Swimming for Puppies: 11 Things to Note (+Training Tips)
The simplest swimming stroke is the doggy paddle which implies that dogs like swimming.
But do all dogs like to swim, and can puppies swim by instinct?
Do All Puppies Like Water?
Swimming is a learned behavior, and a young puppy has no experience of rain, puddles, or deeper water.
Your puppy is open to new experiences up to about twelve weeks; after that critical learning time, your puppy may develop a fear of any new experience.
A bad experience with water in this early stage may put your puppy off interacting with water for a long time.
Puppies do not automatically like water; they learn through experience how to swim and enjoy playing with rivers, lakes, and ponds.
Some dog breeds are less comfortable swimming than others.
Plus, all puppies are individuals, and even if the breed is a “swimming” dog, your puppy may not enjoy its experiences with water.
Puppies that don’t enjoy water include:
- Puppies with short, flat noses – these puppies find it difficult to breathe when they exert themselves, and swimming is physically demanding for a small puppy.
- Long bodies and short legs (like Dachshunds) are not ideal for swimming.
- Sighthounds with long thin legs prefer the land to the water.
- Hairless dogs get cold quickly, so messing around in water isn’t fun.
- Toy dog breeds – swimming can be risky for these breeds as they can have issues with collapsing trachea.
- Deep chested guarding dogs like Dobermans are not ideally suited for effective swimming.
There are breeds bred for retrieving or other water work, and these include:
- Newfoundland – webbed feet and a waterproof coat.
- Portuguese water dog – another webbed foot breed.
- American Water Spaniel.
- German Wirehaired Pointer.
- Otterhound.
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
- Barbet – a French water dog.
- Boykin Spaniel.
- Curly Coated Retriever.
- Irish Water Spaniel.
- Labrador Retriever.
Although these puppies come from water-loving breeds, you still need to manage their exposure to water and help them to swim for the first time.
Can All Puppies Swim?
Many people will tell you that puppies swim instinctively, but that is not true.
If you throw a non-swimming human into deep water, they will thrash about, and they may get lucky and prevent themselves from drowning by accidentally hitting on some swimming strokes.
A puppy falling into deep water will try to paddle in its panic and fear, but not every puppy can swim successfully.
Some breeds are not built for swimming, but these puppies can still enjoy playing in shallower water.
Your puppy needs to learn to swim through a gradual introduction to the water in a safe and structured way.
If you are a keen sailor and take your puppy in the boat with you – put a lifejacket or other buoyancy aid on the puppy.
How Can You Teach Your Puppy to Swim?
Provided your puppy has a body shape suitable for swimming, you can teach your puppy to swim through a structured introduction to water.
Even if your puppy is not a natural swimmer (pugs bodies tend to be vertical in deep water), you can help your puppy enjoy splashing about in shallow water.
Awareness of your puppy’s limitations means you know when your pup needs the additional safety of a flotation device. When teaching them to swim, the American Kennel Club recommends a flotation device for all puppies, regardless of breed.
When can you teach a puppy to swim?
Ideally, ensure your puppy is at least three months old before its first swimming session.
Choose Safe Water
The first introduction to water needs to be safe for you and your puppy with:
- No risk of getting sick from algae or sewage discharge into the water.
- Shallow with a gentle slope to allow your puppy to explore deeper water at its own pace.
- Fresh rather than salt – your puppy is likely to drink the water.
Appropriate wild swimming opportunities are shallow lakes and gentle streams.
Be Prepared to Get Wet
For the first few sessions, it is best to get in the water with your puppy so you can provide support (and rescue) if your puppy strays into deeper water.
Your puppy will probably enjoy swimming with you, but waterproof boots and old clothes will work if you don’t want to swim.
Keep It Short and Fun
Lake and stream water is shockingly cold, even on a hot day.
You can encourage your puppy to splash around retrieving a ball or other toy in the shallows with a short trip into paddling in deeper water after several splash sessions.
You need to keep each session short because swimming is physically tiring for your puppy, and your puppy can rapidly chill.
Don’t Get Distracted
You need to supervise your puppy closely while in and around the water.
A moment’s inattention can see your puppy in real and frightening difficulties.
You may want to keep an overexcited puppy on a long lead to prevent it from rushing into the deepest water without thought of the consequences.
Avoid Shaking and Trembling
A shivering puppy means it has been in too long for comfort. Consider the five minutes per month puppy exercise rule when planning water play.
Your puppy can shake and tremble after a swimming session because of:
- Cold – wild water swimmers wear wet suits and keep their sessions short.
- Tiredness – swimming is a demanding form of exercise.
- Fear – your puppy may not enjoy water play at this time.
The best way to deal with shivering is to wrap your puppy in a towel and cuddle it closely to share comfort and warmth.
Towel and Treats
Unless the weather is warm enough to dry your puppy in about fifteen minutes, it is a good idea to use a towel to absorb excess moisture and to help warm up your puppy.
The treats provide positive reinforcement and additional energy for a tired pup.
A younger puppy with softer skin needs gentle pats rather than a vigorous rub down.
An older puppy with an adult coat may enjoy a more vigorous rub down to get rid of the excess water.
Can Puppies Swim in a Pool?
Chlorinated pools are too deep, and the chemicals hurt your puppy’s eyes and coat. But your puppy may enjoy swimming in a dog swimming pool or appropriate paddling pool.
The water in these pools is likely to be too deep for your puppy to stand without swimming.
Keeping your puppy calm in a swimming pool means it is best to get in the pool with the puppy and keep the session short – your puppy will be swimming the entire time.
A flotation jacket guarantees that your puppy will float, and this can make the experience less frightening for your pup.
The benefit of introducing your puppy to water in a paddling or dog pool at home is that you can control both the depth and temperature of water in the pool.
You can follow a structured program of allowing your puppy to play in gradually deeper water until you are confident that your puppy can swim.
Dog therapy pools often run puppy swimming classes where you can join your puppy for a safe and warm introduction to the joys of swimming.
Can Puppies Swim in the Sea?
From your puppy’s perspective, a day at the beach can be exhilarating or terrifying. Your puppy’s first introduction to saltwater can go in either direction.
If you take your puppy to the beach, pack plenty of fresh water – your puppy will probably try to drink any water it finds on the beach, with a helping of sand.
Most vets recommend avoiding beaches until your puppy is at least four months old and fully vaccinated.
Parvovirus is potentially fatal for your puppy and passes through infected feces, and the virus survives in beach sand for up to seven years.
When you consider how many dogs go to the beach, your puppy faces an increased risk of infection even if a small proportion is unvaccinated.
Hot sand can burn your puppy’s paws, and your puppy can rapidly dehydrate and get sunstroke even on a short trip to the beach. Plus, the sand can irritate eyes, noses and cause digestive problems.
Waves can be fun to play in and around, but a sudden surge can drag your puppy into deeper water – a frightening experience that may result in your puppy becoming frightened of water.
Other hazards on the beach include seaweed, dead fish, jellyfish, shells, broken glass, and other trash. Some of these are toxic, and others cause unpleasant injuries.
You can take your puppy to the beach but wait until your puppy is a confident swimmer before encouraging it to play or swim in the sea.
In the meantime, keep your puppy on a leash so you can avoid contact with any visible hazards.
Your puppy may find the smell of dead fish delicious, but the trip to the vet afterward for potential poisoning isn’t the best end to your beach trip.
Problems After Swimming
Swimming, like any other activity with your puppy, may result in some issues like:
Limping
If your puppy limps after it comes out of the water, it may be physically tired with aching leg muscles, or it may have bruised or cut the pads on its paws.
Check your puppy’s paws for injury and keep any cuts clean.
Unless the cut is severe enough to need vet attention, it should heal in a couple of days.
It is best to keep an eye on the cut and wash it in warm salty water after walks to keep it clean and free from infection.
Diarrhea
The worst-case scenario is that your puppy has picked up a parasite from ingesting lake or stream water while swimming.
Your puppy can also pick up this parasite from drinking out of puddles in the forest or other wild areas.
It is most common in the summer, and vets recommend that you have an annual screening for parasites (uses a stool sample) if your dog enjoys swimming.
If your puppy has diarrhea after wild swimming or water play, then get your vet to check out your puppy for this parasite. The treatment is safe and effective.
Vomiting
Vomiting after swimming indicates exposure to contaminated freshwater (algae, dead fish, parasites).
Saltwater toxicity can make your puppy sick, but typically no vomiting.
If your puppy starts vomiting after swimming, you need a vet’s assistance to treat your puppy. The impact of some of these contaminants can be fatal.
Most lakes will have warning signs stating that they are unsafe for your puppy to swim if there is a known issue in the area.
Sickness
Many sickness symptoms result from exposure to blue-green algae, parasites, bacteria, and salt poisoning. These include stool changes (diarrhea, watery, greasy), fever, aches, rashes, red eyes, and general unwellness.
Puppies can go downhill fast when impacted by exposure to any of these causes; the answer is to take your puppy to the vet and explain that these symptoms developed after swimming.
If there is an issue with local swimming spots, your vet will see several cases and be familiar with the signs of lake water or saltwater issues.
Coughing
Coughing may mean your puppy swallowed a lot of water, and some may have gotten into the lungs.
After a near-drowning incident, you may lose your puppy to secondary or dry drowning – where your puppy continues to drown out of the water.
This drowning can occur up to three days after the swim, or the water in the lungs can result in pneumonia.
Have your vet evaluate your puppy; the vet will see if there is fluid in the lungs and prescribe antibiotics to prevent secondary infection.
Itching
Both you and your puppy can suffer from swimmer’s itch, and the cause is water-borne parasites making themselves at home on your puppy and causing skin issues.
Your vet will probably want a poo sample as well as examining the skin, and your puppy may need treatment – typically worming, but it depends on the parasite involved.
Should Your Puppy Avoid Lakes?
Most issues with lakes occur in the hotter weather when you are most likely to want to take your puppy for a cooling dip.
Unfortunately, lake water hosts parasites, bacteria and has algal blooms, all of which can create a toxic soup for your puppy.
You can check on the water quality on the Center for Disease Control website and find out which areas are safe for swimming for you, your puppy, and your family.
When visiting a lake or other park, watch for warning notices regarding the safety of the water for your puppy.
Fear of Water
Some puppies are genuinely afraid of water.
This fear can arise from an instinctive distrust of puddles, ponds, rivers, rain, lakes, and baths. The fear may result from an unpleasant experience – a rough and traumatizing first bath or falling into a deep puddle and panicking.
If your puppy shows a fear of water, you can desensitize it to be more accepting of water and possibly enjoy some water play.
You may want to start with accustoming your puppy to a bath before moving on to teach your puppy to swim (if it is from a suitable breed).
The approach starts with baby steps – encourage your puppy to play in shallow water or even walk alongside water.
Surprising your puppy by squirting water at them is a bad idea as the startled reaction may reinforce your puppy’s fears.
If your puppy has an extreme water phobia, you may want to enlist the help of a dog behaviorist.
How Cold is Too Cold?
Water in lakes and streams remains cold even in hot summers. The issue for your puppy is the temperature in the air.
Don’t take your puppy swimming on cold winter days; Hypothermia is a real risk for your puppy.
In the early days, you will be going into the water with your puppy. If it is too cold for you, it is certainly too cold for your puppy.
Put your hand in the water, and if it feels too cold, it is not suitable for puppy swimming.
Some dog breeds like Newfoundland’s can swim comfortably in icy waters but not until adults.
Conclusion
Swimming is excellent exercise, and many puppies enjoy it.
But swimming is not spontaneous, and some breeds are simply not built to swim.
There are risks with swimming in lakes, rivers, and the sea, but you can manage these so both you and your puppy can enjoy water fun to cool down on a hot summer day.
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