“Come on in. The water’s fine!” (Photo: two dogs enjoying a swimming pool)
Swimming is a great way to exercise your dog. A lot of people have an easier time teaching their dog to swim using a river or lake that has a sloping shoreline. Some dogs have trouble learning if there are large waves, so aim for a calm day if you’re on a very large lake or going to the ocean.
Start small. Play with your dog on the shoreline or a wading pool in your yard (Photo: two sleek grey dogs prance along the shoreline)
Magic learned to swim in a swimming pool. The tricky part about this, is that dogs don’t know there is a step in the shallow end. We know it’s there, so we expect them to simply hop down onto it and swim away, but dogs need to be shown that the step exists before they can learn to use it.
Is there another stair over here? (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler stands on the top step of the shallow end of the swimming pool, reaching ahead of her with one paw)
In time, your pup will learn to use the step to rest and to exit the pool (Photo: Magic the Rottweiler swims back to the step in the shallow end carrying her ball in her mouth)
Here are a few tips to help your puppy or dog learn to love swimming with you:
POSITIVE — You wouldn’t appreciate learning to swim by being thrown off the dock (this happened to my father’s best friend, and trust me, it wasn’t cool!) If you have a new puppy, take your time introducing them to water and make sure that the experience is positive. You can even begin with a wading pool at home. Use a few liver treats and their favourite toy to entice them into the water. They don’t have to swim on day one, they simply need to learn that water is fun. This also makes bath time a LOT better, so really take your time here and enjoy yourself. Your puppy will enjoy it too.
SOUND — Humans use a lot of sound energy. We talk in excited voices and when we get impatient or frustrated it comes out in our voice too. The last thing you want to do is to teach your dog that water/swimming/bath time makes his human tense/excited/frustrated. Begin working with your dog around water when you are in a calm and confident state of mind. Your dog’s natural curiosity will draw them to you. If you wade along the shore, they will likely follow you and get their feet wet too. If you begin swimming, many dogs will simply follow along and join you.
Dogs follow leaders (Photo: dog following a surfer toward the ocean)
3. DON’T PANIC — If you’re training your dog to swim in a swimming pool, do not panic if they fall in. Calmly and SILENTLY join them in the pool. By the time you react, they will likely already be above the water and attempting an awkward doggy paddle. A new puppy may require a hand under their belly as they figure it out, a new rescue dog may just simply begin swimming. Move calmly toward the stairs in the shallow end. Your puppy or dog will most likely feel the stairs beneath their feet and use them to get out. Don’t make a fuss. If you freak out, yank them out of the pool, repeatedly say “It’s okay baby. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” then you will teach them that water is something to be avoided at all cost. If you spend the rest of the day holding your breath every time they approach the edge of the pool, worrying that they may fall in again, you will begin cementing the idea that the pool is dangerous.
If your dog loves fetch, you can use that to teach them to love the water (Photo: Irish Setter retrieving a tennis ball out of a lake)
If your dog is barrel-chested (Rottweiler, Boxer, Bulldog,) invest in a life jacket. Magic can swim without it, but over time gets lower and lower in the water as she returns with her ball. The life jacket allows her to swim much longer, which is awesome because I could happily play with her by (or in) the water for hours.
Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing her life jacket
Be patient with your dog as she learns to swim. You didn’t learn how to swim in one day either.
Good luck, be safe, and have fun!!
Alyssa
Photos by: Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler swimming in a lake carrying her favourite toy,) Gayatri Malhotra (two dogs enjoying a swimming pool,) Nathalie SPEHNER (two sleek grey dogs prance along the shoreline,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler stands on the top step of the shallow end of the swimming pool, reaching ahead of her with one paw,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler swims back to the step in the shallow end,) Taylor Deas-Melesh (dog following a surfer toward the ocean,) Ryan Stone (Irish Setter retrieving a tennis ball out of the water,) Alyssa Foulkes (Magic the Rottweiler playing fetch in a lake wearing her life jacket.)
Edited: July 15, 2022