Della drying off post-jump at Slide Lake. (Craig Blank)

The dog days of summer are over, but don’t tell the dogs. Wyoming canines spent those hot, long weeks leaping into lakes, splashing through rivers and wallowing in the coolness of wet places.

Basil, who hails from Laramie, leaps into a lake in California’s Sierra Mountains. (Emil Gercke)

WyoFile readers submitted the proof: photographs of their pups jumping, wading, swimming and taking part in what is likely the highlight of their season.

Louis shakes off after a dip in Lake Hattie in July. (Rose Curtis)
Sibley soars into Lake Louise during a smoky summer hike. (Karly Copeland)
Stella pounces on the Snake River at dusk. (Emmett McLaulin)

Some have excellent form. Others make messy splashes, or weren’t exactly captured mid-flight.

Zooma takes off from the dock at New Fork Lake in a photograph that doesn’t quite capture the whole picture. (Angus M. Thuermer, Jr./WyoFile)

“They aren’t jumping but they sure love water,” Chris Brown said of his water-loving labs.

Water-loving labs Elsa and Molly in their element on Horse Creek. (Chris Brown)
Josey splashes into Moose Lake. (Katie Klingsporn)

As the owners found out, capturing that mid-air moment can be tricky.

“Hope it fits the bill!” wrote Kristen Gunther, who snapped a great shot of her dog Zelda. “It took a few tries.”

Zelda shows good form as she jumps into a pond near Lander. (Kristen Gunther)
Louis snags mad air over the Laramie River while photographer Rose Curtis snags a crystal clear reflection from the still water. (Rose Curtis)

Some dogs leap into alpine lakes, others wade through town watering holes.

Hollow cools off in the Big Goose River. (Anna Stratton)

For Lucy from Laramie, the days of river frolicking are in the past. A backyard pool suffices.

“Five years younger and you wouldn’t be able to keep her out of a mountain river or stream,” owner Maryalice Snider says of Lucy. These days, cooling down in the backyard pool is enough. (Maryalice Snider)

“What can I say, hot in Laramie and she’s an old gal here,” owner Maryalice Snider said.

Photographer Celia Talbot Tobin even snapped a photo of a rare newshound breed fish-flopping into a lake in the Bighorn mountains.

Spotted this summer fish-flopping into a lake: the rare newshound breed, WyoFile reporter Andrew Graham. (Celia Talbot Tobin)

With fall approaching, many dogs now look forward to bounding through the frozen iteration of their favorite medium. And WyoFile looks forward to seeing the pictures.

(Nancy Carson)

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Katie Klingsporn reports on outdoor recreation, public lands, education and general news for WyoFile. She’s been a journalist and editor covering the American West for 20 years. Her freelance work has...

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