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Ponds & Aquatic Plants

Dog guarding his pond.

14 years ago

This fellow has taken it upon himself to guard the pond. He lets the birds in for a drink, and loves to find any fish food that did not make it in to the pond. Was wondering if anyone else had a furry friend who loves the pond.

{{gwi:197211}}

Lisa

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Comments (14)

ageamd
14 years ago
My dogs want to swim in it and chase the frogs. Wish they were as well behaved as yours.

Beautiful dog
koijoyii
14 years ago
Oh Lisa:

Remember when you first got Cosmo and were going to fill in your pond because you were afraid he would fall in and drown? Look at them now, they are best friends. If I try to go anywhere near your pond I know I'll get licked to death. lol Just love him, and your pond too.

Jenny
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Yes, you absolutely should put in some kind of shelf with rocks or whatever you decide to use. My corgi (also named Teddy!) has absolutely no interest in the pond - except when it's drained. Then he LOVES to go in there. However, he used to like to walk on the surface in the winter to get to the bubbler which totally freaked me out. I finally fenced the perimeter in the fall so he can't do that anymore. Last year, my neighbor's new puppy, a Yorkie, scared the bejesus out of me because she had never seen water before and jumped right in thinking it was the same depth as the waterfall she was playing in. She immediately started swimming to the edge when we called her where the shelf was. I second the recommendation to get in with your dog and teach him how to get out if he should accidentally fall in. Instinctively, he will start swimming - but you want him to know how to get out. Maybe place some kind of statue or object next to the exit area, so he associates that object with the exit. Dogs and ponds are great fun, but having both together presents its own set of challenges. Nothing you can't handle though!
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Each dog is different. My niece's large mixed breed wouldn't hesitate to jump in if she let him. While my Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Teddy, has absolutely no interest in swimming. I was warned that his grandmother destroyed her owner's pond on more than one occasion, but thankfully that trait wasn't hereditary. Our pond is 4,000 gallons and that was a concern to me because he's so rambunctious and I was afraid he could drown. While he likes to walk around in the pond if it's dry, he has no desire to get in with the water. He's funny because he throws his toys in the pond and watches them float around, but that's it. He'll wait for us to retrieve them. He'll scarf up what fish food floats to the edges and will take a drink out of it, but will not go farther than that. He likes watching the fish, but doesn't harm them. And he doesn't destroy plants at all. He treats it more like a big water bowl. You should measure the depth of your pond. If your dog can step out of it easily and it looks like he can, then you should be OK. If he won't stay out of it, you can either fence it or use a deterrent. I can tell you what works - a motion detector sprinkler. Scarecrow and Havahart makes them. It didn't work on the heron, but it was VERY effective on Teddy!
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hardin
14 years ago
My dogs love to be around the pond. One will lay on my new skimmer dock and watch the fish. The other will step in on the rocks up to his doggie ankles, but he won't go into the water any deeper. That's a good thing. Sometimes he will stick his nose into the water and the goldfish will run up to him. The first time it happened and the fish nibbled on him, he was OUT of there. LOL!
sugarchalet
14 years ago
My dog also loves the pond, she loves to search out the frogs and just stand there over it waggling her tail. I thought I had a picture uploaded on the computer of her standing near the pond, but I couldn't find one, but here is a picture of my pond...this one was from a couple years ago, and it has changed quite a bit since then, but this is what it used to look like...
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c123/XSugar333/pond.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:197205}}
equinecpa
14 years ago
Beautiful dog, beautiful pond.
nkm56
14 years ago
Good dog! I lost my boxer years ago, or I would be relying on her to guard the pond. I currently have cats, and one of them would definitely go after anything with feathers that approaches the pond, even if it was a lot bigger than him! Not sure how effective he would be, though . . . . ;-)
sheepco
14 years ago
My dogs LOVE my little pond! Unfortunately I became frustrated with 2 Labs and 2 Golden Retreivers 'fishing', knocking pots over, rocks in, and taking WH out for 'play time' in the yard! I now have a loop of 'invisible' fence keeping them out of the pond but still up on the deck with me.

{{gwi:165661}}

So now they have 2 kiddie pools to play in!

{{gwi:175152}}

No more yelling at them :o)

S
sheepco
14 years ago
Absolutely beautiful pond. I think I could sit on that bench for hours.......

And you either have 2 black dogs or there's a baby black bear following your dog. I'm sure it's just the photo, but I just had to giggle thinking of the dog leading the baby bear away from the pond! No fishing allowed....
goodkarma_
Original Author
14 years ago
Ha Ha!!!! I see the baby black bear too. Love the pooch stories and the pics of the goldens.
brownthumbia
13 years ago
I cannot understand why my two Bichons will immediately run to the pond to drink that water when they always have perfectly good clean water in the house. And sometimes the pond water gets a little gross especially when the weather gets really hot and humid. Still, they run to it as soon as they get outside. Ugh.
cliff_and_joann
13 years ago
Goodkarma, Absolutely beautiful pond. It looks so
natural and inviting. The pooch is cute too, and looks like
he takes to being the head of security very seriously.
Joann
annedickinson
13 years ago
I think everyone has seen my two fellows (Laddie, the Scottie is now 15 and Mickey, the Westie, is now 17):

This picture was taken while in the process of moving the pond. We had removed the rocks and the dogs could see in the pond better. They were so cute!
{{gwi:171885}}

Anne
mrshkoiluver
13 years ago
My pond is right outside my kitchen picture window and I saw a dog from the neighborhood had come into my yard. He was over by the pond!! and enjoying the fish. He started to drink some water and all of my Koi came up and started kissing him. They are not shy! It was so cute. The next day he came back again. I am trying to get a pic but it happens so fast and then he leaves. So adorable.
oldhousefreak
13 years ago
beautiful pond lisa. and dog! I'm actually going to buy a pond FOR my dogs. we're doing a flagstone area and will incorporate the pond into it for the dogs (3 boxers) to cool off in, since we have little by little taken over their backyard space with a garden, etc.

it's only going to be a 125 gal with 35 gal spillway. should be enough to entertain them and get their drinks. We have a kiddie pool but it has to be emptied daily and only 2 of them will go in it. I'm thinking with a pump a pond will stay cleaner and the moving water won't get stagnant like the kiddie pool?

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