Does your dog swim?

[Scentsandsensible]

Just curious really. Took mine to the beach for the first time ever yesterday (we don’t live near the coast) and while he got in the sea he quickly got out again.

My cocker spaniel loves river and filthy black ditch water, but isn't keen on the sea at all. She will paddle if it's calm, but does not like waves in the slightest.

They love it. 2 labs. Sea, river, loch, whatever. Paddling is OK but they would swim out after a ball or dummy all day long if you let them
It’s really good exercise for them but some breeds are just not suited to it,

Yep, my lab loves any chance to swim now she has been introduced safely.
The collie, will actively avoid water, puddles and mud!

Tho, be careful of dry drowning

He loves to splash and paddle and lie down in the shallows but just flips on his side if he gets out of his depth. It is hilarious but definitely not swimming.

Our springer swims every day in the river if allowed, she got used to the sea when we lived abroad, i think i was more nervous then her of the waves but it was great to swim together. She has only been to the UK seaside twice.

Despite ours being a water dog he is terrified of swimming. Will happily paddle but won't go out of his depth.
We had planned to take him to France this year and go swimming with him but obviously Covid happened.
We are pretty keen to get him swimming mostly as our last dog was a lab and he adored the water.
There is a hydro pool near us that we are hoping to take him to either that or get DH a wet suit so they can go together in the North Sea

@Mrbay. Thank you for the dry drowning tip. I’d never heard of that. Yet another thing to worry about though.

Cockerpoo hated the sea on first visit but liked the rock pools. Still a bit wary of the waves. Loves pools though and rivers...proper swimming out of her depth.

Yes. If there is water she’s inclined to jump in. Loves the sea.

Mine can swim (as proven when he fell off a boat jetty in to a loch), but choses not to.

As he was completely water phobic when we adopted him, I am quite happy for him to no long shiver, shake and stress-pant when we are near water, but quite happily go in to his chest, drink and chase after sticks/balls as long as they are not TOO far in.

I think enjoying swimming is largely breed dependent.
My friend's lab will take a running jump just to land in a muddy puddle with a belly flop - funny, but messy...

No - as he is a chihuahua. Detests water and being cold. Refuses to go near it, even in hot weather!!

No. Mine loves water but she keeps her feet on the ground and she never gets deep enough for the water to cover her spine.

Our last dog loved it - whippet/Staffie cross. He would leap in and swim around for ages, especially after balls or sticks. He hurt his back quite badly in an accident and when he was able to walk to the river again, he trotted into the water as usual and sank like a stone - luckily he was on the long lead and we were able to pull him out. As his back recovered he managed to swim again - you had to be careful that he didn't get too confident and strike out to sea or something!

However, the collie cross I had as a child hated water - he walked daintily around every puddle and used to run up and down the riverbank barking at us when we swam.

Mine hates water.
She’ll go for a paddle if she’s really hot or enter water to retrieve a ball but that’s it.

Yes, my Labrador absolutely loves the water but she was introduced from a v early age to both rivers and the sea.

Mine does NOT like waves.

I had to buy him an ice cream to apologise and he was huffy with me for ages.

She’s does now, only this year, at age 5, has she started swimming in the river, frightened by the waves at the beach though, but I think if we went to the beach and sea was calm she would go in.

Mine won't even get wet. He walks around puddles, and wouldn't dream of getting in a stream or the sea. He also hides under blankets snoozing if its rainy incase anyone tries to walk him. He's a jrt chihuahua cross.

Mine won’t go near anything bigger than a puddle, though she can swim perfectly well (as we found out when she mistook the layer of duckweed on the canal for a lawn and took a flying leap into it).
She will wade through mud up to her chest though

My springer boy loves the water and is a very strong swimmer. We live near a lake and rivers and his favourite thing ever is to play fetch where he has to swim for a stick thrown in the water. He's never been to the beach, we live too far away to take him in the car, but I think he'd love it.

Girl springer isn't quite so keen but will occasionally go in for a dip. Most of the time she's happy with a paddle.

Mines scared of water 🙈 must add he’s a 40kg 17 month old German shepherd 🙈🙈 the only water he likes is a warm shower and the stuff in his drinking bowl 🤦🏻‍♀️😂

Our little terrier loves it! She's not very good at it, and tends to go in circles but it makes her so happy

Our springer will happily swim in still or slow moving water. Does NOT like any kind of swell. Gets chased by waves. If we go in the sea while there are waves (to surf etc) he sits on the shoreline and shouts at us. 🙄

Water loving labrador here, she'll jump in any water, loves swimming but prefers lakes/reservoirs to the sea. Although she did lots of swimming in the sea on Monday as it was was calm

Just to add to my previous reply. My dog loves swimming in rivers, but would never jump in. She has to be able to walk down a bank into the water or she won't do it.

My dogs most favourite past time is swimming. He loves it. Cannot get past a body of water without him heading towards it. The sea though is the best. He runs parallel to the beach jumping waves, little ears flapping in the wind. So lovely to watch 😍