dog training, dog care, dog behavior, dog behavior training, dog video, dog bite statistics | Teaching Your Dog To Swim

Teaching Your Dog To Swim

Posted on May 17, 2008
Filed Under dog training | Leave a Comment

Dogs can instinctively swim, most times.  However there is always a first time that a dog enters the water, and how they enter it will shape its attitude toward swimming, as in humans.  The way to get your dog to be confident in the water the first time is to enter a rather shallow pond or lake or stream with it.  Bring along a dog toy, and throw the toy to progressively deeper waters and encourage the dog to swim toward it by swimming there yourself. Inspire confidence in the animal by not forcing it.  You will notice that there will be automatic instinctive dog paddling as the dog enters deeper water. 


Bringing along another dog that can swim will inspire your dog to swim.  Some owners go to the extent of fitting their dog with a dog swimming life jacket.  These usually have handles that you can hold onto to lift your dog out of the water.  It is advisable to flush the dog in fresh water after the swim to ensure that no chemicals or bacteria stay on and cause problems with the coat.

Have a look at this dog enjoying its swim in the video:

 

Comments

Leave a Reply