# what's the "right way" to teach a dog to swim?



## kellykelly (Jan 27, 2012)

methods are difference but when I've asked around 70% said to just go on a dock/boat in deep water and drop the dog along side, and walk away/steer the boat away from the dog so the dog has no choice but to follow you, and swim. the rest said to leave the dog at shore/poolside/whatever and walk away from them into the water so(especially if they have separation problems)they'll try to follow you, and attempt to swim by themselves.

these, mostly the first seemed harsh though...
but I need to teach xerxes how to swim, never had to before.

I was at a friend's yesterday, their dogs were swimming in their indoor pool, but one of the dogs didn't know how to swim and fell in the deep end after trying to get something in the water. I snatched him up...but when it happened I thought of xerxes, wouldn't want that to happen to him. 

it's probably a stupid thing to ask because pretty much everyone knows how to teach a dog to swim...;-;
are these methods really nessecary? they seem mean...x(


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## brandypup (Jan 23, 2012)

I dont know. I think it's a natural instint to 'swim' for the dogs. That said if my bath tub is too full the chihuahua sinks.


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## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

my dog was 6 months or older before he started going in the creek.
in the begining i would go in the creek with just deep enough where
the water was a foot or more deep. my dog could walk in the water.
we slowly went out further and further. sometimes i would throw a stick
a little ways from us and he would go and get it. i never forced him to swim.
as he got my comfortable with the water the further we went out. my dog played
with a lot of the dogs that were around the creek. having other dogs around swimming made it
easier to teach my dog how to swim. he slowly followed the other dogs into the deeper
water.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Well, Jackson was 9 weeks old when I brought him home in December, and he was not introduced to a pool until May so he was around 7 months old? My dad has a pool out back. He always enjoyed jumping on the top step and naturally would go in there to cool off on a hot day. I did put him in the pool a few times and made him swim to the steps so he knew how to get out. The following summer, when he was 1 year old, is when he began diving. I would get him all amped up and then I'd jump in, and he just couldn't stand it anymore, he followed in! Once I got him a lifejacket, he REALLY became confident and found it very very fun. He doesn't need the jacket so much anymore but I still use it if he's going to be in most of the day, so he doesn't get too worn out and can last longer. With him, I think it was me making it positive thing (i.e. having fun with him) and I started bringing treats out with me so every time he got out of the pool after swimming, he was greeted with a treat.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

Not all dogs can swim. Both my Lhasa's sunk like stones. I've never even tried to see if my Chows could swim. They just seem to be built all wrong to swim so I've never taken them near water. Rocky might be able to swim since he isn't all chow. If we were the type that we going to be on a boat or near water a lot, I'd definitely get Rocky a life jacket. Just because of all his hair. He might be able to swim a little but I think his hair would weigh him down in the end. 

I would think it would depend on your dog. Take him to shallow water and let him wade in with a leash on and see what happens. To be safe, a life jacket certainly isn't a bad idea.


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## trikerdon (May 14, 2011)

All the dogs I have had just did it. If I were you I would take your kid to the shallows were you have control and see what happens.....


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

The rehab specialist we take the dogs to says we need to put a harness on Rebel and walk him out into the water. Snorkels, we can just hold up.

I got a little pool last summer and tried with Snorkels - she hated every minute of it. She never actually swam because I was holding her, she was just paddling.

We'll try Rebel here when the weather gets warm. I don't know if Dobies are natural swimmers, but he's gone by himself into the lake about chest high.


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## Maxy24 (Mar 5, 2011)

First I'd want to make sure the dog enjoyed the water, it would stink if you did something like plop him in the deep water and destroy his image of water forever. So take him somewhere that he can wade around. Then maybe play ball, throw it where he can walk, then a tiny bit too far. Walk out with him and encourage him to try and get it, push it ever slightly closer until he'll go for it. I think that first time trying to get their feet off the ground is hard, they don't know they can swim, it must feel like stepping off a cliff. If the dog is food motivated enough you could probably lure them out enough to grab the treat then let them do what they want. I think if you just get them to play enough in the water they'll eventually start doing some paddling. The first time Tucker swam he was just wading around but got zoomies and went too far lol. He's also done it going after his ball. He doesn't particularly enjoy it, I still don't think he finds it comfortable, but he can do it.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

We tossed treats into the water for Zuri to learn. We first dropped them on the shore line (generously), and then just barely in the water, progressively putting them a few more inches out further and further. Once she got used to the feel of water on her body, we started taking her deeper and deeper. 

We also had a slow moving creek/channel that had a bridge across it,only like 4 feet across or so. We had a friend hold her on one side while we went to the other and called her. She was apprehensive at first but then bolted through the water. After that it became a game to her! 

Once she got used to running through deep water we went swimming out at dog beach. She would run into the water deep, and then follow us the rest of the way in actually swimming. This all took about a year to complete. 

Taking it nice a slow is the best way to go. I would NEVER force a dog to swim because that can/will have the opposite effect and scar a dog for life against water.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Yep, make it fun, lots of treats, lots of encouragement, shallow water chasing the ball or whatever toy they really enjoy and with patience, you'll get there. Lots of dogs don't like swimming pools, the sudden drop off scares them, but if they can run and play in shallow water, they'll build their confidence a lot quicker. And, like what doggiedad said, other dogs that are already confident swimmers playing with your pup in the water will work wonders.


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## hmbutler (Aug 4, 2011)

Wow, I never even considered having to teach a dog to like the water and to learn to swim... the joys of having a water-loving labrador hey :wink: he just jumps right in! always has lol


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## Makovach (Jan 24, 2012)

Tucker learned to swim at 7 weeks on his own. We were hiking in the woods and left him
on the bank and got in the creek with the adult dogs. He whined and barked, but the entrance to the creek was a out 6 inches deep. He decided to get in. Slowly but surly. He watched as Annie, and my friends dogs ran though the water and decided to fallow them. He freaked out at first, but he swam back to the shallow end. After taking him a few more times he decided he loved it and now he is a natural. He loves to swim in the creeks ponds and resivores. 

Annie on the other hand. She knows how to swim, but chooses not to. She likes the water until its to her neck, then she stops. Rarely will she go in after a ball, and she will only do it if she knows she doesn't have to go far. 

My friend taught her dog by putting a harness and 25ft lead on him and going to the middle of the pond and splashing and yelling in excitment.

My sisters dogs learned because she leaves their leashes on them at the pond and Tucker drags them out and leaves them. Its force... but I guess he though some one had o do it lol


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

I threw sticks into the shallow area so she would get her feet wet... then deeper... and deeper... and off she was swimming around.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Some dogs just aren't natural swimmers even labs...When I was taking my Cayenne to swim therapy Carrie had many natural swim breeds that were afraid of water, and her job was to help them get past their fear. Some of those fears happened because of the owners wanting things to happen too fast and didn't take their time introducing them to the water slowly.


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## xchairity_casex (Oct 8, 2011)

i would NEVER just toss a dog into the water to learn how to swim! if the dog is a bad swimming or isnt built for it invest in a life jacket for them there not that exspensive! i plan on getting one for cesar this summer though he enjoys swimming and was more then willing to jump nito the water on his own he sometimes is not a strong swimmer and panics a little if he goes out to far and starts getting tierd and i want to do more swimming this summer then i did last.

but i think if you want a dog to learn to swim better or at all= get a life jacket for it
if you want the dog to enjoy the water use other water loving dogs as incentive
teach them how to go up and down the steps of the pool
use favorite toys to toss into the pool/lake
use treats that float to toss into the pool/lake
vist lakes or ponds often in really hot weather to encourage your dog to cool himself/herself off by entering the water
get in the water with your dog and have a good time


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

my parents tossed me into the deep end of a pool. that's how i learned.

i would not do that with any dog.....even though i am not scarred for life and i can swim.

but ......the first thing i would do is invest in a life vest....i lost a dog to water.....something i still can't talk about.

even though fang was only ten weeks old...it's horrifying and that is scarring.

my shih tzus and lhasa poos and poo poos and all of my litle poos hated water....they liked riding the rafts in the pool, but sank like chowder's stones....when they went in....that was the era in my life when i had ten dogs....the only one who even liked water was my cocker spaniel.

if i had a pool now, i could see malia and bubba swimming, though i will say all of my former dogs loved the hot tub....they would readily go in there. go figure. i had spa dogs.


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