Dogs and Swimming

Pandora has always loved the water. Her first summer with us we bought her a kiddie pool, and she splashed around in it endlessly. She loves chomping at the water as it flows out of the hose, and she loves jumping and running into water on trails. The size of the water body doesn’t deter her, whether that water is a large puddle, a stream cutting through a groove, or a bigger body of water like a retention pond, creek, or lake, Pandora will run right in.

About a year ago I had taken Pandora to a larger lake and she, of course, loved running and splashing around the water’s edge. I threw a stick just beyond where she could walk out to it, and she leaped after the stick only to discover she couldn’t touch. She turned around and ditched the stick.

Enter this year and Pandora has discovered swimming is the greatest thing ever. She might even rank it right up there with frisbee time. And that’s, like, the ultimate rating.

Dogs and Swimming – What Do We Need to Know?

Since Pandora has been swimming, my question list has grown beyond worry of the water temperature:

How long can a dog safely swim?
What are the warning signs that a dog is too tired to swim?
Does swimming wear dogs out quicker than running the trails?
When should I use a life vest on my dog?
What are the best water toys and water gear for dogs?

So, let’s jump in and answer those questions about dogs and swimming.

How long can a dog safely swim?

Apparently, water breeds can swim for upwards of an hour. Some can swim for more than a mile. But all, need to take it slow when they first begin swimming. It’s obvious you wouldn’t take your 10-month-old lab out for an hour-long swim as their first introduction to water, but what would be a good starting point?

Quite a few sites recommend slow starts. Let the dog splash around in water that’s not deep. When they do start venturing out to deeper depths, keep an eye on them. Make sure they come in and rest after a few minutes.

With each trek to the water, you can let the dog swim longer and longer.

Pandora knew what she was comfortable with when she first started swimming. We didn’t push her. Now, however, I have to pull the plug on her fun and she’s not happy when I say we’re done. The first day that Pandora discovered she loved swimming, she was quite snotty when I told her we done. Apparently, she felt she could swim the English Channel if she wanted. But she started snorting a bit louder with each swim back to shore, so I said we were done. And she stood at the water’s edge trying to stare me down. Then she stomped her paw. And finally, came to me but grumbled as she passed by. Little Miss Attitude.

But Watch Out for Over-Confidence

Pandora thinks she’s a star swimmer now. And she’s good. But she hasn’t been in any water with a good current. She’s been through a creek, but she can still touch ground there. Unfortunately, she almost jumped into a swift flowing creek. She now thinks all water is fabulous. So, when I took her on a different trail one day, we came out to a creek that was pretty high and moving fast, and Pandora made a beeline for it. Thankfully, she still listens when I tell her to wait or sit and I was able to get the leash on her before she leaped.

Once your pup loves water, watch them. Little buggers go for anything with water, with no care in the world.

Dogs and Swimming: What are the warning signs that a dog is too tired to swim?

According to Paw Leaks, these are the signs your dog is probably too tired to continue water play:

“You also have to constantly look out for signs of exhaustion such as:

Excessive thirst
Purple or bluish gums
Rapid pulse
Easily distracted by sniffing
Losing interest
Yawning
Lying down
Hiding
Bad posture”

For Pandora, I noticed she was snorting more with each stick fetching swim. She was definitely breathing harder. When Pandora is having fun, she won’t stop, I have to end the moment of fun. We’ve just gotten to a point when she’s playing frisbee that she will take a breather in the shade every second or third throw. But that’s only if we are at home. Otherwise, she won’t stop.

Does swimming wear dogs out quicker than running the trails?

According to the K9 Aquatic Center (who knew there were swimming places just for dogs?):

It may surprise you to know that for a dog, 1 minute’s swimming is equivalent to about 4 minutes of running, according to Dr. Arleigh Reynolds, a Veterinary Surgeon and Canine Physiologist.
The Benefits of Swimming – K9 Aquatic & Wellness Center (k9aquaticcenter.com)

The K9 Aquatic Center also lists a bunch of other positives of dogs swimming. Mostly the same reasons it’s good for humans; easier on the joints, helps build muscle, good cardiovascular exercise, etc….

Swimming is definitely a great idea for dogs like Pandora that are athletic. Her joints take a beating when she’s leaping for her frisbee. What a great idea to help her joints heal.

Dogs and Swimming: When should I use a life vest on my dog?

A lot of sites cover this. Obviously, if you are in lake water with a lot of wake from watercraft or rivers and creeks with swift currents, it would be wise to use a life vest.

However, I was surprised to learn about some breeds that cannot swim. I knew, not all dogs could swim, one of my sister’s German Shepherds sank when he fell in the water. They were right there and saved him, don’t worry. I guess that was when I learned not all dogs can swim.

Anyway, dogs with short snouts are not great swimmers: Pugs, bulldogs, boxers, etc…, the water goes right up their nose and then you can run into the issue of dry drowning. Apparently, Pugs like water, so they would benefit to have a life vest.

And when your dog is hanging out on the boat or at the lake for the whole day, a life vest might be a good idea, especially if they are like Pandora and will keep going no matter how tired they are.

What are the best water toys and water gear for dogs?

Well, I can’t speak from experience, but here are the ones I am looking at for Pandora. These are all Amazon links (some of the links may be affiliate links):

ChuckIt! Amphibious Bumper Floating Fetch Toy – 73% five star rating out of 6,738 reviews

http://West Paw Zogoflex Hurley Dog Bone Chew Toy – 74% five-star rating out of 7,688 reviews

Chuckit! Ultra Fetch Stick Dog Toy – 76% five-star rating out of 4,012 reviews

Wave Runner Soft Foam Water Skipping Ball – 80% five-star rating out of 904 reviews

Dog Float Bumper Toy – 74% five-star rating out of 489 reviews

Hyper Pet Flippy Flopper Dog Frisbee – 76% five-star rating out of 13,595 reviews

Life Vests for Dogs

I haven’t decided on the vest we’re going to try, but these are the ones sitting in my Amazon wish list:

The Expensive One: RUFFWEAR, Float Coat Dog Life Jacket – 91% five-star rating out of 1,067 reviews.

The More Reasonably Priced One: Apetian Dog Life Preserver – 74% five-star rating out of 146 reviews.

The Shark Fin (hard to pass up my dog looking like a shark) One: ASENKU Dog Life Jacket Pet Life Safety Vest – 78% five-star rating out of 3,172 reviews.

The Great Review Rating and Great Price One: VIVAGLORY New Sports Style Ripstop Dog Life Jacket – 83% five-star ratings out of 8,662 reviews.