[Kand3]

We have (had actually) a small stream behind our home. Over the last few months we noticed it turning into a pond, and realized that beavers had built a dam!

Bailey would love to swim in it, of course, and it would be a VERY convenient swimming spot! However, I'm concerned about Giardia (aka "Beaver Fever") knowing that beavers are in the water.

Would you allow your dog to swim in it??

Poor thing, she's dying to go in (see below)!

 

[laprincessa]

Be pretty hard to stop him, I would think. We have a pond, and Max has never shown any interest in it, but he does love the creek.

 

[Kand3]

Be pretty hard to stop him, I would think. We have a pond, and Max has never shown any interest in it, but he does love the creek.

We have an Invisible Fence, so she wouldn't go in unless we take her. That's funny about Max, Bailey shows an interest in anything water!

 

[RockingK]

That is a tough call. Could you take some water samples and send it in to get tested for giardia?

 

[Tahnee GR]

I would worry about the beavers as well-they have been known to kill dogs as large as Newfoundlands by drowning them in the water.

 

[Pointgold]

I would worry about the beavers as well-they have been known to kill dogs as large as Newfoundlands by drowning them in the water.

Ditto that... giardia and drowning. My choice would be no...

 

[Loisiana]

It's tough when you want to let your dogs swim but know there are possible dangers. In my area we have to worry about alligators, so I am very careful about where I let my dogs swim. It really cuts into where I can train for hunt tests, but I'd rather be able to train less than risk one of my dogs getting swallowed by a gator.l

 

[Kand3]

Oh my gosh!! My only concern was Giardia, I never even considered the possibility of her being drowned by a beaver! Quite obviously we won't allow her in, thank you!

Of course, now I'm going to be paranoid in our regular swim spots too!! :doh:

 

[tippykayak]

I wouldn't worry more or less about giardia than I would in any woodland body of water.

However, I did look into the beavers-drowing-dogs thing because I thought it sounded like an urban (well, rural) legend. I couldn't find any really reputable news reports on it, but there's a whole lot of anecdotal stories out there, particularly among Newf owners for some reason. It's often told by a friend of a friend, so I worry that we're concerned for nothing, but it seems to be an accepted fact in the dog world at this point.

 

[Kand3]

I wouldn't worry more or less about giardia than I would in any woodland body of water.

However, I did look into the beavers-drowing-dogs thing because I thought it sounded like an urban (well, rural) legend. I couldn't find any really reputable news reports on it, but there's a whole lot of anecdotal stories out there, particularly among Newf owners for some reason. It's often told by a friend of a friend, so I worry that we're concerned for nothing, but it seems to be an accepted fact in the dog world at this point.

That was my original thinking on the Giardia ("Is it really any different than other ponds, lakes, etc. I allow her to swim in during our adventures?").

Interestingly, I was also just doing some research (good old Google!), about the drownings and am finding mostly the same thing. So the question is, would you allow Comet and Ajax to swim in it??

 

[tippykayak]

That was my original thinking on the Giardia ("Is it really any different than other ponds, lakes, etc. I allow her to swim in during our adventures?").

Interestingly, I was also just doing some research (good old Google!), about the drownings and am finding mostly the same thing. So the question is, would you allow Comet and Ajax to swim in it??

Probably not. I can't find a confirmed drowning in the news, but beavers are large, powerful, fearless creatures, and if they got in a scuffle with the dogs, they could do a lot of damage or communicate a nasty disease through a bite, even if they didn't drown the pups.

I might, however, try to get rid of the beavers and then enjoy the new pond.

 

[Jersey's Mom]

I might, however, try to get rid of the beavers and then enjoy the new pond.

That was my thought exactly. Is there some way you can report the beavers as being a threat to your dog and have them humanely transported to a more suitable location? Animal control maybe?

Julie and Jersey

 

[Kand3]

That was my thought exactly. Is there some way you can report the beavers as being a threat to your dog and have them humanely transported to a more suitable location? Animal control maybe?

Julie and Jersey

I had the same thought, however most of what I'm reading says essentially the same thing:
"If beavers are removed from good habitat, others will normally move into the empty habitat. Survivors respond with compensatory reproduction and beavers can migrate over tens of miles."

Apparently once you have them, they can be difficult to get rid of. I also don't know if they would be removed because most of the water is technically not on our property (we back up to protected watershed property). It is all worth looking into though, so thank you for the suggestion!

Thankfully, Bailey cannot get down there without us, so she should not be in any danger. I was only concerned with Giardia, and have no idea why it never occurred to me the beavers could actually harm her! :doh: