Swimming class

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Just signed Yogi up for an intermediate puppy/swimming class!
I'm so excited to get him in a pool. It's freezing here like so much of
the country, so this sounds like fun.

We keep our boat down on the lake, so I really want him to enjoy the water
and be comfortable in it. I was afraid by the time it's warm enough to get in the lake this summer,
he'll be 9 months old and maybe not as easily acclimated to it.

Anyone try this type of training? They also offer dock diving and agility training. I hope he
Likes it!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Watch the dock diving....the impact is very hard on their legs and could do damage.  Repeated impact, over and over, not good for young pups.  I had buyer, who wanted to use his Golden for hunting ducks out of a boat.  In spite of my efforts and the advice of our Vet, he continued the training.  Dog suffered for it. 

  Enzo loves to swim and has been since we got her at 8 weeks.  I won't let her jump in off the side more than once or twice in a day.  Takes effort, as she is very enthusiastic about it...but we make her enter the pool by the stairs.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

So I guess the height of dock will have an impact on how safe?
I wondered if this would be good training for jumping from the boat.
He will of course do low impact type activities until he is a year old
to protect him from injury.

Thanks for your input!

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

Rosemary, this gave me pause as I have not heard of the impact on water being an issue or causing damage, so now I am very interested in finding out more about this. Our Murphy jumps and leaps into our pool from the side and sure gets some air under him. He has been doing this since he was about 8 months old actually. He lands with a big hard splash. I cringe to think any of this could be causing him harm. He just LOVES to jump into the pool and we can play fetch with him diving for balls and things for a good long time before he'll tire. I will have to do my research on this, so if you know of anywhere I can find more about this, please share? I cant believe I didn't think of this or read something about it sooner. I feel like a very bad doodle mom tonight.

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Sorry Sue...I did not see this yesterday. I answered below....not much help, at this point tho :(

[Julie and Max]

Leslie I soooo wish there were something like that where I live, but unfortunately there is not much for dogs here, and not any swimming lessons, I would totally sign up for that in a second. 

Like Rosemary said you should be careful of the high impact stuff until Yogi is a year or more older, like the dock diving and agility.

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

How fun! Both of my boys took a swimming class since I wanted to make sure they are safe around water. They both loved it. I bet Yogi will have a blast.

https://vimeo.com/66855679

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

How cool! Thanks for the video. Now I'm more excited.

[Christy&Riley]

We took Riley to the lake around 4.5 months. It took a few minutes for her to figure out what it was and then we couldn't keep her out. I didn't even know there are swim classes. I assumed dogs just instinctively knew how to swim. I learned something new today. :-)

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

I can attest not all dogs can swim! I had a gentleman come to me for a Golden. He asked me if my Goldens swim...I laughed and said " of course! They're Goldens"! Next visit he brought his 3 yr old Golden....as with many of our puppy meets, we ended in the pool. This dog sank like a rock! I've never seen anything like it! A Golden..,webbed feet and all! He actually never got the hang of it!

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

This thread just made me take a look...Enzo does NOT have webbed feet. Swims like a fish tho! ;)

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I dont believe this about Enzo.  Look again at those feet.  :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Always assignments! I just checked one paw on both dogs. Not up at the level of the nail but lower between the paw pads there is I web-like flap of skin : )