Tips for Teaching Your Dog How to Swim
Some dogs are water babies who love to splash around and are natural born swimmers. Other dogs completely detest the thought of getting into a body of water, while the rest may not even know how they feel about swimming. Teaching your dog to swim has many benefits though, it’s a great source of exercise, helps your pup cool off in the heat, and could save them if they ever found themselves accidentally in the water.
Let your dog get comfortable
When teaching your dog how to swim the first decision, you need to make is where to go. You don’t want to go somewhere with extremely deep waters or strong currents. Ideal spots would be a pool or a small body of water that has a gradual slope to walk into. Once you’ve picked a safe place, you’ll want to relax your pup and reassure them this is a safe and fun environment. Start by playing a game or throwing a ball near the water. This will allow Fido to become comfortable with their surroundings and make getting in the water that much easier.
Know what you’ll need to bring
As mentioned before, you’ll probably want to start by playing with your pup, so be sure to have a ball or their favorite toy handy. Secondly, you should bring some treats to allow positive reinforcements whenever your dog does well or just to remind them that being in the water is a good thing. A final item to consider is a life jacket. A doggy life vest will assist them in learning the basic movements of swimming without completely tiring them out and also will help in avoiding some potential dangers. Life jackets for dogs also usually provide handles on top so you can quickly grab your pup or provide them with more support when they’re first learning.
Getting Your Pup in the water
When you first introduce your dog to swimming, you’ll want to bring them into the water slowly. Know that when a dog first learns how to swim, they usually try to frantically grab the surface with their paws, splashing around frantically. You’ll want to calmly support them and try to help them learn how to swim gently with no splashing. Holding up their handle and supporting your furry friend’s belly will help them learn how to also use their back legs when swimming. Praise and reward your pup when they can successfully swim calmly even if it’s only a few strokes. Be patient with Fido, learning how to swim takes practice. When you think your dog is ready, let go of the handle and see if they can swim alone, then try to see if they can swim to you from a short distance away.
After Your Swim Lessons
Once you and your canine have had enough of swim time, teach them how to get out of the water properly. If you’re using a pool, teach your dog to remember where the stairs are so, they can easily climb out instead of being stuck trying to jump onto a ledge. Afterward, make sure to rinse your pup off to remove any chemicals or bacteria they may lick off later. Finally, make sure to give your dog plenty of verbal and physical praise after every swim lesson to remind them that this is a fun activity.
Teaching your pup to swim may be difficult at times and may take a bit of practice, but having the peace of mind that your four-legged friend knows how to save themselves if they ever fall in some water is worth it.