It was nice to see this relevant and germane article, but I would like to share a heads-up: Last month, when my wife -- situated in the pool just as the author is shown helping her dog get up steps -- had lent assistance to our dog struggling to do the same, his flailing rear leg unintentionally ripped deeply into her lower leg, resulting in a trip to the ER and 34 stitches. Our lovely, strong, 30-pound dog, naturally, had no idea what had happened. In some cases, it may be safer to assist from up on top.
1
My Dachshund swims very nicely. We started him early and we make sure he know where the steps are but every so often he forgets where it is and tries to climb up the rim which is quite impossible. Someone mentioned putting a potted plant next to the steps so he knows where it is, I think that's a great idea.
I appreciate articles like this because dogs are family members too and need to be taken care of just like children do, they are our responsibility. I know there are still people who would think swim lessons for dogs is silly but all in all I think most people understand, and hey who cares what people think anyway!
2
A neighbor places a potted artificial plant on the top step of his pool so his lab knows where to get out. Our Doodle wants no part of the pool, but at low tide we take her to the beach to run because we don’t have much of a yard. Big problem: She loves to chase birds who fly out over the water and incoming waves soak her. It’s loads of fun, but I constantly worry about riptides, so only do this in calm seas...still I worry because rips are always a possibility.
2
I got an idea. Don’t get a pool. Someday it will just remind you that you are no longer young.
1
My spaniel/poodle mix swam admirably when he accidentally fell into my pool. But without help he would eventually have weakened and drowned because he wouldn't swim toward the stairs, which were his only way out. After that, we practiced with a life jacket until he consistently swam toward safety. We repeated this practice early in the season for a couple of years until I was comfortable that he didn't need it any more. Charlie hated being put into the pool. I felt sorry for him. But it was necessary.
I keep looking at this first fabulous photo and can practically hear these pups yapping in dog dialogue, "Last one in the water is a "scaredy-cat"!
1
Most dogs get their first swimming lessons from genetics. But. perhaps some additional may be helpful in some cases. Have you also scheduled eating lessons for Annie?
2
I taught all our dogs how to swim in a pool. Walked them in via the cast concrete steps in the shallow end and boosted them up the aluminum ladder steps in the deep end starting when they were pups. In due course, they could all get out of the pool at either end. The younger ones watched the older ones do it and that helped. None of them ever tried to pull themselves out of the water along the coping.
I wondered if a ladder exit was realistically possible until the oldest one did it. It wasn't hard to train them to do it, but I think it was important that we did it when they were quite young and thought nothing of it.
The first rule is to be in the water with them and work closely with them for short sessions. If they don't learn to trust their human and then trust the water, none of the other skills will follow readily.
With the ladder exit, the critical thing to teach the dogs is that there are steps under the water, and that their rear paws can consistently find those steps. Any dog can put its front paws on the top step. Once they have confidence that they can find the lower steps with their rear paws, they're good to go. Keep the claws trimmed so they don't skate around on the metal steps. and can make good contact with their pads.
6
We regularly swim our Labrador in our pool. We also made sure that there are steps and that the play has totally familiarized him with getting in and out. We have a fenced yard and leave the pool open most summers. On hot days he just strolls in, takes a dip and comes out. But, he's also a Lab and bred to this. I'm not sure how it'd be with a Corgi or Pomeranian or any of the non water dogs.
@AnObserver
Our Corgi is a great swimmer! Long back, broad front paws -- he paddles like a champ, head and nub well above the surface. It took a season for him to decide he wanted to try it... but now he herds the kids on land AND in the water.
1
We had a Labrador growing up. She taught us how to swim.
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@tom harrison
How can a person NOT love those labs!
While my husband and I love all dogs, it's those labs that continue to steal our hearts.
8
My dearly missed Golden Retriever Hayley wasn’t fond of the pool I had in California, at a neighbors suggestion I would carry her in then guide her to the steps so she knew how to escape in case she fell in, her distain for the pool didn’t stop her from prancing around the edges while I swam.
After moving back to NY she would wade into a local lake or the Hudson, but only up to her belly, I started to wonder if maybe it was the chlorine in the pool since she could control her entrance into the pool like she did at the lake and river but never did it on her own. Every summer I would conduct “retraining” for her in the pool ut she never got comfortable with it.
My now late Pyrador loved water and went to it immediately. He swam often in open river currents (the Snake) and never needed a lesson. My terriers? A completely different story. Both hate water and avoid it. If they accidentally encounter water they seem not to know what to do. I was pleased to hear about these lessons. I live near one of the best veterinary schools in the country. I will forward this article to friends there. Maybe this is something they could teach as a community service. Thanks for this very informative article!
4
Interest aside, the inability of these dogs to swim clearly demonstrates how heavily and carelessly we've messed up this species. Legs too short, faces too flat, coats too heavy, bodies too disproportionate... What used to be a magnificent, strong and healthy animal - the wolf - has degraded to a gargoyle caricature of itself, unable to perform the most basics of life tasks such as breathing, let alone swimming. And for what? To satisfy selfish human needs. Including the most selfish of all - to have something "cute" to look at (if you can even call flat faces cute). At least the short legs had a practical purpose, to hunt foxes in dens. But others are purely superficial, for the looks alone, and serve no purpose for anybody. Anybody choosing to buy dogs of the affected breeds is complicit and propagating the problem.
This is the 21st century. We know better. We don't hunt foxes in holes anymore. And we have a better understanding of animal rights, animal health and animal suffering. We should be doing better than this, and giving dogs their health, mobility and dignity back, not perpetuating the problems of the past and degrading the animals even further, crossing other breeds with daschunds to intentionally spread the dwarf legs that hurt their spines and make them unable to walk, run and swim properly, or breeding for ever flatter snouts that put the dogs at risk of dying just for running after a ball on a summer day.
If we end this, maybe dogs won't NEED swim lessons.
15
I have three dogs whom I hunt with. I have scores of friends with hunting dogs who use them for exactly that - hunting. I’m grateful for the generations of breeding that went into these fabulous animals (what you call “messing with the species”) and I Marvel at how we make up a perfect team that works in unison. I believe ranchers with herding dogs the world over may feel something like that as well. Dogs mean different things to different people and there isn’t one right way to define the relationship between human and canine.
14
@Nefertiti. You make it sound like the dogs are suffering. Far from it. Because humans domesticated the wolf far more canines exist today than would ever have existed in the wild.
On a side note, people have far more important things to worry about than the features we bred into or out of the wolf. Seriously.
3
Terrific piece, Ms. Miller. It is really sad that dogs who only needed a little training are left alone to fend for themselves in the water. It is as bad as parents who leave dogs (and children) in hot cars with the windows shut.
3
I think that this article is nice, considering its educating dog owners and people alike that you should be exposing your animal to these conditions and teaching them to endure or overcome. It's just in case, but you never know what life brings to you. You can think your dog will never be exposed to water like that, but life is spontaneous. You could experience a house flood, or a car crash into a lake, there are limitless possibilities. Plus it’s good exercise for the little pooch.
5
Our spaniel loves the pool and so we have to have an eagle eye that he does not get in unsupervised. All of the child protection systems like alarms and fences and locks work to protect him as well. Two things. We keep a bright yellow cone on the apron to mark the underwater steps and he is not allowed to get in when the solar cover is not completely removed from the surface. Having said that it is a delight to watch him take a flying leap into the pool and paddle to his heart's content.
4
I live in Florida. My new dog has gone swimming in a dog pool but does not like it. And paddles as fast as he can to get out of the water. I got him a Ruff life jacket in case we ever get flooded. Good thing to have since the weather and climate are unpredictable.
5
@Lauren G - Even if your dog loved the water and was a great swimmer I still think your Ruff life jacket is a good idea. Floods can have debris that knock us unconscious, they come with lots of fun currents we can't handle, and after a while, even an Olympic swimmer gets tired.
3
When I saw the title, my first thought was "and next, teach birds to fly?". After reading the article, I agree. If you have a dog with short legs or has never been near water, you should take step to give them some training. And set up your pool so they can get out.
6
My father's poodle drowned in his backyard pool a few years ago. If your yard has a pool, make sure your dog can and will get out on his own. "He never goes near the pool" isn't enough.
4
Great article. I’ve had Pulis, a Hungarian sheepdog. They and Komondors (their enormous cousin) have dreadlocks. It seemed obvious once I understood, but when their hair gets wet it is so heavy that their swimming ability is not enough relief to their sudden weight when soaked. Twice my most agile one jumped in but could not get herself out of a pool or lake. Luckily I was with her both times. The benefits of sheepdogs ... our family is their “herd” so they are rarely out of sight.
2
My dogs start in relatively flat water. I had a ball crazed frisbee crazed German Shepard who would go out into surf to fetch.
My idiots have tried to catch ducks in a pond but the ducks just tease them.
Tried sailboarding with a dog by bunji cording a towel on the deck, but that didn't work out.
I had a Husky mix that swam and walked across the Potomac river from Virginia to Maryland, just below Great Falls when I capsized the canoe too many times surfing it.
Ran up the rocks where hundreds were sunbathing and spent the afternoon playing poor pitiful puppy and begging food. Georgie was a bandit. He would swim 12 months a year.
The best part of swimming them is if they are pulling out on rocks it wears their nails down and you don't have to trim them. And you have a tired high energy dog, and a tired puppy is a good puppy. Beware of the undeniable temptation they will have to eat or rolling dead stinky things.
1
It's not obsessive. Dogs have to be taught to swim. Horses have to be taught. Most land beings have to be taught to swim. Some are better at it than others. Don't be foolish. Pay attention!
3
Short legged breeds, lapdogs, and “earth dogs” are not really designed for water. Best to keep them in the kiddie/wading “little dog” part of any pool.
My cute little terrier was, as expected, just not into water at all! But he did like running around the public pool during the end of summer “dogs only” day. Mostly sniffing butts, watching the labs jump in and out, and being adored and petted by every woman there.
2
It's also important to remember that even dogs that are strong swimmers, like retrievers, can get so caught up in enjoying their water time that they don't realize how tired they are.
I used to take my golden to the beach to fetch in the surf, and I'm sure she would have exhausted herself had I not limited her swim time.
4
I live near that dog park in Durango, Colorado; and although my dog is an excellent swimmer (we had to teach her), I do not go there because it is right next to a big rapid and whitewater park, (and also it is built on an old uranium mill site-reclaimed, but still makes me a bit uneasy...). Iris, my Aussie, almost took a ride down the rapid once, and it scared me very badly. She is brave and strong, but she is still a dog and totally dependent on me to be safe. Thanks for writing this. And hold your little furry loved ones close :-)
5
When our older Westie’s health was failing, my daughter decided to take her kayaking on our sit upon kayak. I was incredulous, she had never been a water dog, only venturing to stick her paws in. She found her sport...she perched herself on that kayak and sailed off. When she was brought back up to deck, she sat and watched, waiting to make her escape and bee line back to the waters edge to be picked up. She soon had a life jacket for her adventures. We still smile at the thought of Chloe racing to catch her ride!
4
My beloved yellow lab is a terrific swimmer but ran into trouble once when we were hiking in an unfamiliar area on a hot day and she decided to jump in a fast- moving irrigation ditch. She survived but had pretty significant scratches and other injuries after being swept out a long way. She almost made it out a few times but ultimately wasn’t strong enough. I felt awful for not keeping her on leash in unfamiliar terrain and I have taken that lesson to heart. And i was grateful to local law enforcement who ultimately found her and brought her back!
Swimming lessons for dogs sounds kind of silly at first read but it can help dog owners be aware of some of the different hazards out there and how their dogs will act around water. Ultimately it sounds like a good learning and bonding experience for dog and owner. Though I have to admit doggie life jackets seem like a bridge too far.
2
Sorry but we should be much more concerned with the number of children who die by drowning each year. More than 2 children under fourteen die by drowning per day (including in bath tubs) and an additional 5 per day live but need to be rushed emergency rooms. Of the 5 half will be permanently disabled in some way including brain damage. The National YMCA, some states and some cities are trying to do their part by providing free swim classes to ensure that all can swim regardless of background . This should be our priority over dogs.
@Patricia Lin
There's room for both discussions.
As a former pet parent, who will never have kids, but more than likely adopt another dog, this article is informative.
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@Patricia Lin
I hate righteous comments that always have to point to another issue. You can do that with literally anything.
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@Patricia Lin
Hot take, but I don't have children. I do have a dog.
14
For those who have dogs that love to get wet, I also taught mine to shake off their coats on command, which I was determined to do after they soaked down the inside of my tent.
I regularly took them to a local lake and watched them closely for the moment they signaled the urge to shake themselves off. At that moment I would command "Shake, shake, shake". With repeated application of the command, they quickly associated it with the action and shook on command. Saved my home, tent & vehicle on many occasions from water, mud & dirt.
10
I could hardly contain the enthusiasm of my rescued Corgie-retriever mixed dog, Petey, for the river that runs thru Austin. He had his own professional fetching baton even. Long backed, short legged, but with big webbed paws--he was the perfect paddler. He put the purebred retrievers to shame. I missed those halycion summer days at Red Bud Isle with my buddy.
7
Swimming pool covers present another danger to your pets.
Chasing a small animal across a cover could be deadly.
I had to pull a friends 105lb Shepard out of a diving well. We were checking on a pool that had been drained down below the skimmers and the dog went in. He was down about a foot below the deck level. No walk out area, only a ladder.
I reached over the side of the pool while prone and grabbed his substantial collar. Started to try to drag him up. Felt something grabbing on my pant leg. It was he red Doberman, trying to help drag us both. Got the Shepard out.
That dobie was crazy smart.
7
I am too old to have to adjust to a world where people take dogs to swim lessons.
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@Travelers Traveler, there is such a thing as dogs brought up in cities without streams, rivers, beaches and pools in backyards. We brought our 4 year old Welsh Terrier to his very first beach this summer and, with waves crashing all about, I thought letting him loose was probably not too smart on the first go. I'd like to think that all dogs have an innate ability to swim, but as a dog owner I'd rather err on the side of caution first - he is family after all.
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@LTM
I'm also too old to have to adjust to a world where dogs are family and not just pets.
3
@Travelers "...dogs are family and not just pets."
I'm trying to figure out how to interpret that word "just" without imagining that a dog's purpose in the home is supposed to be the amusement of human beings rather than a two-way relationship in which both species benefit each other. Of course, I speak as someone who has never had a dog, was afraid of the small packs of dogs that ran the streets of my neighborhood when I was a kid, never wanted a dog, was once bitten by a Golden Retriever whom I thought was friendly (I probably made some mistake), but can also shed tears over a video of an unconsolable dog missing an owner who has died, thereby demonstrating the loyalty of these creatures that is sometimes deeper than our own to each other.
2
I'm sure my cat wants swimmingl lessons too. My pet rock does not however.
1
Few years back, my husband was caring for a neighbor's black lab over the Christmas holidays.
One day they walked to the park by Lake Michigan. The lab slipped out of his harness and ran to the edge of the icy shore and felt into the freezing water. He could not lift himself back onto the ice because he kept slipping back into the water.
To this day, my husband has no idea where his upper body strength came from, but he was able to pull that dog out of the water and onto the icy shore, saving his life. There are more reasons than not as to why that dog could have drowned that day.
I think this article is a very informative one, but I think it's equally important to stress that owners should be careful of the water themselves. Just recently, I read about a young man who jumped into a lagoon to save his dog who jumped in. The young man drowned, but the dogged was able to get out of the lagoon on his own.
3
Sometimes it's best to just avoid the water. Swimming lessons would not have helped the lab in the freezing water. A lot of those drowning situations aren't about being able to swim or not (which is the main emphasis of this article), but being unable to get out of the water. That's a different thing, and needs a different approach - not to sign your dog up for swim lessons, but to avoid certain water-related situations altogether. Maybe don't go walking near the lake if it's frozen, or don't take the dog to a pool that doesn't have underwater stairs (or fence your pool in if you have one).
5
@Nefertiti
I agree completely with your assessment!!!
After that near fatal disaster, they never walked near the lake again - in winter. Sadly, this story is one that is repeated every winter. Some poor 4-legged soul gets off leash or away from its owner, heads straight to the water, where a tragedy will unfold.
I do believe the trick is for a dog to find a way out of a water situation rather than simply being unable to swim.
How perfect chocolate lab LOVED the water and was swimming when she was 12 weeks old. I don't know how to swim and never took her to the beach without my husband. We always listened to the weather reports because often times, Lake Michigan has strong under currents and rip tides that could claim a person or dog in a New York minute.
3
I happened to be in Durango at the end of June. Took my year old Chocolate Lab to the same park. The Animas river was not just high, but I believe at near historic levels. Rosie is an excellent swimmer, but I didn't let her get near the river. I was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to rescue me nor I her.
8
"And some dogs, even if they’re considered water dogs, like labs and retrievers, just might not be interested either."
How true. Our Portuguese Water Dog would go wading in local rivers and pools, but not swim -- a great conversation starter. "Your water dog won't swim? Hilarious." But she later surprised us by swimming across a fast-flowing mountain river. I thought I'd have to jump in to rescue her. But she swam like Esther Williams, to check out something on the other side. It seems she's always known how to swim, but just prefers to stay dry.
9
I had a Porty. Amazing canines. She took swimming class in NYC with BetsyK9. She did well. I miss her.
3
I have two flat-coated retrievers, the very definition of water dogs. The older one took to the water instantly as a pup, and has been swimming ever since (she'd really rather swim than do just about anything). The younger one, however, would only wade. So, though abashedly feeling like an obsessive dog-owner, I bought her a couple of swimming lessons at a place here that specializes in that sort of thing. She was a bit tentative at first, but now swims rings around her older sister. I felt most gratified.
13
I'm with a breed specific rescue and we have a firm rule on placing dogs -- the applicant can NOT HAVE A SWIMMING POOL on the property (unless fenced off with a 3ft or higher fence & locked gate.) Shelties - because of the coat - can get into trouble in the water
While Shelties can be taught to swim, we don't go ahead & place a dog in the hope that the adopter will (a) modify the pool so the dog could get out & (b) teach the dog to swim & develop the muscles to do it & (c) teach the dog how to use the exit modification
As to which breeds swim, I have had
(1) Boston Terriers who swam like fish, jumping in off the bow of the 45 ft boat & able to go up the vertical ladder on the stern
(2) A Golden Retriever who was the worst swimmer EVER & sank like a rock (bad conformation made him flail with his front feet)
We live on the Lake MI beach & the water IS the hydrotherapy for fitness work & age-related orthopedic problems.
The Kuvasz (ancestors of Great Pyreenes) are not a water breed but all go in on command with me & do their 3 swim sets of 15 minutes each & their 1 mile chest deep wade 2-3 times a week from May until snow
The Shelties do it too. When the 1 was learning to swim, the long thick show coat would make him start to sink after 75 feet. I would pull him up by the coat, let him catch his breath then say "kick harder" (as did his rehab vet) By the end of the summer he could swim 2/3rds of a mile nonstop & put 7/8 of an inch on his thigh muscle diameter
3
I had a Shelty that was almost swept away in the Kings River (Kings Canyon Park). My friends Irish Setter .went in the river and Bandit followed her in. The Setter swam away but Bandit was soaked and sinking, I risked my safety to save him.
2
We taught two of our Labs to swim by taking them to a boat ramp. The ramp tilts down gradually, so it was easy for them to become accustomed gradually. Once they realized that they could actually swim, that was all they wanted to do.
Our first male Lab didn't want to swim even though his big sister and we encouraged it. He had a mild seizure disorder and had auras. He knew when he was going to have a seizure. Once we put that together, we realized that he was probably afraid he'd have a seizure in the water and drown, so we stopped encouraging him. He did love running water, however, and took a shower (yes, in the tub) every morning of his life.
1
@David C. Murray How did you know your dog had "auras"?
2
We're on our third miniature schnauzer in 28 years. Our first, Valmont, was chasing my brother-in-law's sailing captain as he swam laps back and forth underwater in my brother-in-law's large pool. Valmont though something was wrong with Capt. David and was barking until he fell into the pool. I gestured to David to push Valmont out onto dry land (he hadn't a clue about how to do this himself), and my sister-in-law provided a towel and a hair dryer.
Valmont's mother fell into her owner's pool at age 15, couldn't find her way out, and drowned. At nearly age 16, Valmont, whose was gone from cataracts, also fell into his mother's owner's pool at dusk, when playing with the dogs he grew up with. He couldn't find a way out, and drowned.
Our second schnauzer, Django, never swam, but did travel to Europe with us--four times. He died prematurely of leukemia at 10-1/2.
Our nearly three-year-old Donner never has gone near water. Perhaps he should learn to swim--as should I at 68!
Excellent article. It’s a myth that some dog breeds (like retrievers) swim without being taught. In swimming pools it’s a good idea to have a couple of portable ramps as I’ve seen dogs fall in, panic, and not know how get out (even retrievers). Please re-publish/adapt this article next year at the start of summer—you will save even more lives.
13
@Larry Kay Anecdotally, I have owned a total of 5 Golden Retrievers over my life span of 79 years. Not a single one of them were 'taught' to swim. Every one of them took to the water like they were dolphins upon their first exposure to water. Two of them jumped into a flowing river in Minnesota during the winter and swam to the other side, and then rolled in the freshly fallen snow covering their golden wet fur with a coating of snow. I thought they looked like polar bears, and they shook it off with smiles on their faces. Retrievers are bred as hunting dogs to retrieve ducks and geese from lakes and streams during waterfowl hunting season. But I agree with the fact that a dog in a swimming pool needs to be shown how to get out by knowing where the steps are (not a ladder).
9
@Larry Kay It's not a myth.
2
Some dogs and breeds aren't adept in the water due to body construction. This is especially true for brachycephalic dogs: Boston Terriers, French Bulldogs, Pugs, Bulldogs. For my Boston Terrier, we had a nice fitting life jacket that allowed him to swim with ease. Please, if you have a dog, don't assume they are natural swimmers. And consider getting them a safety floatation device that will allow them to enjoy themselves without danger of drowning.
4
So in the early eighties I took my Giant Schnauzer to lake Michigan off Lincoln Park in Chicago. lowered my self into the water from the rocks and the pup naturally followed. Following that day not a puddle went by that that dog did not swim in.
A couple years later we added another Giant Schnauzer to our family. She was a rescue who had been caged for most of her life and had to learn going up stairs and walk outside. Swimming: forget about it. Terrified of water. Would not follow the other dog anywhere near the liquid stuff.
Then one day at the lake, It was hot and I decided to join the first dog for a dip and dove headfirst in Michigan. Perfect water so I dove and dove and dove again and the other dog looked on. Then all of the sudden she jumped in. Not lowered herself in. Jumped in . Full extension dive. And started to swim.
And until her death 10 years later she never entered the water except by diving in even from a sandy beach. Full extension.
Learned by example I suppose.
6
Swimming is also great exercise for aging dogs who are suffering from arthritis or neurological problems. My elderly labrador is suffering from both and benefits greatly from swimming in a nearby pond during the temperate months and at an animal therapy center during the coldest winter months. Just make sure to keep a watch on the conditions of natural water while being aware of identifying Cyanobacteria or what they call blue green algae. A clear, deep spring fed pond would be the most optimal choice and don’t forget the life jacket! Not only would you want to protect your pet, but also not have to risk going in after them either....
2
Dogs love water and instinctively know how to swim. They do not need swim lessons. They just need an easy way to exit the water.
13
Not all dogs love water.
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@Stevie
100% swimming pool dog drownings are to due inability to exit the pool --
Silly filler -- then again the Times need fillers.
2
@Stevie
Hogwash. As many hate it as love it
Some breeds (or individuals) love it and some loathe it
Swimming is hard for the long narrow-bodied breeds - extreme example of that body are Greyhounds
Conformation defects can make it hard - hip dysplasia is one. (And they are BORN with that even if you don't see the symptoms for years)
Some Boston Terriers are water rats despite the shape of their face & nose but most dislike it because of the water getting up their nose.
My 18 month old near-Champion Kuvasz girl is an excellent swimmer - very buoyant & so much power to her kick that the top of her rear is actually out of the water. And she is very very nervous in the water - does it when I take her in for her swim sets but worries & needs to be reassured going in. I never take her in if Lake Mi is at all bouncing around - she would panic
My 18 month old Champion Kuvasz male was dreadful at swimming - rear end sinking so he was trying to swim with his body at a 45-60 degree angle to the surface. He has gotten better over this summer (abdominal & rear muscles are stronger) & his rear is only at a 15 degree drop now. He was sublimely confident in the Lake from Day 1 - plunges in when I go in.
Their dam is a fish - only goes in if I tell her to come in but once in she can handle waves so big that they lift me off my feet. Totally confident from Day 1. Only dog I have ever seen who can drop her rear & tread water in place. But will NOT GO in on her own
2
Hi everyone-
I am a first time dog owner living on a Greek island. I'm hoping somebody can give me advice and/or some suggestions...
I have an awesome, but traumatized rescue dog, named "John Lennon" :) who will only go up to his lower legs in the wonderful sea we have here. I would love for him to come swimming with me, but do not know how to go about it or if I should just leave it. The very first day we did go to the beach with other dogs he went right in and swam, but since then, even if other dogs are present he has never gone in again. He just patiently waits at the waters edge for me until I come out.
Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.
@john
If John Lennon doesn't want to swim, honor his choice. He tried it once and apparently decided it isn't his thing.
4
lol
I actually finally read the whole article after my comment and got some good ideas I hope. Thanks for any additional suggestions.
@B Dawson
Great advice.
Thanks.
We have a dog floatation jacket we put on our lab when we go kayaking . You never know why you might end up in the water and the last thing I’d want is for our dog to drown. It’s got handles on the back which is good for helping an overboard dog get back into the boat. BTW - I wear my jacket too, things you didn’t expect happen and our dog doesn’t want to watch me drown .
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I can’t believe that this article didn’t mention that there are several devices one can hang from the side of a swimming pool to prevent animals from drowning.
Skamper-Ramp and the Paws Aboard Doggy Boat Ramp will enable dogs and other mammals to climb out of a pool. The Frog Log and the Critter Skimmer will prevent smaller animals like frogs, turtles, etc., to escape drowning by enabling them to climb out of a pool.
We purchased a couple of these devices for our pool after we came upon a baby rabbit swimming to exhaustion around the pool’s edge. I grabbed the cap off my head and scooped him out of the water; the poor thing lay for an hour or two on our shaded pool deck trying to recover — which he did.
These inexpensive products are readily available online; just Google them. Please spread the word!
Also PETA has an online article entitled “How to Prevent an Animal from Drowning in Your Pool” that is worth reading.
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@Participate In Your Democracy> Hats off to you! Thank you for this reply.
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I had a dachshund who swam daily in cape cod bay. Pure determination and a joy of fetching her stick overrode the limitations of her little legs.
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I’ve always had dogs that liked swimming, except for my last dog, a rescue who’d probably never been around water. But the only thing she was more afraid of than water was abandonment. One hot day in Fitchburg I found some small lakes and swam across one, calling to her all the way. She ran back and forth along the shore, but ultimately she was too afraid I’d leave her, jumped in and swam to me. From that day forward she loved water.
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I also have an Annie Oakley cattle dog mix - Annie “Banannie” Oakley. Inspired to get her back in the water now. Enjoy your articles and the Running newsletter very much!
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In case a reader hasn't seen it, two dogs died recently after jumping into a pond - not from drowning but from some sort of blue green algae bloom. I bet this is noted in the NYTimes archive. Another gift of overly warm bodies of water.
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I wonder if Annie is 8 years old and a rescue from NC. She looks identical to my dog.
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I had two dogs, a male golden and a female lab mix. The golden loved the water and swimming to fetch a ball. The lab mix, not so much. They developed a tag team ball-fetching operation. The golden swam for the ball and dropped it at dog chest height near the water’s edge. The lab then grabbed it and returned it to me triumphantly awaiting her due praise.
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@JF Best reply ever! Adorable story.
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Those dogs are so cute. I could see where an animal would have trouble getting out on the sides. It's pretty hard for people, too.
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Great article. Thanks for writing and publishing this topic.
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Our "best dog ever" was a Golden Retriever, a natural swimmer. In those years, we had no pool.....but we lived near many small lakes and creeks. WHENEVER he could run away (which he did only in order to swim, not to "leave home", because he eventually always came back!) we'd find him swimming somewhere.
One day a rather large group of people had gathered and were watching something. My husband went up to them and they were all watching our dog swim. He was going up and down the smallish creek, over and over. The people were saying things like "maybe he'll drown", "what should we do" etc. My husband explained the situation.....(BTW, the small creeks and lakes were full of smallish alligators, snakes of all kinds, and nutrias....among other things)....another time I'll tell you about he was bitten by a Cottonmouth Water moccisin, and yes they are poisonous. He killed it, did a sort of whiplash move, and broke it's back).
HE was truly our best ever boy, and lived to be 14 years old!
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Years and years ago a neighbor used to call us to say that our lab Phoebe was swimming in her pool, please come get her. One day she called and said your two boys are in our pool, is it okay? Lesson: despite laws not everyone has a properly fenced pool. Beware!
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I've been rafting and canoeing with a variety of dogs for 35 years. A few lessons learned:
If you capsize in a large body of water, like a lake, some dogs will tire themselves swimming around the boat and the humans rather than going for shore. For this reason a doggie flotation jacket is good even for good swimmers. Also, dogs don't understand currents and river hazards, so a life vest is helpful there too.
If a dog swims in a river it is up to the people to keep the dog away from hazards like rocks and trees in the river that can trap an animal or human. Don't take a dog along unless you are knowledgeable and capable about doing this.
I once assumed that all Labs and Goldens are automatic swimmers. One of my pups almost drowned at an early age. This caused me to swim in street clothes on a cool day to rescue her - lesson learned. Once the weather warmed she learned very well by swimming with her people, and became an awesome swimmer.
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We constructed a shallow pool in our back yard for our adopted retired service dog because we had been told by all our friends with labs how much they loved water. Since our service dog had been an urban working dog, his access to water was limited so we thought he would love the play time opportunity. We tried every treat we knew he loved to get him into the pool with very little "stay" time as a result. Once in the pool, he simply stood with his attention focused on what I was doing. His only joy came when we released him to his normal place beside me.
To our dog, the water simply meant another barrier between him and the person he adopted in our house to be his to care for. (me) My days of closing doors to use the bathroom or to dress were over when our super attentive dog came to live with us. He had been trained in the days when service meant 24/7/ So we turned the pool into a planter and all of us were happy.
As he aged more, our lab became willing to delegate more and more of his care of me to our recently adopted standard poodle. She did not always meet his standards for attentive behaviour so we would often hear a low growl as she "pranced" (as only a standard poodle can do) around our fenced yard finding new toys.
My life is once more filled with only cats so I miss the dogs who graced our homes.
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@Lynda We had the good fortune to adopt a "career change" yellow lab from Guide Dogs for the Blind, at age 18 months. His extensive training did not include exposure to water, swimming not being a needed skill. Camping this summer, our 12 year old lab-pointer mix jumped avidly from the beach or the dock into the lake to retrieve a floating toy as she has for all of her summers, but the younger lab, who normally is game for anything involving a toy, wasn't having it. Wouldn't do it for kibble, praise, cajoling or coaxing. At one point, a man on a stand up paddle board cruised by the dock and said hello to our reluctant lab, who took his invitation immediately and hopped aboard, and was happily "hanging ten" off the nose of the board in seconds. Guess we'll be bringing a paddle board on our next trip.
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Annie is super cute.
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Controlling the urge to shake their coats after emerging from water can be done easily by teaching the "shake it up" command, both verbal and by hand signal so the dog will shake off water on command. Allowing the dog to shake only when all around it are prepared lessens the irritation of random flying water for all. The command also works on
dogs wet from rain or covered in snow.
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If you’re building a pool and want to keep pet safety in mind, include a “beach entry.” This sloping entry point can literally be a life saver in providing pets with a safe way out of the pool, and we’re careful to train each dog we foster in using it.
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Lived in Missoula for 17 years, we all had dogs, all backpacked, had canoes, and all swam. My two dogs, Samoyeds, loved water, and even put their heads completely underwater, nudging rocks looking for fish. A friend had a lovable Shepherd/Collie mix who wouldn’t swim. This was a bother on our backpacking trips since we had to cross water all the time, and usually camped at high mountain lakes. We decided to do something about it. An irrigation ditch parallel to the Clark Fork River, near our house, had a gentle current, banks that were easy to climb, and a large drainage pipe passing over it. Our dogs wouldn’t walk on the pipe, but we all did, which forced the dogs to jump in the ditch and swim across to follow us. We did this a dozen times; the Shepherd/Collie was at first reluctant, but after two tries, jumped right in. On our backpacking trips from then on there was no problem getting him to swim. Sort of like the swim lessons described here.......
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@Montana Gal In SoCal
Ah, Sammys. My girl loves the water, any water, anywhere, although she doesn't put her head under. That is a terrific image.
A most interesting feature of my girl's coat is how easily it comes clean of the sand after a day at the beach. Mind you, there is afterwards a sandy outline of my Samoyed wherever she has been lying.
1
When our two yellow Labs, litter mates, were pups, I bought each of them a rubber ring, blue for the bigger, fatter Lab, B, red for the slimmer, one-minute-older Lab, A. These were their colours throughout their lives.
I didn't realise that the rings were denser than water. When my children threw the rings in the pool, the rings sank.
No matter, A dived in immediately, swam down to the bottom of the pool like an otter, his tail corkscrewing, skimmed along the bottom of the pool, grabbed the ring from the bottom, swam back to the surface, leaped out the pool.
His brother, never the athlete that his twin was all his life, was dumbfounded. But when it was his turn, he duly followed suit. Because he was fatter, he was more buoyant, so found it harder to corkscrew down. But he managed it.
Each Lab knew the colour of his own ring. If both rings were in the pool, then each Lab would pick up the right ring. If occasionally, one Lab picked up the wrong ring, then he would drop it back in the pool, then swim back down to retrieve the right one.
It's been a while now, but I still miss each of my beloved boys so much. When each Lab died, it ripped a piece out of my heart that will never mend. I'll never get more dogs. Two were enough for me in my lifetime.
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@Colenso:
Can I try to change your mind? I've actually lost count of how many dogs and cats I've had since age 4 or so....we now have two cats, one dog.
YES it horrible and heartbreaking to lose them. I feel like, as long as you've given them the best life possible, it is natures' way that they live so much shorter than we do.
There are so many homeless and abused dogs through out the world. There are Korean dogs rescued from dog meat farms, brought here to try to find them homes. There are dogs from bad situations in the U.S. brought to other parts to try to find them a home.....the shelters are, in most places, full. You really don't need a pure bred dog!
Get one or two more in honor of the two beloved ones you lost.
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When I lose my beloved dog it is terribly painful. I wait about a year and know I can love again.
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@RLiss-“You really don’t need a purebred dog!” On the contrary, I have lived with multiple roommate’s dogs adopted from shelters and have observed frankly disturbing behavior from them: aggressive behavior towards kids, willful destruction of property, overly protective, untrainable. You countered your own argument, many of these dogs come from very abusive environments, and hence have severe behavioral issues. Not that all purebreds are amazing (I would never consider adopting a Rottweiler, etc), but one at least knows they likely have a set of predictable traits; especially when you get it as a young puppy. Our ten year old lab lives up to the stereotype: overly friendly with everyone here including strangers, active, emotionally sympathetic, a ferocious appetite and he loves taking two dips in the pool everyday.
2
Thank you, this article brought to mind a treasured memory.
I took my two dogs, a lab and a BMD/collie mix, to a dog rescue camp for dogs and their people. There was a lake and my lab jumped in and my BMD mix watched from shore. He must have been about 10 then, and a very smart guy.
After 2 days, I saw him wade in the water. On day 3, while I was watching my lab and another growl over a ball in the water, Cutter swam in between them and grabbed the ball. Self-taught and self-possessed.
The next day I didn't see him as we were packing up to return to the B&B and found him with 2 trainers and a pack of border collies headed toward the lake. He'd found his sport.
RIP, Buddy. I miss you all the time.
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I put my young dog into a pool to make sure he could swim. He knew how, but wanted to get away from the water as fast as he could.
Then he made friends with another dog, who is an excellent swimmer, and at almost 8 years old, became just as eager to fetch the toys out of the water as the other dog.
He’s quite the eager swimmer now. Loves it and goes into it with a lot of enthusiasm.
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People need to be very careful if they have an above ground pool because not only young children, but also cats, dogs and other animals can get in, or fall in, and then be unable to get out. A cat drowned in my friend's above ground pool. She is still haunted, traumatized and heartbroken over this years later.
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@Madeline Conant
As will all sorts of wild animals. Chipmunks especially. It the summer when water is scarce, they will go into the pools.
2
This is great! I’d try it with my tiny Yorkie/Shih-Tzu mix who loathes the water. The one thing that would still worry me is the idea that because a dog has been guided to steps in one pool, he will understand that there are steps in other pools... my trainers have taught me (and I’ve observed) that dogs don’t generalize.
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When I had a pool, I put non-stop strips on the top rungs of the ladders so that my dog could climb out without help.
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