We have been allowing Jethro to gradually build his confidence in the water and right now the conditions are perfect. In the evening the tide has come in over the hot sand and the water is lovely and warm. The beach slopes off at a gradual angle, allowing my husband to wade in up to his waist, and then call Jethro. By the time Jethro has reached him, he is swimming. He is still a little panicked as his feet leave the ground, and tends to try to hold is head high while chopping at the water with his paws, but as he settles down, he relaxes and swims nicely with his head gliding smoothly through the water.

I'm curious how others taught their dogs to swim, and what kinds of games they play with their dogs in the water. Jethro is not a big fan of fetch, although he will do it when there is a giant stick (or log) to wrestle with (or he thinks he has a hope of getting the toy before Skipper).

Skipper swims like a seal, he will go through anything to retrieve a toy.

http://s1095.photobucket.com/albums/i466/dawgworld2010/?action=view&current=IMG_0361.mp4

I am so jealous of your swimming spot! I live in the Great Lakes state of Michigan and still cannot find anywhere to swim my dogs locally!

Jethro looks like he is doing great

I haven't taught any of our dogs to swim although I probably should teach our little guy as a precaution. The three big dogs came to us knowing how to swim strangely. Our 3yr lab, Pongo, whom we've had since 8 weeks is a wateroholic, as she scared us as a small 4 month puppy by running to the end of the boat dock on a stock pond and jumping in. Now I have to make she wears an e-collar to get her out, and spell words like Bath, shower, hose, sprinkler, slip-n-slide and kiddie pool around her. However she didn't care to fetch, loves to pack and keep up with bicycles though. Our 6yr lab/golden mix, Trigger, can swim but prefers to lay in the shallows. Hobbes (lab/shepherd) can also swim but doesn't offer to although he doesn't mind being hosed off when hot. He will also fetch but sure about swimming out to get it. So Balto is the one I have to worry about.

I have a mal puppy i took her to a large pond. she walked out in the water for a few minute's, then started swimming, my friends were there they couldn't believe it. now she doesn't want to come out of the water.i have timed her 45 min. i take her swimming 3 or 4 times a week i don't swim so i'm at her mercy (lol i don't care i'm retired)) make sure you take off the collar, just in case it would get caught on something.

My previous dog Sierra, wouldn't go near water for the first year of her life. As a one year old, she suddenly discovered she loved the water but unfortunately sunk like a rock when she got in over her head. She would push off the bottom, get herself to solid ground, throw up all water she had swallowed and head right back to the water. Finally after about 6 months and giving me numerous heart attacks, she one day just started swimming.

Not wanting to go through the same thing with my current dog, I found a place that does swim therapy for injured dogs. I signed Sasha up for swimming lessons and within three lessons, she was swimming without her life jacket. It was a small, warm, salt water pool and I got to go in the water with her. She didn't look too thrilled the first time or two but by the time she had her second lesson, she was having a blast chasing toys.

Edited by Debbie Martin (08/07/2011 12:48 PM)
Edit reason: spelling

With Ryuk I used a harness on a long line, walked him gently into the river (after some splashing around the shore, he's always liked water that doesn't have soap in it) and first supported him up with the harness, then let him go, then helped him keep his body straight (his butt sunk like lead the first few lessons until he learned to kick). I had him swim to me against the current, it was like a little treadmill. I then introduced him to being in the water with me at "swim" level with my shoulders under so that he learned that he needed to watch his paws around people and not claw them under the water.

Today he was introduced to rough loud scary waves the first time, jumped right in same as the first times I took him out he wore a harness and a long line for safety at first. To make sure the waves were of no concern today we played tug and frisbee all through them, by the end both of us were trying to use the waves to disadvantage the other (I would pull low so that the wave would catch him in the face, he would reverse rapidly as an aggressive wave hit my knees so I'd fall.

at training, we had the helper go out in the water waist deep and the dog swim's for the bite, if the dog doesn't let go on command. the handler has to go in after him. (lol)

(this exercise is for fun only... in the real world a bad guy could easily drown a swimming dog. it does help the dogs confidence in water)