Just to add as we had a bad experience yesterday, may have over exaggerated but it scared me badly. We go for runs along the canal with the dogs a large 2/3 metre path with grass near the banks so not forced to run anywhere near the bank edge, mason as he normally does goes over to have a look at the water and it had been raining and he slipped in!!! We were abit behind him and just heard a splash, i dropped rubys lead and ran and he was clawing at the banks to get out, they are about 1/4 metre from surface of the water and sheer so he couldnt get up, i was pulling at his collar but i didnt want it to slip off i was really struggling as he is not light. he slipped down and i could see his head going under and i thought i might lose him (i probably didnt give him chance to swim as i was paniking too much but he wouldnt have been able to get out on his own) after about 20 seconds which seemed like forever we got him up i was grabbing the excess skin on his scruff, his eyes were dilated so he was scared. he finally got his other foot up and got on the banks!!! i nearly burst into tears, he ran to the path shook and then carried on his merry way, a little like a drowned rat but none the worse and then went in the river that the canal drains from, he hadnt learnt his lesson cause he went near the bank again but we will be keeping an eye on him now the silly boy. He is fine few scratches on his neck and ears and bad gas think he swollowed sum water. He was off chasing rabbits afterwords so he is OK, think i may have aged tho.

Louise

Oh no, that does sound scarey :(
I think I would have panicked too. That's the problem with these big lovable lumps, if they get into trouble you can't pick them up.
Glad you managed to get him out OK.

Oh, poor Mason! I am sure you are giving him lots of love after his nasty experience. We are right by a river and our Mal, who loves water, decided one day when OH's back was turned that she wanted a swim - she got in the river and couldn't get out again, he had to pull her out by her collar but every time he did she kept biting him, she can be a madam at times! He managed to get her out in the end but he had a big struggle with her as she's a big girl, its very worrying though when things like that happen. Glad Mason seems ok now :-)

Gosh it is scary, i have a little yorkie which is my doggie and we were walking along the canal about a month back, and i heard a small splash, turned around and he were soaking wet (obviously) and scrambling at the side trying to get up!! :O I paniced, grabbed him by scruff of his neck and dragged him out!
He shook, carried and carried along "on his merry way"!! What is it with dogs!! Gosh!!
Think a grey hair appeared after that day! ;)

When I went on a narrow boat holiday the marina told me that British Canals were only knee deep so I'd expect a large dog to be able to stand up?

The canals near where i live arent that deep to be honest, as when we have had a hot summer (which isnt often!!) they have dried up, but i think they are deeper than knee deep and definatly deep enough for a big dog to not reach the floor, as one of our other dogs sammy (golden retriever) he fell in once, well a few times actually, and he went under, was quite bad,he was ok tho thankfully!

> When I went on a narrow boat holiday the marina told me that British Canals were only knee deep so I'd expect a large dog to be able to stand up?

You wouldn't fit many boats through a canal with knee-deep water, I think the draft on a narrow boat is between 2 - 3 ft, canal boats/ small yachts will have more of a draft draft. (The draft is the amount of boat under the water line). To see the size of some of the bigger yachts on the canal I would have thought it would have to be a bout 10ft deep?

We had a L Munsterlander who took a flying leap into the canal and couldn't get out as the sides were straight edged and lined with metal.  We had to get his lead on him and help him to move to a safer place to lift him out.  My husband lay flat on his stomach in the mud but if I'd been on my own I don't think I could have done it.

We've moved house now, but we stopped walking the towpath near us because you just couldn't see what was coming, and there isn't really enough room to pass which is an issue if there are problem dogs coming toward you.  Our LM was just in front of me when he met a bloke with 2 heavy types on leads.  I called my dog back which must have given the wrong impression as these 2 lunged at him and one slipped it's collar to come after my boy.  Luckily nothing much came of it as the bloke kicked his dog off mine but I was really shocked.  Not only with the attack but by the man himself, not someone I'd want to meet again, particularly as one of the dogs looked like it had dried blood on it's shoulders.

Glad Mason is ok

good god, what a fright you must have had! glad he's ok. bet your far more shaken than he was lol, silly beasts aren't they?