Jun
13
2012
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Can All Dogs Swim?
Most dogs will naturally start paddling when in water. However, this does not mean they can stay afloat, are good at it or like it. When growing up our family dog loved going into the water. He would walk out into the lake and walk and walk until the water was over his head. We had to stop bring him to the lake because he never could understood when to start paddling. There are always exceptions to natural instinct.
Typically dog’s who struggle with swimming have a large heavy chest in comparison to their hindquarters, often have a short muzzle and short legs. For example a bulldog may slash around, but typically sinks like a rock. It is recommended that these types of dogs use life vests.Across the Unites Sates thousands of dogs drown a year. Even when you both are having a fun please remember to be safe.
Here are a few things to remember:
- Supervise your pets around the pool, lakes or where you take them swimming.
- Be sure your dog knows where the steps are in the pool. Teach them repetitively until you are sure she / he will swim there to exit the pool. There are also pool ramps for dogs. The main reason a dog drowns in a pool is from exhaustion due to trying to drag its water logged body out in places along the edge where there are no steps or ramp.
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Provide a pool alarm system that will alert anyone in the home to the accidental immersion of a dog in the water. These can be found online and are portable, lightweight and easy to operate. The Safety Turtle Child/Pet Immersion Pool/Water Alarm Kit is inexpensive and can be attached to your pets collar. An alarm will sound on a base station.
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