Swimming with Your Dog

Swimming with your dog is an excellent warm-weather activity. There’s nothing more refreshing and fun for humans and dogs alike than a splash in the water when temperatures soar. But while water games can be fun, we must remember water safety rules to prevent accidents.

Some dogs love the water and seem to have an instinct for swimming, but some dogs hate the water. If your dog is one of these, respect his feelings.

• Never toss a dog into the water. Start slowly in shallow water and coax him in with toys or treats. A bathtub or wadding pool is a great start. Please don’t allow him to get in deeper than he can handle.

• Kiddie pools and even sprinklers can be safer methods of water play for puppies. Simply wading or splashing provides cool fun.

Before you begin:

• Teach your dog to come on command, even in water. This may prevent him from drifting too far or getting frantic if he can’t 

• find the pool steps.

• Make sure he knows to enter and exit the pool at the steps

• Put a flotation device on your dog when swimming or boating.

• Be aware of strong tides and undercurrents that can quickly pull your dog out to sea.

• Be very cautious of unfamiliar rivers or lakes.

• Don’t allow your dog to become overly tired in the water.  They will swim to exhaustion.

• Limit your dog’s time in direct sun. Heatstroke and sunburn can be a risk. Apply sunscreen to your dog’s nose and ears.

• Make sure your dog has plenty of fresh water to drink. Do not allow him to drink seawater or pool water; salt and chlorine can make him sick.

• Stream and pond water can have bacteria.

• Rinse the chlorine, saltwater, and sand from your dog’s coat when swimming.