How to Teach Your Dog to Swim

How to teach a dog to swim

1. Start small, slow and shallow.

Don't expect it to learn to swim the first time. If you and your dog practice swimming in open water, stay in shallow water and train parallel to the shore, avoiding deep water. It is best to start with a small area and maintain the initial swim training time.

2. Go into the water and wait nearby

Taking your pup into the water for the first time can be a scary experience. Encourage your dog to follow you into the shallow area of ​​the pool and show him where the underwater steps are in case he needs to come out. Your presence in the water will encourage your dog to build confidence that he can be rewarded for his efforts, whether it's verbal praise or a special treat in your hand.

3. Use your hands to guide your dog.

At first, your dog may lift his front paws trying to get out of the water, causing his back to sink. To prevent this, place one hand lightly on its back and the other on its front legs to keep it from scratching the water. Once it starts paddling, it may not fully utilize its hind legs. To guide it forward, touch or tickle its hind paws to make it kick those legs and accelerate forward.

4. Extend the distance between you and your dog in the water.

You can move away from him a little and tell him to paddle towards you, while paying attention to his body language to make sure he still enjoys being in the water. At any time, if you feel that it is uncomfortable, guide it to the exit immediately and wait for it to calm down before starting again.

5. Play games in the water

The best way for owners to make it easy for their dogs to enter the water is to make it fun, you can find shallow water, play a game of fetch with your dog, throw toys into the water, and then slowly make bigger tosses, encourage The dog goes further into the water.

6. Offer lots of compliments

Finally, if your dog is doing a good job, praise it a lot and let him associate the activity with positive feelings.