Teaching a doodle (or any dog) to swim

[Marie and Hoka]

For whatever reason, or previous dogs would never swim.

I am hoping to teach my 6 month old Hoka to swim this sumer.  We will be going up to a lake in the Upper Peninsula for a few days in June and I hope to get him swimming.  Hoka is generally pretty bold and fearless.  I expect the water to be a bit cold, so I even bought a shorty wetsuit for myself so I can encourage him.

Any tips or tricks? There is a doggie life vest at the house and he does need to remain leashed at all times. I will bring a long lead.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

All of my dogs have always swam. IF they are interested, they will take to it quite naturally. Their movements, at first will be clumsy, with lots of splashing. But, like anything else, learn to perfect the doggy paddle. Their paddle will become stronger, smoother, with little, to no splashing.
Dogs going in a lake for the first time, may panic if the reach a point where they can not touch. Make sure you teach him the shoreline is where he exits.
Pool swimming is a bit different, because other than the stairs, they can never touch. Most important thing is to teach how to get out. Those legs can only trad water for so long!.
Never force your dog Into to the water. Take it slow and let him feel comfortable in the water. Some dogs love it...others, not so much. Have fun!
Our Enzo lives to swim and has been doing so since the day she came home at 8 weeks.

[Stephanie and Ragley]

LOVE this picture of Enzo! Ragley loves the water, but hasn't mastered the doggy paddle quite yet. Hopefully we will make it out to the lake a time or two this summer for her to get some swimming experience!

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

What an awesome picture of Enzo!! I love it! 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Check and see if there is a rehab facility for animals in your area.   We have a canine rehab center attached to a veterinarian hospital.  It has a swimming pool.  Take a look at the photos on my page.  That is a great place for them to learn to swim.  All my dogs have had lessons there.

[Wendy and Myla]

I had never had a swimming dog before Myla either and I really wanted one!  Myla fell off of a dock (because she was backing away from a big sign on the dock) when she was around 12 weeks old.  She swam to shore easily but I was so afraid that it traumatized her and she would never swim again.  We were at the lake often after that and she never went into the water by herself (and I had decided that with Myla, if she wanted to swim she had to do it on her own, I didn't want to force her by putting her in and making her swim to shore) until she was four months old.  I was swimming in the lake and she was on shore with DH barking because she didn't like me in the water and then she jumped in and swam to me!  I was soooo happy.  She did it a couple times after that but it seemed like it was only because she wanted to be with me, not because she really liked it.  When she was six months we were skipping stones in a lake and she jumped in and chased the ripples and then would not come out!  She loved it.  She swam and swam and swam and to this day, she will swim beside us as we walk along the shore and does not want to come out.  We dare not throw her a ball in the water because she will definitely fetch, but she won't come on shore to give it back.  If we throw her a stick, she retrieves it but drops it just before her feet hit the bottom!  I am so happy!  My first water dog!!!!!  The best thing is that she won't go in the water without us first throwing a stick or a rock in (we didn't train for this so we just lucked out!!!).  BUT once we throw it in, good luck getting her out ;)  We have to walk away so that she can't see us and then she reluctantly will come out and follow us.  She won't jump off of a dock either and we were going to work on that this summer but I think it might be better if we don't.  We will have better control I think!  Good luck - some dogs like it and some dogs don't.  Our last doodle hated the water - even when we poured water over her to cool her down on long walks!

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I do believe that they either like it, love it, hate it or just tolerate it to be with you. I have one that LOVES to swim, dive, jump and lounge in the pool and another that borders on hates and tolerates it just to come to us if we ask. We dont force it and let her go at her own speed, but after 3 summers of trying to teach her to like it, I don't see it as part of her nature. Lessons sound good, especially for them to learn how to get out of deep water and to the shore or steps. Good luck.

[Marie and Hoka]

Thanks everyone!  I hope he takes to it, it would be fun when we go to the lake each summer. Torrey and Tinker would only wade. Hopefully there will be no pressure and he will join in.

I am getting a paddle board for myself, so either way I'll make use of the water this year despite the cold.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I would love to get Enzo up on a SUP with me! LOL...but, I have a feeling I'd spend more time in the water than up on the board! She tends to want to " play" with every duck, gull, sea lion etc....

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

For both of our dogs, a life vest seemed to help with their confidence. Vern LOVED the water from the first moment he got in. Fudge was more tentative, but now loves it, too. I never force them in. Let them go at their own pace. We also have paddleboards and try to paddleboard with our two dogs. I think having us get in the water makes them enjoy it more.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

This is very cool!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Love it, Laurie! Maybe someday Enz will stand still long enough!

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

We actually took Yogi to swim classes because we wanted to introduce him to the water early in hopes he would really enjoy it ( because we do )
He wore a life jacket and was "helped" into the pool a few times the first night. By the second night he did not need the jacket and went in a little more willingly. After that he would jump in as fast as he could get to the side of the pool.
We have been able to take him to the lake a few times now this spring. We play fetch and he just loves it!

He's definitely a water dog!