[jlutgendorf]

We took our pup, Keira, hiking yesterday and the trail wound around a stream/creek with some areas with sandy banks. So we went down to see if she'd like the water (she's got super webbed feet, but that doesn't mean she'll like water).

Well, the little bugger just went crazy! She was jumping and splashing and chasing floating leaves. We would throw pebbles out around her as a game and she would dunk her whole head under water! She must have been either opening her eyes or feeling with her nose because she would come up with a stick or leaf that she pulled from the bottom. I didn't know that dogs would put their faces under water.

It was super cute and she had such a great time. So for those that dogs like water, how do you teach them to swim? Or do they just know? It may be a moot point though as I'm not sure where near us has water deep enough/safe enough for swimming anyway.

Are there any precautions to take? Obviously I won't let her in any water I won't get in, but anything else to worry about?

~Julia

 

[oneKnight]

Um, I think most just know how to swim, even kittens know how to swim even though they hate to. We just took Dusti swimming one day and she thought she could swim across the whole lake even though she'd never swam before.

The only problem that we've had is that the dog will just swim swim swim, even though there is no where to stop in the middle of the lake, so I worry about her swimming out and getting tired. We just swim with her and don't let her go any further than we can stand up.

 

[Arduinna]

I've never had to teach a dog to swim, they just naturally start paddling once the wter gets deep. Our dog loves to put her head under the water and blow bubbles

She also likes to "fall" in the pool and then swim to the steps.

 

[SevenVeils]

We had to teach a dog to swim. She was a Brittany/Queensland Heeler and she liked the water but had no clue what to do. My partner would get in up to his shoulders and call her, she would swim to him and he would catch her, give her lots of love and let her get her bearings, then I would call her back to shore where I was standing with a baby in a sling.

Before we did that, she was really lost and didn't know what to do. She just kind of floundered around getting more and more scared.

When we went to Lake Tahoe last week Ulysses spent a long time digging in the shallow water. He also drank as much as I would let him. Not sure, but I think he was trying to empty the lake?

 

[jlutgendorf]

Yeah, my mom had to teach their mini poodle to swim, or maybe she had to teach him to swim to the steps of their pool (they have an odd shapped pool with only one real area a small dog can get out).

I think it's so cool that they'll stick their faces underwater. I don't know why, it just seems really neat to me!

~Julia