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Practical Safety Tips For Dogs Swimming
It is important to consider useful safety tips for dogs swimming. It’s only natural because not all canines can swim. Some of our furry friends find it hard to paddle because of the shape of their bodies or the condition of their fur. Other pooches are afraid of the water due to past trauma or the feeling soaked. So, for their protection or comfort when exposed to shallow or deep waters, we may need to help.
Besides, swimming is a great activity for our four-legged pals. It can help them have a good time while having some exercise. But you may be asking, “Do all dogs swim naturally?” No, because of several factors. But, despite that, it doesn’t mean that we should deprive them of the fun of bathing and wading. After all, there are now means to get dogs to handle the water and appreciate taking a dip or splashing around. Thus there’s always hope for pooches to swim.
This article has some recommendations about how to get your dog to swim. Keep reading and, later, enjoy swimming with your buddy!
Preparation Safety Tips For Dogs Swimming
Can all dogs swim? The answer is no and that’s why it is important not to force any canine into getting into shallow or deep waters. This is to prevent them from drowning. In most cases, those that find it hard to swim are the ones with short snouts and legs plus round bodies. Some disabled dogs may be difficult to float on water. Aside from that, there are pets with bad experiences in getting soaked. Thus it pays to prepare beforehand to make pooches comfortable and ready to dip into the water.
Here are some pointers to get our furry companions at ease and set to hit the waters for swimming.
Be Familiar With Your Four-Legged Friend
How do all dogs swim naturally if some of them are bigger or smaller than the others? Different pooches have long and short sets of snouts and legs. Others have not only double but also thick coats. So it would be right to conclude that not all canines are natural swimmers. Despite that some of our buddies have an affinity with water, their parts make it hard to swim. Even so, some dogs need help staying afloat or wading through the water.
Look At Their Structure
If you have a Bulldog, Pug, Bull Terrier, Basset Hound, or Corgi, make preparations. It’s the same with owning a Shar-Pei, Dachshund, or Shih Tzu. They all have a small frame. Some of them have long ears, short legs, flat faces, and elongated bodies. These factors make it challenging for canines to keep their noses up and wade through the water.
Even Boxer and Chow Chow dogs that are large and have long legs may have trouble swimming due to their flat faces. So, with them, there needs to be supervision at all times. It’s that or let them wear dog life vests.
Find Out Their Preference
Some canine companions love water while others dislike it very much. Our four-legged pals may love to get soaked to feel cooler in the summertime or to play. They may detest getting wet because of the way the water feels and when it’s difficult to swim or even dip. So, before putting your dog in the water, know this first.
It doesn’t mean that you ought to back out from letting it swim when it runs away from a pool. Rather, you can try taking measures to make it understand why plunging in is a good idea. It may take time for some pet pooches to like the water. But, with patience, effort, and the right techniques, it’s possible to encourage a canine to swim. Training a pooch to like and even enjoy the water is one of the most important safety tips for dogs swimming.
Check The Obedience
If you want to find out how to get your dog to swim, check how well it obeys you. For it to follow your command to go near and in the water, it must consider you trustworthy. When your pet won’t defy, you can get it to have fun in different kinds of pools. In this way, you may even take it to ponds or beaches.
Also, getting your dog to obey you at all times is for its safety. A canine may feel engrossed with swimming and forget about the dangers of drowning. You can tell it to keep one of the dog life vests on when you can control it. As part of your preparation, make it do what you say. This is so you could keep it from reaching deep areas or staying longer than it should. So work on obedience training if this is an aspect of your pet ownership that you’re having issues with. That is before you take your pet canine anywhere for a dip.
Bathing Safety Tips For Dogs Swimming
Do all dogs swim naturally in the collapsible pools or backyard, in-ground ponds? It’s still a no, regardless of their physical structures. It usually takes a while before pooches get in the water and appreciate it. But, when they do have fun bathing, they often take their time to stay soaked too. So getting them to swim is worth it.
But it’s not always about how to get your dog to swim. It is also important to keep them safe while they’re having fun. They can get preoccupied with swimming or distracted by some things and end up in danger. For that reason, beforehand, we need to take steps to make sure that our pets stay protected at all times. Here are some of what we can do to ensure that.
Don’t Force Your Dog Into The Water.
Get its confidence. Rather than throwing it in a pool of water, encourage it to bathe. To do that, introduce it. There are many ways to do that. Some of the simplest measures are the most effective methods. Gradual exposure to water will work. Getting it wet via a water sprinkler or letting it wade in shallow pools may help. Provide a way out near the source of the water. It’s to show that you’re not forcing anything to it. So you may have to spend a lot of time and have plenty of patience with your furry friend.
Use A Floating Device
For all canine swimming, it would be ideal to have dog life vests available. Our four-legged companions must have them when spending time in and around the water. Bear in mind that some of them aren’t built to swim. Even the most experienced pooches feel exhausted from paddling. Plus, misfortunes can occur. So putting on a life vest on your buddy is crucial.
Aside from preventing mishaps, floating devices help in other ways. They allow pet owners to see their companions better on the water. More often than not, a flotation jacket can keep a pooch warm and prevent hypothermia. Still, they come with handles to better control dogs. Using it makes learning how to get your dog to swim easy somehow. Hence, it’s clear why many pet parents decide to have these things.
Show That The Water Is Relaxing and Fun
As much as possible, before and during your time in the water, take it easy. If you’re bathing with your dog, always remain calm. Your buddy looks up to you. It likely senses what you feel. So try to stay chill throughout your dipping session. It’s one of the safety tips for dogs swimming that your companion will appreciate.
When your buddy senses that you’re calm the entire time, it will likely feel comfortable too. Without a reason to panic, there is no doubt that it will stay relaxed. Even if it does have trouble wadding or gets distracted by something, respond but play it cool. If you can, keep your fear, frustrations, and other strong emotions within for a while. Always be in control of yourself, your fur kid, and the situation. In doing this, you avoid if not lessen your worries.
Choose The Right Pool
Decide on this based on your dog’s size, activity level, and comfort. Only select bigger pools for larger pooches with experience swimming. For beginners, start in low waters. Make it so that it becomes very unlikely for a dog to drown. So be wise when choosing where you let your furry friend swim.
Inflatable or collapsible pools are easy to find and use. Small sizes are often perfect for tiny pooches that are new to water dipping. Plunging in a larger, in-ground, and dog-friendly pool may overwhelm a pup or miniature dog.
Supervise Your Four-Legged Friend Well
Not assuming that all dogs can swim is a smart move. To support that, keep watch over your pet while swimming with it. Pay close attention to it especially when you’re out of the water. After all, accidents may happen. Thus guide your buddy for the most part.
Don’t let it drink from where it’s swimming. Remember that water for public bathing pools often has chlorine. Canines can have gut problems because of it. Fresh water from ponds or lakes may contain contaminants too. Consuming some may cause pooches to end up with intestinal parasites. Beaches have plenty of salt water. Dogs can experience diarrhea and vomiting from drinking it. So be careful when looking after your pet during its swim.
In Conclusion
Recall these few safety tips for dogs swimming. That is to have hours of pleasure and training altogether. By taking measures to be ready, you ensure that everyone gets to have a good time later on. Warm days turn fun with our furry friends when we take steps to remain safe while splashing around. So we should try to consider these recommendations. With them, we guarantee or at least increase our chances of having an exceptional time.
Have you brought your furry friend swimming? What steps did you take for its safety? Share with us your thoughts. Thanks for reading.
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