Playful Dog Becomes Terrified Of Large Salmon

Lily is a six month old Golden Retriever cross who is full of energy and enthusiasm. When Nicole and her mother took her out to the creek that runs through their back yard, Lily discovered that there were great big salmon making their way up river to spawn. Nicole can be heard laughing as her mother tries to tell Lily not to go in the creek. Nicole seems to understand that there is no way to prevent what is about to happen. Being the friendly dog that she is, Lily leaped into the water and tried to play with the fish. Just as she got close, her new friend turned and swam right at her, splashing vigorously and making a lot of noise.

Lily suddenly became frightened and she turned to get out of the water just as quickly as she went in. The fish does an about face and so does Lily, suddenly deciding that she wanted to get close after all. Lily looks confused as she searches in the shallows for a sign of the fish. The salmon returns to the deeper water in the middle of the creek and Lily prances around on shore looking for another fish to play with.

Eventually, Lily sees a few more salmon and she jumps into the water again, seemingly braver this time. The salmon don't seem as enthusiastic as Lily and they stay in the deeper water where she won't go.

Nicole and her mother continue to laugh as Lily wades in the creek, looking for some fun. This Goldie is a very curious dog and she would love to catch one of the salmon, except for the fact that they are so big. This is the first time that Lily has seen fish and it is a completely new experience for her.

Salmon will make their way up this creek, and any other river that leads from Lake Ontario, as they obey a natural drive to find the same spawning grounds from which they came. They live in the deep waters of the Great Lakes for three years before making a long and difficult journey, following the female salmon to where they will lay their eggs. For the majority of the salmon, this will be their last swim. A high percentage will either perish on the journey or soon after the spawn.

Incredibly, salmon go through tremendous physical change before they embark on their run. The males develop a large, hooked beak which will be used to fight with other males. Both the males and the females also develop large, dog-like teeth as the battle for breeding rights can be ferocious, and often fatal.

The life cycle of the salmon is brief but fascinating!