I took Homer for a walk on this frosty morning. We went to his usual dog swimming pond. This is Homers favourite of favourite spots and he always has a swim here so he was bouncing up and down wanting me to throw his ball into the water, but it was all iced over! There was a small section near the bank were it looked like the ice had broken so I threw his ball into the water near the bank but just under the water there was ice so his ball went skidding accross the ice to the middle of the pond. There was no stopping Homer so in he dived determined as always to retrieve! His basic instinct and ancestry took hold and out he went like an arctic explorer forging a path smashing the ice with his paws as he went to fetch that ball. He grabs at his ball but it scooters further out, so on he goes as if his life or pride depended on it. He grabs it safely this time and back he swims though the broken shards left in his wake. Out hugs comes from the freezing water with a shake dropped his ball with a whole body wag asking for more! Well, that taught me a lesson! Always test the ice. Fortunately the ice was thin enough to break easily and the pond is quite small. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me.
Our first lab bitch was always going after ducks. My OH and father went on a Christmas walk. There was ice on the water. The ice wasn't strong enough to hold a human being. The ducks were taken care of by the council by making a hole in the ice so they could swim. The hole was in the middle of a water. Our lab saw them and before my OH knew it she was in the water. But she couldn't come out anymore....others tried to interfere. My father wanted to go to her. They threw a scarf towards her, but she didn't know what to do with it. Then all of a sudden she came out herself. We learned a lesson then and always put the dog on lead when walking alongside the water when half frozen.
I would be terrified of ice on anything bigger than a puddle. You hear so many stories of fatalities. Glad Homer was fine, but I think a timely reminder...... Icebreaking on those long farm track puddles, now THAT's a fun game!
Gosh, yes. When my two went running onto the frozen river on Saturday, I completely freaked out! All I could think was worst case scenarios. From slipping and putting out a hip or elbow, to breaking through and being caught under the ice...
It happens to my uni friends brother his gr went in and got stuck under the ice she died and he was traumatised. It was on the canal in stoke I avoid ice and Canals cold weather.
That's terrifying, so glad Homer is OK also Willow and Shadow. Please, please be careful everyone you just never know how thick/thin the ice is and we hear such heartbreaking stories every winter xx
