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  1. #11
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Water work is, of course, a big deal for working retrievers so there's a lot written on the subject of introducing a pup to swimming. For young pups, warmer is better. Ideal is (according to some authorities) an air temp of 85 degrees or better and water temperature of at least 65 degrees. Obviously, for youngsters, still water is best... no currents. For a puppy... it's got to be happy, happy, fun, fun. Like swimming is the best thing in the whole wide world.

    There are a couple of methods. Earliest exposure... they just get to romp at the water's edge. A couple of days or weeks later, tossing a bumper or toy in... gradually deeper until pup becomes buoyant. And that does not have to happen in the first outing. Another expert suggests putting on waders and walking in to just a bit more than pup's legs can reach and calling pup to you, supporting them with your hand and telling them what splendid little swimmers they are.

    The best thing in the world is to take an older dog and the pup out on a hot day, play with them a bit, then toss something in for the older dog to get. When it looks like the pup is chomping at the bit to get in, a short-short toss while holding on to the older dog.

    I have heard of the rare pup coming near to drowning when first starting to dog paddle. The water splashing in their faces as they slap the water makes them pull their heads up, which makes slapping the water worse, which causes them to hold their heads up further, until they are almost vertical in the water. At this point they will sink, and if they panic, they could get a snoot full of water and panic more.

    My dog is a water monster and always has been. But she puppy-paddled (furiously) until she was over a year of age.

  2. #12
    Chief Pooper Scooper JenC's Avatar
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    Wrigley figured it out on her own. Tickle sunk and never tried it again. I'll eventually have to find a way to carry her in. Maybe a pool rental.

  3. #13
    Best Friend Retriever annkie's Avatar
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    Good stories! Interesting that Jules was technically a good swimmer but I never got the feeling that he really enjoyed it. I think he might have actually liked it a handful of times in his entire like and those were moments when he was with another dog.

    I'm hoping Archie will be different. Right now he likes chasing after squeaky toys. Sometimes he brings them back. Maybe I'll use that at some point to lure him into the water. So then our first few trips will be casual. Probably in a month or so. We'll see how warm it'll be.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #14
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by TuMicks View Post
    Water work is, of course, a big deal for working retrievers so there's a lot written on the subject of introducing a pup to swimming. For young pups, warmer is better. Ideal is (according to some authorities) an air temp of 85 degrees or better and water temperature of at least 65 degrees. Obviously, for youngsters, still water is best... no currents. For a puppy... it's got to be happy, happy, fun, fun. Like swimming is the best thing in the whole wide world.

    There are a couple of methods. Earliest exposure... they just get to romp at the water's edge. A couple of days or weeks later, tossing a bumper or toy in... gradually deeper until pup becomes buoyant. And that does not have to happen in the first outing. Another expert suggests putting on waders and walking in to just a bit more than pup's legs can reach and calling pup to you, supporting them with your hand and telling them what splendid little swimmers they are.

    The best thing in the world is to take an older dog and the pup out on a hot day, play with them a bit, then toss something in for the older dog to get. When it looks like the pup is chomping at the bit to get in, a short-short toss while holding on to the older dog.

    I have heard of the rare pup coming near to drowning when first starting to dog paddle. The water splashing in their faces as they slap the water makes them pull their heads up, which makes slapping the water worse, which causes them to hold their heads up further, until they are almost vertical in the water. At this point they will sink, and if they panic, they could get a snoot full of water and panic more.

    My dog is a water monster and always has been. But she puppy-paddled (furiously) until she was over a year of age.

    I’ve tried all of these methods with various dogs over the years and they all worked, LOL.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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