Swimming.....Is it second nature or should beginners wear lifejackets?

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

I'm planning on taking my guys swimming in our local river where all the cool dogs go to get wet. It will be our first time. Should I worry that they will need lifejackets, or do they just start swimming like I've always heard doggies can do? They love the backyard pools, but that isn't exactly swimming.....so what do you think?

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

When I took Yankee to the water for the first time, he just started swimming. I think it comes naturally to them. Now I bought a lifejacket but he's not crazy about wearing it.

I am also wondering when I should make him wear it. If we throw a toy in the pool, he will stay in until he can find it. I worry that he will get tired. Should I worry?

[Leslie and Halas]

Halas kept lightly pawing at the water in his baby pool, and sometimes he would twitch his back leg like he was trying to swim (in 6 inches of water). That's what made me really want to take him swimming. The first time I took him to an area where he could swim, he walked right up to the edge of the water, sniffed, and then went right into the water and started swimming. So it came naturally to him. I don't know if that's true for all doodles or not, but it's probably true for most doodles. If there's much of a current in the river, a life jacket might be a good idea. We've only been in a couple of smaller swimming areas, no rivers. Hopefully some others will have some good advice on the life jacket.

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

Not really a current in the water where I am looking at taking them. It is a river....but it has a dam and is sort of made into a doggie swimming area

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

I think they will be fine without. It is instinct, they all know how to swim. I would only have a worry if the dog had an excessive amount of fur that could get super heavy when wet and sink him. (Like that Puli Adina posted a pic of).

[Tricia, Shiloh, Fenway & Tessie]

That was the strangest dog I have ever seen!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jackdoodle can swim, but he doesn't like to, and avoids going into water where it's too deep for him to stand up. We found this out when we tried throwing his ball out into the lake at the forest preserve dog park we visit. After a few throws, the ball went out further into the deep water and he followed it, not realizing that he was in over his head until after he got the ball and tried coming back. There were a couple of seconds where we thought we might have to go in after him, he looked so panicked. After floundering a bit, he did start swimming, but he will not go in that deep any more. If the ball goes beyond the point he knows he can stand, he will not go get it, but whines & paws at the water instead. And this is dog who I thought would go off a cliff for a tennis ball. So, yes, he can swim, but that are clearly doodles who don't like to or want to, lol.

[Adina P]

I have never used life jackets with my dogs. If I were on a boat with my dogs, I would want them wearing life jackets. But in a small lake or mellow river I'm not sure if it's absolutely necessary. I guess, if the water is potentially dangerous enough where a human would benefit from a life jacket then a dog should have one too.

[Sheri & Murphy]

Test your doodles out in the water before going in full force. My doodle sank to the bottom! I had to jump in the pool with my clothes on a few times to bring him up to the surface. For some reason his back feet were slow to catch on to swimming. Watch them close because they love the water regardless if they can swim or not. I bought Murphy a life jacket because he wouldn't stay out of the pool. It took about two months for him to become a strong swimmer. This year he is strong swimmer. Good luck:0)

[Sally]

I just ordered a lifejacket for Duncan. He's going on a day trip with my friend and her pup to her sister's country house and they have a pool. He's never been in one yet so I figured best for her to start him with it. I would hate for her to have to panic and jump in if he doesn't figure it out instinctually. They are pretty inexpensive.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Here's a video I love of Sharon's Cricket learning to swim with a lifejacket. You can see she is uncertain at first, but by the time she does her post-swim victory laps, she's feeling good!!!

http://www.doodlekisses.com/video/cricket-semiswimmer

[Jonnie Guerrisi]

Ali liked water, but never above her "knees"! She turned four in April and gradually over the years has started to swim. We bought a boat two summers ago and decided to get her a lifejacket. It's hilarious when we put it on her. She'll stand in one spot and not move (not a muscle). We say it's good it has a handle on top because to go anywhere we'd have to pick her up and carry her like a suitcase!! She does wear it on the boat..usually laying down. The added advantage is that we keep wetting it and putting it back on to keep her cool.

[Stella]

We tried to find a lifejacket for our doodle for going canoeing, but we couldn't get one that would fit him. He has the poodle narrow, deep chest and none of the ones we tried were a good fit. We probably wouldn't use it for general swimming, but thought for canoeing it would be a good idea. So, if anyone has an F1 LD that they fitted a lifejacket to, please post which brand it was. Thanks.