Teaching your dogs to swim.

seabird · Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 51

Hi everyone,

Found these suggestions for teaching a dog to swim.

One suggestion was to put up a a small wading pool and when
the dog is small let them play in it with water in it. Of course watch
with your puppy or real small dog and keep the water a few inches.
Increase the water as the dog is comfortale with it.

The other is to put a life jacket on your pooch. Having 2 persons
working this plan. One in the swimming pool and the other out of the
pool near the steps going into the pool. After the life jacket is on then
put the dog on the first step and allow the dog to get use to the water.

The person in pool takes the life jacket handle and gradually urge
the dog out in the water off the steps. The dog will probabley want to
go back to the steps and that is okay. Let it go ahead back to steps.
Gradually work the dog back out into the water a little further away from
the steps. Soon the dog will catch on and will start swimming on its own.

Results from been that the dog doesn't need life jacket and will jump by
its self into the swimming pool. So good luck and hope this helps you
training that dog to swim with you.
Wink

Emmalou · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 52

All dogs should have the opportunity to go to the river or the
lake areas. Our little BJ learned real quick to swim when we went
camping and all of us went swimming in beautiful area in the park.
We did use a Life Jacket on BJ, but it wasn't long that she would jump
in the river and just go off to the other side. Of course it isn't very
wide where we go. But would recommend the doggie life jacket for
small dogs when out on the lake or large pool areas. BJ just loves
the water, but she could give out if she had to swim for long hours.
Any way this is a good post about teaching dogs to swim. Cool

texbean · Joined: 19 Mar 2007 Posts: 175

I hate to sound Stupid. Razz

....But I thought all dogs had a instinct to move
in the water. Reddog took to the water as soon as we moved into the country. Of course crosses the creek all the time and the pond on
the ranch is larger, but reddog swims pretty good. Well I guess those
life jackets are good for dogs on lakes and at the ocean. On my way
to get into more posts here.

jazzgirl · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 74

Took Flossy out to the pool and she loved it after I worked her
into it by following the post here. It does work and when ever I go
out to swim Flossy is right there. Lots of fun and now I'm don't worry
about her when we are out side near the pool.

Thank you for posting the How to teach a dog to swim here.
It does work. Flossy says, yeah great fun.

moneylady · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 282

laura · Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 66

I'm very pleased with the advice to help dogs to get into the water and to swim. And we enjoyed the outings this last week at my Mothers'
house. Her pool is small and ketsup jumped in and surprised us all. My
mother just looked shocked. But when I told her that we were teaching her to swim. But now I think she can swim just fine. At least she not
afraid of the water. Wink