Swimming is excellent exercise — non-weight-bearing, good for joints, and useful for rehabilitation. It is also the activity where the worst introductions are still the most common.
Never throw a dog in
It needs saying first because people still do it.
Throwing a dog into water teaches them that water is something that happens to them without warning. Dogs introduced this way are frequently frightened of water for life, and some panic and drown.
The same applies to carrying a dog in and putting them down in deep water.
First: can your dog swim?
Not all can, and the belief that all dogs are natural swimmers drowns dogs every year.
Poor or non-swimmers:
- Brachycephalic breeds — French Bulldogs, Pugs, Bulldogs, Boxers. The nose sits close to the waterline and the front end is heavy. Most genuinely cannot swim
- Dachshunds and short-legged breeds
- Very muscular, low-body-fat breeds — some Staffies, Greyhounds
- Heavy-chested, narrow-hipped dogs
- Puppies, until taught
- Elderly or arthritic dogs, who tire fast
Natural swimmers: Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Newfoundlands, Portuguese Water Dogs, Irish Water Spaniels, Standard Poodles, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
Even natural swimmers need introducing. Instinct does not equal confidence.
Choose the location
- A gently sloping entry — a beach, a shallow lake edge, a shallow river bank
- Not a steep bank, a pool with vertical sides, or anywhere they cannot easily get out
- Calm water. No current, no waves for the first sessions
- Warm weather, or at least not cold water
- Clean water. Check for blue-green algae — if it looks green or scummy, do not go in
The progression
Stage 1: near the water.
Walk along the bank. Play, feed, be relaxed. Do not go in. Two or three sessions of this if your dog is hesitant.
Stage 2: paws in.
Let them walk into the very edge on their own. Reward any voluntary step in. Do not lure them deeper.
Stage 3: shallow wading.
Walk in yourself. Most dogs follow a person they trust. Stay in water no deeper than their chest.
Play, throw a toy a short distance into shallow water, feed.
Stage 4: the first float.
Walk out slowly until the water reaches their belly, and let them take the last step themselves.
Many dogs’ first swim involves the front paws paddling frantically while the back end sinks. Support the belly with a flat hand for the first few strokes — it teaches them to level out.
Stage 5: short swims.
A metre or two, back to shallow water. Build gradually.
Let them get out whenever they want. The ability to leave is what builds confidence.
Stage 6: longer swims and retrieving.
Only once they are confident and clearly enjoying it.
Use a life jacket
Not just for non-swimmers. A buoyancy aid is genuinely useful for:
- Any dog learning
- Poor swimmers
- Open water, boats and paddleboards
- Older dogs
- Dogs in rehabilitation
Choose one with a handle on the back, which lets you lift a dog out of the water — the most important feature.
Reading whether they are enjoying it
Enjoying it: loose body, coming back for more, choosing to go in, relaxed face, steady swimming with the back end up.
Not enjoying it: wide eyes, high head, frantic front-paw paddling with the back end low, trying to climb on you, heading for the bank, panting hard, refusing to go back in.
Stop at the first sign of the second list. A frightened session sets you back weeks.
Safety, every time
- Never leave a dog unattended near water, including a garden pond or a pool
- Check the exit. A dog who falls into a pool and cannot find the steps will drown. Teach the exit route deliberately
- Fresh water to drink. Dogs who swim swallow water, and sea water causes serious problems
- Limit water retrieving. Repeatedly fetching a ball from water causes water intoxication — dangerously diluted blood sodium — which is rare and can be fatal. Short sessions, breaks, and a flat floating toy rather than a ball that forces the mouth wide
- Watch for cold. Dogs tire fast in cold water
- Never go in after your dog. More people drown attempting this than dogs do. Call for help and encourage from the bank
- Beware currents, weirs, tides and ice
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps keep this site free. We only recommend products we would use with our own dogs.
PupFlask Dog Water Bottle
Fresh water available at the waterside is what stops a dog drinking sea water or from a stagnant pond. Offer it before they get thirsty.
Afterwards, every time
- Rinse off salt, chlorine or pond water
- Dry the ears. A dry cotton pad at the canal opening, never a bud pushed in. Swimming plus drop ears is the standard cause of ear infections
- Dry the coat thoroughly, especially double coats. A damp undercoat against warm skin is where hot spots start
- Check between the toes
Earth Rated Dog Wipes
For the ear flaps, face and legs before the car. The post-swim routine only happens if the kit is already in the boot with a towel.
Hydrotherapy
Worth knowing about as an alternative.
Supervised swimming or underwater treadmill work at a hydrotherapy centre is a controlled environment with warm water, a qualified handler, and none of the outdoor hazards. It is one of the best rehabilitation tools available for arthritis, post-operative recovery, cruciate rehab and weight loss.
It is also an excellent place for a nervous dog to learn, with someone experienced in the water alongside them.
Ask your vet for a referral.
If your dog simply does not like water
Some dogs never will, and there is no requirement for them to.
Wading in shallow water, paddling pools, and sprinklers are perfectly good alternatives — and a dog who is comfortable at the edge is far safer than one who has been pushed into swimming and remains frightened of it.
