about Pelican.
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Thanks for the heads up, it never hurts to hear this one again. I have a dog and he is my best friend, it would tear my heart out to loose him. I hope that your friend and his golden are both alright.
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A good comment, my dog has scared me a few times when he's go close to open water or areas where the ice didn't look good. I have wondered about a flotation device for my dog, I do carry a rope with a loop on the end and he dose have a strong bite which he could grave it with.
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FishingWaters,
Obviously, you love your dog and are concerned. You might not want to hear this but you and others need to. A dog in full panick probably won't grab the rope. And if he does, it's doubtful he can maintain that bite to drag him on solid ice. A wet dog is very heavy and difficult to get up on the ice as my friend learned. A vest is a great idea, but remember he can still die of hyperthermia and drown even with a vest before you can get him out. Best is to avoid thin ice like the plague. [unsure]
Leaky
I agree with your comments keep the dog away I'm just glad that my dog obeys my return commands. Just last week I was at Fishlake by Twin Creeks and my dog spotted a dog on shore and started to wards it byway of the open water. I was able to stop him, or I would have found out how good of a swimmer he was. It got me to wondering what I would need to save my dog from him falling in. The as been times I've keep my dog in the truck because of hazarded ice.
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NOVEMBER 2002, MY GOOD BUDDY JAXON(BLACK LAB) AND I ALMOST BECAME ICECICLES AT THE BOTTOM OF NAVAJO LAKE. HE WENT THRU THE THIN ICE ABOUT 20 YARDS OUT AND OF COURSE I COULDN'T JUST LET HIM DROWN. AS I PANICKED(FORGETTING THE ROPE IN THE TRUCK), AND CRAWLED OUT ON THE ICE TO HELP HIM, I TOO DISCOVERED THE TRUE MEANING OF HYPOTHERMIA. TO MAKE A LONG COLD AND ALMOST DEADLY STORY SHORT, AS I WAS GOING DOWN FOR THE 3RD AND FINAL TIME, MY BOY WAS SMART ENOUGH TO REMEMBER THE ROPE AND HE AND A PASSING-BY ANGEL OF THE GOOD LORD PULLED ME OUT. OF COURSE, THAT LEFT JAXON IN PERIL. TRYING THE ROPE AROUND MY WAIST, I WENT AFTER MY GOOD BUDDY, BUSTING ICE WITH BLOODIED FOREARMS, ONLY TO BE OVERCOME BY HYPOTHERMIA A SECOND TIME. HAULED TO SHORE BY MY BOY AND THE ANGEL, I TURNED AROUND TO GO AFTER JAXON A 3RD TIME ONLY TO SEE HIM SWIMMING THRU THE CHANNEL THAT THE BLOODIED FOREARMS AND THE GOOD LORD HAD CREATED. NEEDLESS TO SAY, JAXON AND I WERE ON THE SHORE IN THE "DYING COCKROACH POSITION" AND HAPPY TO BE VERY COLD AND ALIVE.
WE LOVE ICEFISHING AND JAXON WOULD NEVER FORGIVE US IF WE DIDN'T TAKE HIM EVERY TIME WE GO, HOWEVER WE NEVER GO WITHOUT ICE PICKS AROUND EVERYONES NECKS, TWO LONG(100') CLIMBING ROPES, INFLATABLE LIFEJACKETS, AND OF COURSE JAXON ON A LEASH UNTIL IT IS PROVEN THAT THE ICE IS SAFE ENOUGH FOR HIM TO RUN WILD LIKE THE FREE SPIRIT THAT HE IS. ONE OTHER THING, I SAW A DOG LIFEVEST IN CABELAS A FEW ISSUES AGO. I NEED TO GET JAXON ONE OF THOSE. GOOD LUCK ALL AND BE SMART AS WELL AS SAFE.
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