There's this feeling that people have about dogs, especially water retriever dogs like labradors. They feel that dogs are somehow born with an innate ability to swim. As dog myths go, this isn't a particularly useful one. You need to know that even water retrievers can't just swim when you throw them in the water. They need to learn young – old dogs being the way they are and all. But the myth may not be totally meaningless. While people don't learn to swim with one or two swimming lessons, puppies and young dogs do. You just have to know how to train a dog to swim.
Now with dogs that don't know how to swim yet, their only introduction to water thus far, is a hated scrub in the bathtub. You will understand then if your dog isn't entirely enthusisatic the first time you take him to a body of water to teach him to swim.
Make sure that the body of water that you choose is a relatively quiet one – not the ocean, a river with a current or anything.
The first time he is taken there, he isn't going to take to getting into the water right away. Allow him to take his time thinking about it. He'll sniff the water, put a paw in to test the waters and so one. Allow him his time. This is an important part of how to train a dog to swim. You could help him actually consider getting into the water, if you could take a floating toy, put a treat inside for him to see, and set it afloat. You could go into the water yourself and hold the treat out for him to see, too.
If he seems about willing to get into the water, make sure that you quickly put his life vest on before he actually gets in. You'll need to coax him a little bit to actually get in. And it's likely that he will really like it the first time in the water. It'll be up to you to talk to your dog, to encourage him, and show him that you're happy with him for trying.
It isn't usually a good idea to put a dog right in deep water right away at first, even if he has a life West on that keeps them afloat. He'll be thoroughly alarmed to not have his feet on the ground. Bring him in in shallow water at first, instead.
Once he begins to get used to the idea of floating with his vest on and with you gently holding him, you can encourage him to move forward by kicking his legs. You can encourage them to move by going ahead, holding out a treat for him.
And that's all it takes, really. You don't really need to do much more. That's how you train a dog to swim. It isn't difficult.
Now with dogs that don't know how to swim yet, their only introduction to water thus far, is a hated scrub in the bathtub. You will understand then if your dog isn't entirely enthusisatic the first time you take him to a body of water to teach him to swim.
Make sure that the body of water that you choose is a relatively quiet one – not the ocean, a river with a current or anything.
The first time he is taken there, he isn't going to take to getting into the water right away. Allow him to take his time thinking about it. He'll sniff the water, put a paw in to test the waters and so one. Allow him his time. This is an important part of how to train a dog to swim. You could help him actually consider getting into the water, if you could take a floating toy, put a treat inside for him to see, and set it afloat. You could go into the water yourself and hold the treat out for him to see, too.
If he seems about willing to get into the water, make sure that you quickly put his life vest on before he actually gets in. You'll need to coax him a little bit to actually get in. And it's likely that he will really like it the first time in the water. It'll be up to you to talk to your dog, to encourage him, and show him that you're happy with him for trying.
It isn't usually a good idea to put a dog right in deep water right away at first, even if he has a life West on that keeps them afloat. He'll be thoroughly alarmed to not have his feet on the ground. Bring him in in shallow water at first, instead.
Once he begins to get used to the idea of floating with his vest on and with you gently holding him, you can encourage him to move forward by kicking his legs. You can encourage them to move by going ahead, holding out a treat for him.
And that's all it takes, really. You don't really need to do much more. That's how you train a dog to swim. It isn't difficult.
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