Get my dog to like swimming?

[Pareeeee]

So summer is here and as soon as the lake warms up I wanna go swimming!!!

Anyway, Fidget loves baths. She loves wading, in doggy-hip-deep water, but does NOT want to swim. We've put her in deep(ish) water and she panics with her eyes bulging out and swims VERY awkwardly and loudly. Then you practically have to drag her back to get her to go to the water, lol.

So my question is, how do I encourage her to enjoy the actual swimming part of water? It would be so fun to take her to the (dogs allowed) beach with us!

Thankee for upcoming answers!

 

[release the hounds]

going with dogs that like to swim can help.

with dogs that like to fetch you can toss a toy just a bit further each time. They will swim awkwardly, one of mine was like that, tried to swim with her head three feet out of water, front paws thrashing wildly and not looking like she liked it much.

But she loved to fetch, so just short ones at first and she got more comfortable. For a while I just threw them parallel to the beach so she could run in shallow water then up to her chest and so forth, so it wasn't always run out and then suddenly no footing. It really got her comfortable with water. Then had her go with my others that loved water and she chased them far out and learned that she could settle and swim instead of thrash.

Now she's jumping off docks and goes crazy anytime we are near water.

 

[JacksonsMom]

A lifejacket really boosted Jackson's confidence. He would lay down on the pool step to start because he watched my dads dog do that. Then I brought his favorite treats out and guiding him even further. The first summer he showed interest in the water and laid on the step, and would even lay on the rafts, but was not doing any jumping in or diving. His second summer, I bought the lifejacket and he learned that jumping in was REALLY fun! I just kind of let him do it at his pace without really "forcing" him though I did put him in the first few times with the vest on. I also would jump in and encourage him and show him how I did it and he started following me.

Now he does this every weekend at my dads house: http://www.chazhound.com/forums/t135655/

 

[nikkiluvsu15]

LOL - Harleigh is the opposite. She is absolutely tortured by baths, but swimming? Best thing ever!

Honestly, some dogs just aren't water dogs. I've never had to get a dog to like swimming, so I'm not much help, but releasethehounds had some good suggestions.

 

[Linds]

Second what RTH said! That's pretty much exactly what I've done with Traveler. Dogs that swim+tennis ball+running in the shallow water.

It's been slow going and a lot of it is maturity I think. Also, hot HOT weather makes him a lot more likely to swim. I also find when I can walk out there a bit he's more willing to go deeper

 

[katielou]

We went to a doggy swimming pool to teach Abe to swim.

 

[MandyPug]

Pug mixes don't tend to be swimming dogs, but with a life vest they do get used to it and end up liking it. Get her a life vest and i'm sure she'll figure it out, some brands are Ruffwear (my fav), Body Glove, and Outward Hound.

 

[Katkoota]

LOL - Harleigh is the opposite. She is absolutely tortured by baths, but swimming? Best thing ever! .

Haha - same with my two maltese. Bath is evil, but swimming is the dog world's BEST sport for them.

Honestly, some dogs just aren't water dogs. I've never had to get a dog to like swimming, so I'm not much help, but releasethehounds had some good suggestions.

Some dogs i came across to interract and spend my time with every once in a while arent into this either because of fear or simply, they just dont enjoy it.

I like the suggestions that were givenbto u. I would try them and find out if my dog would be into enjoying the swim. If i realized that my dog doesnt like it, i will not make her do it

Good luck

 

[Specsy]

Not to be a doom sayer but Bella LOVES baths and splashing in puddles as well, but she will not swim. She will not even go into a pond that is dog knee deep. Even if she sees Leo splashing about and enjoying his swim. Sometimes you just need to accept that your dog won't swim.

 

[Snark]

Riley followed the older dogs into the lake, and then they pushed/herded him into deeper water (I think it was an attempt to lose their annoying little brother) but he wound up swimming instead. Last year he wasn't real sure about the whole water thing, this year he's a lot more comfortable, so maturity may have something to do with it.

 

[Shai]

Kim learned to swim by following other dogs. First my SIL's dog when she was a puppy, then she forgot she knew how to swim until she followed Mira in last summer. Seems to help if the ground is a natural firm slope. Now she loves swimming again and will sometimes just jump in and swim around aimlessly, just marveling at her own superpowers lol. She won't retrieve objects in water (icky lake water in mouth is ick), but will herd or follow Mira out and back all day long.

Mira...um bad example lol. She was fascinated with water from day one...took her off lead to a nearby park when she was about 11 weeks old and she ran across the park after me, zig-zagging from puddle to puddle just to feel the splash. I didn't have another dog to teach her how to swim, so I did the whole throwing-stuff-farther thing. Actually the one that got her was an accidental throw...bumper went to far. There was a mostly-submerged fallen log...she inched her way out on that, with most of her body in the water, then grabbed the bumper, losing her grip on the log, and swam back. Has been swimming without hesitation ever since. But she wanted it all along...she was just sure about the logistics. I have a vid of her first swim around here somewhere, it cracks me up...

Webster will swim only if his life depends on it. He likes to be really warm so the cooling aspect doesn't appeal, he will retrieve on land but it's a means to an end not something inherently reinforcing to him, and he has no interest in following the girls out to sea at all.

 

[Shai]

Mira's first swim. Ignore the chatty lunatic holding the camera...
YouTube - ‪FirstSwim - Short Compress.avi‬‏

Here's Kim's first swim as an adult, last summer. She's the same height as Mira...but she doesn't realize she can touch the ground again and keeps going...lol
YouTube - ‪Where's the Ground?‬‏

 

[PWCorgi]

Frodo HATES swimming, but when we went on a walk through the woods in Wisconsin he followed Buzz (SpringerLover's dog) into the shallows to wade.

I want him to like swimming SO BAD, but I don't know that he ever will.

 

[Blue_Dog]

Sam swims when he's following others, sometimes he won't actually swim but he has fun following the other dogs as far a she's willing to go so I don't mind. He was petrified of all water when we first got him so I'm just happy that he does enjoy the water now. Every time we get close to the water now he tries to drag me down to the beach. But with fines being handed out left and right in a city where dogs aren't aloud to touch the water let alone swim he likely won't be getting much swimming unless we walk out to the hidden beach my friend found.

 

[Lizmo]

I taught Blaze how to swim at 8 weeks old, along with Jake. I held his tummy/chest while allowing them to figure out how to use there legs in the water. Then slowly started to let them swim around while still holding there tummy/chest. Then I just slowly released my hold on them and let them swim by themselves.

If your dog is small enough, maybe try holding her in the water. Showing her that it's okay? Be very calm about it, though. You freak, they freak. Your calm, there calm.

 

[BostonBanker]

Meg was an excellent wader when I got her - clearly no fear of the water, but she wouldn't go in past her belly. I was very careful to never force her into the water (with my old dog, I'd carried him out and plopped him down - he hated water for life!). What finally got Meg swimming was me going in first. I'd take her to the local reservoir and go in swimming myself. She wanted so badly to be with me that she'd stand as deep as she could, and gradually inched out closer. Now, she will never be a pretty swimmer - she always tries to go with her head high and her back legs down the first few times! But she loves to swim now, and the water is oddly one of the few places she really enjoys playing fetch.

 

[Pareeeee]

Thanks for all your helpful answers! I guess I've been sort-of on the right track but should get a life-vest to make her feel a little safer.