Top Dog Breeds Built for Swimming  

Legendary lifeguards built to haul heavy lines and nets between boats and shore over rough northern seas.  

Newfoundland  

Exuberant “Labs” originally helped Canadian fishermen wrestle tackled giant sea trout despite hours battling icy waves and tides.

 Labrador Retriever  

Brawny German duck hunters adroitly charging into lakes and rivers to retrieve waterfowl with passion before hearthside cuddles.   

Standard Poodle  

Hardy mid-Atlantic American breed famed for fearlessly decoying and tackling flightless winter ducks in freezing coastal waters of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay.

Chesapeake Bay Retriever  

Enthusiastic sporting curly double coats impervious to chill, providing stamina during all-day retrieving sharp-tailed diving sea ducks for Victorian market hunters.

 Irish Water Spaniel  

Athletic fishermen leaping off boats to run messages between ships and recover lost gear around Portuguese fishing villages.

Portuguese Water Dog 

Tireless “bird dogs” plunging into lakes and rivers after downed waterfowl before proudly trotting quarry home with permanent smile.  

German Shorthaired Pointer

Dog Breeds Boasting the Curliest Tails