Canal danger

[Who me ?]

Prompted by one of a dog jumping a canal . Don't know if many know it ,but canals( certainly our nearest one) has a strange feature on the other side of the tow path. Someone told me it's a drain for when the level is too high. ( Our local one has no locks any near,that I know of) . This drain is protected ,in our case ,by a set of metal railings. Layout is some concrete blocks set about 2-3 ft apart,and of unknown depth. This one( and I'd suspect most) have a lot of weed growing up and hide the water ( of depth unknown). I sometimes in summer take mine up the canal path ,as a change. New smells, occasional rat scent ,etc. He's normally OK, and stays away from the edge -not a water lover .He has on occasions,when it's very hot( or a hot spell early on when he's not had his summer trim), walked into a stream up to his belly.Cooling off ,I suspect.
But this time ,he decided to walk into this drain, and went under. There's not a lot of room for a dog to swim, plus the weeds,and getting out could be a problem . I grabbed him by his neck loose skin and pulled. Suspect adrenaline played a large part .Got him home and gave him a shower -he stank .
But it could have been so very different, especially if he'd been a big dog, I might not have been able to get him out with limited space . . Might be able to get some photos ,but in meantime look out.

[johnnywgk]

Hi, do us all a favour and edit that, put some paragraphs in.

I've noticed people don't like reading a huge block of words like that, (they quickly move on) it does your eyes in.

Good thread i think dog walkers should read.

[bexVN]

Once you've read a few of who me?'s posts you get used to it . An individual style for sure.

And yes a good thread, canals are not safe areas for anyone, dogs included.

[davepoth]

My brother has one of these for walking his dog, it stops it from getting into trouble. Perhaps you should get one?

[otolith]

Sounds a bit of an odd structure, but canals can occasionally have such things.

[Sargeant Orange]

I think they are pretty common and something to do with saving the water that flows out when barges actually use it (a problem way back when I believe).

Our lab certainly gave us a fright when he jumped in when he was a pup chasing a duck and couldn't get back out, even more so when he seemed to be sinking (Wtf?). Had to lie flat on the ground with the mrs holding my ankles to haul him out, much to the amusement of lots of people around at the time

[moosepig]

To function as navigable waterways canals rely on maintaining a fairly constant water level. As such they are fed from reservoirs, rivers, streams and other canals. Canals do leak a bit, but the main drain on water is the use of locks. When the supply of new water exceeds the locking demands of the waterway's traffic - most often during the winter months when there is more rain and fewer boats - the excess water has to go somewhere controlled, or the canal would flood and become unusable. Hence spillways, which are weirs at the side of the canal set at the maximum level that the water should reach, with any excess pouring out the side into an adjacent watercourse. This, I believe, is what you have found.

Dogs should be on leads near navigable inland waterways; canals and rivers are full of man-made water management devices weirs, spillways, culverts etc - they are often hidden and always dangerous. Not to mention what you have already discovered - canal water is generally far from clean.

HTH

[Who me ?]

I take him other places now ,where he doesn't need a lead ,unless there's a Staff around.
Have heard it could well be spillway, and I don't know who got the bigger fright,him or me .
He's never been interested in water. As far as he's concerned it's only for drinking.
He's only once waded into a stream ,and then it was very hot.And only till the water was halfway up his sides.
But to him this was not water.He may have thought it something to investigate as it looked more like wet ground than anything else .

[johnnywgk]

Oi you/Who me.... Paragraffffffz please. I'm pizzed
and struggle with a mass of words in one block.

Keep ya dog safe.