How do doodles (dogs) learn to swim?

[jenn D]

We are contemplating getting a pool due to my son's orthopedic needs. We have a area already sectioned off with a 6 foot fence so that might be its spot so doodles and my son cannot get to it randomly. But pools got me thinking about dogs and I was wondering how do dogs learn to swim? I don't think my doods will ever get into that pool (I buying them their own shallow pool for summer) but I was wondering. I know some people let their dogs in their pool but I can't imagine that going over well here.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

We have taken Quincy to a lake and to the beach on LI sound (no waves).  He started out by wading into the water and eventually went deeper and just started swimming!  He has not been in a pool, but I am sure he would love it. 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

I think that dogs just naturally know how to swim. Wether or not they want to is a different story. My doodles don't swim. Daphne is afraid of the pool and stays far away. But we can't keep Baby Lyla out of it. She is my daughters Golden Retriever puppy and she has only recently learned. She loved the water and would go out and lay next to the pool with her feet hanging in the water, or she would just go sit on the top step. I could not coax her to get in and swim on her own however I did push her in a few times. That's all it took! Now we can't keep her out of it! She loves it! I throw her ball in and she jumps in after it.

[jenn D]

Intersting. Brisby hates the water but I have a feeling Jake would totally love it. We had a doodle pool for brisby and he never went in it, even with us getting in.

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

Quincy will "dig" in the water in his doggie pool - as if he was digging a hole in dirt. It's really funny!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with Lori. JD knows how to swim but hates it, and will not willingly go into the water for anything. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Yep, Luna has "always" known how to swim.  She did have to figure out how to get into the water though and has mastered "beaches", but hasn't figured out swimming pools.  She refuses to jump in, but sometimes will gingerly step down a ladder lol.  This is what it looked like when she was figuring out beaches:

[F, Calla & Luca]

Yay Luna.

[Jennifer and Lily]

When Lily was small she loved water but would only walk around. One day we threw a ball to far and she just swam out to get it, and the rest is history. She loves swimming to fetch things or if we swim with her. She loves swimming between my and my fiancé, or if we just hold her in deep water. For the first few months she would flap her paws and splash a lot, she eventually perfected her "doggy paddle".

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

http://www.doodlekisses.com/video/first-real-swim-for-quincy

We did the same, Jennifer 

[Kylee]

Willow inadvertently learned how to swim. I was walking her on a golf course with a creek, well her being only 8 months old at the time had no idea what a creek was. She saw birds on the other side and ran full speed to get them, but landed in the creek. At first she looked a little panicked, but she figured out how to swim and got out with no problem. I am interested to see if she will swim this summer.

[Deborah Brown]

My three like the water but Charlie and Penny usually just wade in the shallow part.  Wayne LOVES to swim but is not good at it.  He used to walk on his back legs and then bark at his tennis ball.  You can imagine that didn't work well so we got him a swim vest.  Now he is all over the place and has a great time.  The other two swim beautifully but don't usually enjoy it.

We were at a dog park when a goose landed on the water near us.  All three jumped in and the "wild goose chase" was on.  We got a good laugh at how well the doodles swam when motivated.

I think it would be harder to get them in a pool with no shallow end.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

We took yogi to swimming classes ;-)
The first night they set him in with a life jacket on, then he swam to the other end of the pool where I was encouraging him to come. Did that three times the first night. Next week they "helped" him in without a jacket on, and he swam to my end again. After the third week he couldn't get up the steps fast enough to jump in the pool and swim. They did have a long lead on him just in case....

Went to the lake last week, we threw his toy in the shallow water where he could wade out to it. Eventually we threw it further to where he had to swim for it. He loves it. I'd say just approach it gradually. Have fun in your new pool!