Wintertime can bring all kinds of fun for people and their dogs in the snow. But there is also a drawback to all this fun in the cold and snow. It is also the time when you start hearing stories about dogs wandering out on the ice and falling into to the freezing water. All dogs can be susceptible to this not so obvious danger. But in particular, dogs of the retriever breeds are such water lovers to start with that they are drawn out onto the pond and rivers if they are allowed to run free.

The video below is just the perfect example of this happening. A Labrador retriever is enticed out onto the ice and falls through an opening into the water. He struggles but cannot get back onto the ice. The water was not that deep although still over his head and the temperature was so cold as to cause hypothermia within a short period of time. Hypothermia is usually the cause of death in these cases.

Fortunately a good samaritan heard the terrified Lab barking for help and he then in turn called for help. In these type of cases it is usually the brave men and women of the fire and police departments that are the ones to respond to help. They have the protective suits and proper gear to usually be able to bring the dog out of the water and back to land. But it is not always that easy a job, many times the dog is frightened or too weak to hold on until someone can reach him. Sometimes out of fear the dog may bite his rescuer also. In this case it was a happy ending as the dog was wrapped into warm blankets and then rushed to an emergency vet clinic.

Of course preventing all of this in the first place is the only way to stop these tragedies by not allowing your dog to run loose and also using a leash when going for a walk. In the case of seeing a dog stranded in the water in an icy pond, river or lake, you may be tempted to try to rescue the animal yourself. But people have lost their lives while attempting a rescue so it is always best to call for professional help. Hypothermia is a deadly threat that can kill in minutes.