When a gust of wind blew a feather-light canoe away from the gravel bar and into the river, two dogs ran and jumped inside it. That’s when Robbie the black Lab noticed the canoe drifting on the water and swam to the rescue. If you watch closely, you’ll notice that one of the dogs (Rusty) takes the rope and places it over the side and into the water for Robbie to grab hold of.
This amazing video is actually a game the three dogs learned. Or, as Robbie’s human says, “Robbie actually taught us that he could retrieve the canoe.” She explains, “The dogs were in no danger. They all grew up on the river from the time they were just a couple months old. Robbie, the black lab, had the strongest legs I’ve ever seen on a dog….Our dogs would swim an entire 11 mile float trip.”
“Robbie actually taught us that he would retrieve the canoe. It is a Kevlar canoe and is so light that the slightest wind would release it from a beach and it would drift into the river. Robbie would go get it for us. Then came the other dogs. They are so accustomed to floating that when we would purposely go to shove the canoe into the river so Robbie would go get it, they would always jump in the canoe.”
It soon became a game and they also taught Rusty the Redbone to retrieve the canoe. “That’s how he knows what to do with the rope and in the video he is trying to get the rope to Robbie. Bullet, the brindle Mountain Cur, is bred to track and bark up squirrels. So he likes to talk (bark).”
Even though it’s a game, it’s still a pretty incredible retrieve rescue!
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