Our dog, Rosie, is an 8 year old black Labrador. She is a rescue dog. Usually she is very sensible and calm, despite being very people-centered.
In 2025, after a night and a day of heavy rain, my partner took her for a walk along her favourite section of the Tweed, near Maxton. The river was in spate and with a strong current.
Suddenly, and for no apparent reason (no people or dogs around), she decided to jump into the river. She was immediately swept down with the current. My partner phoned me in horror and shock – I jumped into my car and drove to Maxton, grabbing a dog whistle as I went. (I don’t know why – Rosie never responds to whistles).
When I arrived at the riverside a distraught partner was leading what I took to be a huge drowned rat along the path. Rosie had been in the river for about 20 minutes looking for a way out. She was exhausted and shocked, but could stagger.
The moral of this tale is: the river Tweed is beautiful, but keep your dog on a lead if it’s near the riverside!
And…whatever you do, don’t jump in after the dog. They are strong and resourceful, and usually find a way to save themselves.
