Activities For Landseer Dogs
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Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
The Landseer dog is a big, lumbering giant breed that loves water. In fact, they have often been used for arctic water rescue because of the dog's powerful swimming abilities. Hundreds of years ago, European fishermen regularly used the canines on their boats to save drowning sailors. Undoubtedly, the dog's sole original purpose was water rescue and even today it excels at such an endeavor. The love of water is just bred into the heart of all Landseers so if you are looking for something fun, then why not share a water-related activity together to truly make your pooch ecstatic?
Surfing
Popular
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Sunny Day
Moderate
Normal
60 min
Items needed
Hard dog surfboard
Canine life vest
Activity description
It is a fact that all Landseers love water, so why not take your pooch surfboarding? You will need a hard dog surfboard that fits your dog's size and has traction pads. Many people start out just teaching their dog to stand and balance on the board without jumping off. Once the pooch can balance it is time to move in deeper water. At first, just pull your dog around on the board. Once they have their bearings and balance you can hit the waves. Around the world, many dogs surf and seem to actually enjoy sharing the sport with their beloved owners. Overall, the activity is a great way to bond with your pal and build trust together.
Step
1
Standing on the surfboard
Teach your dog to stand on the board and stay in one place. Place the board on solid land first, and have your pup stand on it to get used to the feel of the board. Encourage comfort with the board by throwing a favorite toy on the surface for your pet to fetch.
Step
2
Life vest acceptance
Every time your dog is standing on the board make sure the canine is wearing a life vest so your pooch gets used to the feel of the vest. The life vest should not be strapped too tight on the dog's body. At first, just loosely set the life vest on your dog's body. As your canine becomes more comfortable with the feel of the vest, you can start to attach all of the buckles.
Step
3
Floating
Once your dog has mastered standing on the board and staying on it, then it is time to try it in the water. Teach your dog how to stand on the floating board and stay, until you tell them its okay to jump into the water. Offer kind words of encouragement. Many owners also opt to put non-skid pads on the board's surface so that their dog does not slide off easily.
Step
4
Surfing is fun
Start by pulling your dog around on the surf or boogie board in the water. Let the board hit small waves so your dog learns balance before moving on to the big waves. If there is a is a non-skid surface on the board then the dog will have an easier time standing. Many owners opt to let their dog initially sit on the board's surface instead of standing until the dog gets used to the feel of the waves. Your dog should always be wearing a life vest during the activity. Before you know it, you and your pup will be ready to tackle the waves; use caution, though and avoid any wave bigger than one to two feet.
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Water Trial Fun
Popular
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Any Day
Free
Normal
60 min
Items needed
Life ring
Bumper
Dumbbell
Activity description
Anyone who owns a Landseer may want to know if their dog will truly perform a water rescue if necessary. Overall, waterwork is in the very genetics of the Landseer. The breed even boasts webbed feet to make swimming in a strong current easier. Owners of Landseers can compete in competitive or non-competitive water rescue fun matches with a group of other Newfoundland and Landseer owners. The fun match competition is usually broken into categories: junior and senior divisions. Each division has six individual trials such as an underwater retrieval, directed retrieval, jumping off a dock to retrieve a water bumper in the water, swimming, retrieval of a life ring, human water rescue, and boat towing using a rope. Water trial fun matches are a great way to see what your Landseer can truly do, plus you get to meet other breed enthusiasts. Many people start out competing in non-competitive fun matches and then go on to actual competitive water trials.
Step
1
Learn water bumper retrieval
In a water trial, a water bumper is thrown into the water and the dog must go into the water to retrieve the item. Normally, the handler directs the dog and when commanded, the canine plunges into the water and swims to retrieve the bumper. Once they have the bumper, they bring the item back to the handler. You can try this out with your Landseer assuming that they have a good swimming technique and feel comfortable in the water. Work to perfect their swimming skills if needed by swimming often in shallow water and moving gradually to deeper water.
Step
2
Perfect the retrieval
Once you are confident that your pet enjoys the water and is happy to swim, work on land to perfect their understanding of retrieval. Practice through a game of fetch, and give lots of praise every time your pup returns the chosen item to you. Some dogs are encouraged to continue the game of fetch if a few seconds of tug of war are part of the process. Play for just a bit and then throw the item again. Soon, your pal will have the skills to retrieve an item in the water!
Step
3
Try more water trial fun
Other skills that are part of this activity are life ring retrieval and dumbbell retrieval. When a life ring is thrown into the water, your dog must retrieve the ring, same as with the bumper. Underwater retrieval is a more advanced skill that can be fun as well. In this case, a weighted dumbbell is placed in the water. The dumbbell sinks into the water but should remain visible. At your direction, your Landseer must submerge their face into the water to retrieve the dumbbell. Once they have the dumbbell firmly in their mouth, they pull their face out of the water and hand the dumbbell to you.
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Paddleboarding
Popular
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Sunny Day
Free
Easy
60 min
Items needed
Canine Life Vest
Paddleboard
Paddle
Activity description
If surfing with your dog is just too extreme then you might want to try paddleboarding together. Landseers not only adore water but they have a great sense of balance. Riding around on a longboard together is a great time to bond with your canine. It truly does not take very long to teach a Landseer all about paddleboarding. Unlike surfing, no waves are required to enjoy this sport. You can do it in the ocean, a lake, or a mellow river.
Step
1
Stand and stay
You must teach your dog to stand and stay on the paddleboard. Most people practice this exercise when the dog and the paddleboard are on land. Once your canine knows that you expect them to stand and stay on the board then it is time to move on to the next step. This is also an excellent time to get your dog used to the feel of a life vest.
Step
2
Floating
Float the board in a pool or shallow water. You will need to teach your pooch to climb or step onto the board's surface and stay in one place while the board floats around. This can be done by moving your paddleboard close to the edge of the pool or dock, allowing your pup to step onto the board. Affixing non-slip strips to the board's surface will prevent your dog from falling off. You should also make sure that your pooch is wearing a life vest for extra safety.
Step
3
Paddleboarding Together
Once your pooch can balance and float on the water's surface it is time for you to climb onto the board and start using your paddle to cut through the water while your canine buddy rides calmly on the front end of the paddleboard. You and your canine buddy should both wear life vests at all times in case either one of you should fall into the water. Your dog can either stand, sit, or lie down as they enjoy the scenery!
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More Fun Ideas...
Diving
Your Landseer has the ability to dive and retrieve things under water. Many dogs refuse to do such an activity but Landseers excel at the sport. You will need to teach your dog to retrieve heavy items on land and once the pooch has mastered the task it is time to throw the item directly into the water and encourage them to dive for it. Most Landseers will not even hesitate but will immediately jump into the water's depths.
Swimming
Landseers are natural born swimmers. They adore the water. Every muscle in their body and their feet are adapted to make them powerful swimmers. Why not share the activity together? You can swim side by side in a lake, pond, river, or at home in the pool. Your Landseer will truly love the experience and it is good exercise for both of you.
Conclusion
The Landseer is a breed that loves to play in the water. If you also enjoy watersports then you will make a perfect pair. Enjoying a sport that comes naturally to your pooch is a great bonding experience. There is no doubt that as your canine learns the various water sports you will feel a great sense of pride watching your dog perform the very actions that their ancestors once performed.