My OH took both dogs for a walk Sat am, when i got back my CS was covered and I mean covered in seeds and "sweethearts" me and my mate took a solid hour combing and picking him off. Sunday said no fields went around the water meadows, lots of swimming but great. Off to the woods, all going well until they decided to swim again, its been dry and the pond is feed by streams that had dried out. Talk about stangnant them smelled like it was sewage!! Home again (windows open) and we decided to fill the paddling pool with warm water get the hose out and clean them in the garden. They acted like it was abuse!! would not stand in the warm water for long and really whinged at the hose. Usually when I water the garden they are under the hose all the time.
My OH's BC sat up the garden and sulked for about an hour.
Decided on a BBQ tea, had 5 sosages left and as they were cooling noticed two things 4 sos and the CS licking the ones left ........ hope he hadn't licked the ones we ate..
Remind me why do we love doggies!!!!!!!

Our GR swims in anything and, at this time of year, all the ponds smell exceedingly rank :) He too is not keen on being hosed off with nice clean water - he much prefers eau de bog :) He will walk past a bowl of fresh water to go and drink from our ponds. I can honestly say he has never come back from an off lead walk (99% of walks are off lead) clean and presentable. Most people I know won't walk their dogs in the woods during the winter due to the mud factor but we get mud whatever the season.

Our terrier is not so keen on water and will only paddle :)

I'm not sure where either of you are, but just wanted to  mention the problems of blue green algae at this time of year, particularly with the hot sunny weather we have been having.  Mine still go in the river as it is not a problem in flowing water, but I do not allow them in ponds.

Thank you JenP :) I call them ponds but they are actually wider areas on flowing streams but the streams have slowed to a trickle due to the hot weather.

Mine stepped out on an algae covered ditch last week and disappeared under water.  She had a big shock and we thought it funny.  I related the story at agility class and my trainer said to be very careful because several dogs had died after getting into stagnant water - don't know if it is blue-green algae or the gases given off by animal waste in the water.  Anyway thought I would pass that on and see if anyone knows any more about it.  Didn't notice any particular smell because she had a grand time rolling in every cow pat and horse poo she found anyway. 

Thanks Jen I never thought of that, I will check it out. In the water meadows its free flowing River Itchen but in our woods its stream fed but all dried up so i will check whts in their.

My local river when I lived in New Zealand had a toxic algae called 'rock snot'. It was only a problem in summer as the river slowed down but several dogs a year would die from swimming there.

The blue green algae is cyanobacter and this link provides info including symptoms your dog would get if poisoned.

http://www.rodney.govt.nz/documents/Cyanobacter-Questions-Answers.pdf[url=][/url]

It's important to note that it is not just small dogs that this affects, I heard of a labrador getting out of this river showing symptoms and it was rushed to the vet which was literally 300m away but the dog was dead within an hour.  Seeing healthy ducks swimming in ponds is no guarantee the water is safe as the toxin doesn't seem to affect them.

Thank you so much I am glad I posted.

Ditto Harley. I've come to believe that goldens without doubt, are the muckiest pups around. My friend is looking after an old GR and with 9 dogs of various breeds running around in the fields you'll find the three GRs together in a mud puddle or rolling in the same pile of rotting grass clippings.

Lori what is it with dead grass clippings? Whistler cannot go past them with out rolling in them? that and pony pooh is his favorite, I ended up with a smelly dog sat on my feet in the office most of the day, he gets banned from the board room as the smell is so bad!!
I then spend all evening, after his walk picking bits out of his fur, grass seeds & burrs. He is at the groomers Thursday and I am going for a much shorter (underfur) but still hand strip him on his back, easier to gets bits out of. Its tick time to so i am extra vigilant after walks.

It's not just grass clippings that attract them :) I taught Harley to shake on command as he always chose to shake as close as possible to me and soak me in the process. Now he shakes as asked but immediately after has to go and have a roll in something. His normal item of choice to roll in is either pine needles or leaf mould but bonfire ash seems to be the most desired after-swim treatment.

Whistler I think there may be a link to a photo in my profile which shows Harley after one of his mud wrestling bouts :)

He also has to roll on top of sticks for some reason. He will pick a stick up, move it to a favourable position and then roll on it.

Now Caoimhe is the stick and bone roller around here. She'll spend endless ecstatic minutes writhing about with a bone in her back and her feet in the air. Milo prefers other dogs' toys for rolling - he doesn't steal them but does love to do a little shoulder massage with someone else's ball.

Grass clippings are probably the least offensive thing they roll in. :) Ash is a favorite of Milo as well but thankfully we don't see much of it. Thank goodness for hatchbags is all I have to say. :) :)

Today its fresh pony pooh dripping off his ears. Ive cleaned him up but the smell is pretty bad in this office!!