Kiteforum.com

I have some sad news to share with my foil fam.

Last week, my dog drowned while out on the water with me.

She was a 4 year old blue healer / brittany spaniel, name Sadie.

She was my little girl and best bud.

We'd go everywhere together, but her favorite place was near the water, ocean or river.

Every time I'd go out for a sesh, she'd follow till I scolded her back. Last year I taught her to save me. If she was on the beach, she would run along the shore, following me, always knowing which kite was mine.

Last week, when I lost my board and took a while to find it, I noticed she was right there with me. We were 30' upstream from a line of anchored barges, so when I got my board I quickly worked my way out of the wind shadow and back to my launch.......................Sadie never returned.

That dog would hop up and sit next to me on a log, if that's where I was. She would even follow me back and forth as I would cut the grass at my house. She never had to be on a leash, and she always did what she was told.

A part of me died last week. I looked for 3 hours for her body, but never found it. I was on an island on the swift side of a bend in the Columbia River, and she had about 3 miles of beach, to swim back 20 yards to shore, then run back to me (like she always did). She never showed up.

Peace out, guys ;(

That is a sad story but the kind that drives me crazy... It's like saying my dog doesn't need a leash and then it gets hit by a car. As dog owners just like parents, it's our responsibility to do the right thing. Running up and down the beach, swimming out to you when your down, all those things are tons of fun for a dog... But she had to pay the ultimate penalty for your irresponsible move.
Hopefully you will learn a leson from this or decide not to have more dogs. Again I'm sorry for your loss.

rightguard wrote:That is a sad story but the kind that drives me crazy... It's like saying my dog doesn't need a leash and then it gets hit by a car. As dog owners just like parents, it's our responsibility to do the right thing. Running up and down the beach, swimming out to you when your down, all those things are tons of fun for a dog... But she had to pay the ultimate penalty for your irresponsible move.
Hopefully you will learn a leson from this or decide not to have more dogs. Again I'm sorry for your loss.

Agreed, I'm all for having your dogs with you doing hobbies, etc. but ultimately they are following you, so you and you alone have to have the common sense and forethought to protect your dog from incidents like this that could have been prevented.

Dogs are great pets because they are fiercely loyal, and basically that loyalty led to this dog's untimely death. I hate that you lost your dog, but hopefully this will be a lesson to others.

Really sad, I can feel your pain.

I let my dogs run as well as much as possible.
One day one will maybe get hit by a car, but they love to run around (street dogs).
Should I lock them up so they can become old?

I see myself in it...I don't want to be locked up, and if I die earlier, then be it, but at least I had a good time.
See the same with your dog, be happy for her happy life, and she was always around you.

Be strong!

We have dogs as man's best friends but as friends we want to give what is best for our animals and we also try to give them as much freedom as we can. We never tie our dogs to a leash when he is at the beach with us (unless there are rules that say so).

My dog likes to run around and play in the water. For sure it would be safer to keep him tied up all the time, but what kind of life would that be for him ? A dog is made to run and play with his pack.

It is really sad but you gave her a great life and she probably was the happiest dog in the world playing and swimming and hanging out with you.

Accidents do happen; it is sad but that's what it was; an accident.

I really feel for you.

Jules

hamlindp1 wrote:.....

very sorry to hear about that. i lost my pet by accident some years ago and i'm still feeling like it was partly my fault.
the thing is that during the thousands of years of domestication our pets have lost some part of their self preservation instinct and we have to take full responsibility for our pets security.

Toby I usually agree with what you have to say as you seem to be concerned with safety, for yourself and others but I can't disagree with you more. A dog will have just as much fun running around in the street as they would in a park. It is our responsibility to let them have fun in a safe place. I would never lock my dogs up just so they could die old but I would also not let them run off without my supervision.
Would you let a 4 year old kid swim in the river without supervision? Then if they drown just say "live free, die young."

As you can tell I like dogs a lot. I feel very sorry you lost your dog, I do know what that feels like. Although I do think you should realize that it was your fault and reconsider that behavior if you decide to get another dog.

RIP Sadie

I can feel your loss.
You could post a pic of Sadie..

Toby got it right.

peter64 wrote:Toby got it right.

Fully agree! Condolences from me as well, she lived a happy life with you, she died doing what she loved most, not your fault, just an accident ending a happy life...