Hysson did, too, but he never learned to swim. Even when other dogs were around and swimming, his only swimming stroke was a quick turn back to shore as soon as the water touched his belly. One time we were on a cross-country trip, camping on the shores of Lake Superior. I put on my swim suit, waded out to chest deep, and called Hysson. He bravely swam out to me--but when he got to me, he immediately tried to climb on top of me. That ended his swimming experiences permanently! Wading, fine, (as in my avatar) but swimming, no.

He also wouldn't retrieve, although that was probably due to his overbite (undershot lower jaw). So much for all those Labrador/Golden Retriever genes!

On the other hand, he became a sweet and obedient dog and a great hiking buddy, even though we had a few adventures (although not quite as adventurous as Skreidic and Tica's, lol!). They say that with Labs, they chew and dig for two years and shed for a lifetime. I'd want to add another year to the chewing and digging; Hysson was almost 3 when he decided to excavate my lawn sprinkler system. Of course I'm still vacuuming up dog hair two months after his demise. I cry a little every time.

I'm starting to look for a young dog or puppy to start the process over again!