Can All Dogs Swim?

[OSoSwift]

I had one Dobe who would drown, she would only use one front paw, tip sideways and go down. The other could swim a bit but hated it.

Both my Whippets can swim. One requires a need to swim - one I-squeak will do, the other chooses to run around in the water but not actually go swimming. Her dad is a complete water rat.

[GeckoTree]

No not all, I'd say most can though.

[Andisa]

Pugs and Frenchies can't - they are too top heavy! LOL

Yes they can :) My girl used to swim and my mum and dads pugs can swim too..

This is my girl.

Love this clip, have seen it before and I just love it :laugh: .

Lizzy (Pug) is a good little swimmer too, she chased a kelpie in a creek when the kids were taking the dogs for a walk and they were ready to go in after her but she never needed them. She loved the beach too. My Rottweilers are all water babies and the docked bitch is a much better swimmer than her tailed kids, they swim very well but their mother is better. Haven't tried Charli (Pug) at swimming yet but she isn't as keen to play in the clam or puddles like the others so she might not be any good.

[Noire]

My rotts have all been mad swimmers, they were all docked as well, my first girl used to nearly pull me over so she could walk through puddles she loved the water so much. she used to swim out so far in the lake she was just a little head gliding around, the first time she did it I nearly had heart failure but she eventually came back and after that I never worried about her swimming ability. My rottie boy used to surf, it was funny to see him bobbing around waiting for the next wave so he could catch it in. My frenchie is another story! I've heard of frenchies drowning in backyard pools. I think they are too heavy in the head and chest to swim well, if at all.

Edited August 17, 2012 by Noire

[MsKatie]

ALl of our dogs have been in the pool at least once so we could show them where the steps were. Our ACD x used to do laps with my OH - the staffy x would go in after a tennis ball but all of ours prefer the beach because of the gradual slope.

[Kirislin]

My whippets have no body fat but all are good swimmers. Some love it more than others, Feather can swim but doesn't like it at all. Puck is the fastest swimmer I've ever seen.

[grumpette]

My docked girl Baylee is a much better swimmer than her tailed nephew Zeph

But he is all muscle and she is all fur and buoyancy :laugh:

Here are the three docked girls swimming with their tailed sons/nephews/second cousins

All three girls are excellent swimmers, but the boys tend to swim with their ends lower in the water.

The girls in heaven, water and balls :D

[-Megz-]

When I was much younger we bought a dog back for a friend, a Frenchie, we let it into our back yard for a snuffle around before being picked up. The dog made a beeline for the pool and sank, my Dad jumped in nearly fully clothed to pull him out, was quite scary. The rest of mine can swim but only the Toller is water obsessed, but he is built for it with webbed feet and all.

[LizT]

Most wild mammals put in a life and death situation (such as escape from fire) will swim even if never having been in water before. But judging from some post in this thread I believe it is evident some breeds have been so altered from the original design (wolf) as to make swimming difficult, if not impossible for them. Particularly for any length of time.

In dogs it is usually the inability to remove themselves from the water, as in the case of smooth sided pools that results in drowning post exhaustion.

[zeebie]

My Silky X is absolutely obsessed with water and has no fear of the biggest waves and will bound into still water or surf, was introduced to calm water swimming as 5 months old pup, favourite past time is to race up beach snapping at froth on waves and will do this repeatedly and then gets sick unless stopped.

New poodle pup at 4 months followed older dog into low tidal flats at beach without hesitation and suddenly out of depth. she just popped under momentarily and came up swimming, poodles originally water dogs so maybe it was genetic imprint. She is now also fearless around any water. :D

Another family dog (British Bull dog) totally freaked out at first water confrontation(age 8months) - low tide mud flats - would not move, when my dog went running after a ball, he followed and forgot that he had to run through water gradually we exposed him to deeper still water situations and now at 2yrs while not that keen he will go in and swims well.

Edited August 18, 2012 by zeebie

[Bundyburger]

Amypie, I have one of those too... So funny.

[noisymina]

A couple of times we have had visitors here with their dogs - and we put the dogs in the pool area to contain them for a little while ...........

BOTH times, we had to drag flounderinmg dogs out of the pool! Yes, we could watch them from where we were sitting.

But our own dogs were quite safe in there! THEY never used to bother with falling in the pool. Weird.

So I can vouch for the inabilty of a Greyhound to swim! :laugh: Dunno if the Pei would have made it out alone or not.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

When my dog was about 6 months old - she had an experience with walking on water - ran across a pool cover (the bubble wrap floaty sort - not attached to the sides) - immediately after we had discussed "she wouldn't do that". She wasn't keen to try it again tho.

[gusgem]

I have probably one of very few labradors in the world that can not swim. She has never worked it out. Even with someone going in with her trying to support her back legs she has no idea. It really is quite embarrassing!! Lol

[Robbi]

When my dog was about 6 months old - she had an experience with walking on water - ran across a pool cover (the bubble wrap floaty sort - not attached to the sides) - immediately after we had discussed "she wouldn't do that". She wasn't keen to try it again tho.

I have heard horror stories about dogs and pool covers, you must have been terrified that she may fall through. Dogs are the cause of many grey hairs :laugh:

[JulesP]

Mine prefer to paddle but can swim.

This was Amber's first swim. I was a bit worried as she just swam across a dam!

[RubyStar]

I had all intentions of gradually introducing my first Lab pup to the water. Took her offlead and was about to walk her down the bank, when vroooooooom, she was off and in the water, splashing about and having a jolly good time

My other Lab hated swimming (still hates the hose and bath) but finally the joy of retrieving her favourite toys won over and she is a swimming freak for her toys now. Doesn't swim for the hell of it, though. But Labs are born pre-programmed knowing how to swim, whether for pleasure or for more serious work of retrieving toys :laugh:

My sister's Lab X Poodle leapt out after another dog, realised he was standing shoulder height in water, and just stood there like a stunned mullet :laugh: We eventually coaxed him out!

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

horror stories about dogs and pool covers

Not just dogs. Children and drunks too.

I have never left her unsupervised in a pool area covered or not - way too scary.

she had another walking on water experience when she ran out over what she thought was solid ground to discover it was water weed over a very black mud stinky dam. Took a while to get that smell out. But at least she didn't run in again.

[Jigsaw]

It is my understanding that dogs are negatively buoyant, meaning that unless they actively swim to support themselves, they sink unfortunately. There are some humans who are also negatively buoyant. A lot of dogs need encouragement to learn how to swim, some take to it like ducks to water. The introduction of flotation devices for dogs has been a boon for those dogs who love the water but can't swim or for those who are into water sports and just want to be sure.

My own dog loves swimming and will often just continue swimming down the lake while I walk along the path on dry land!

[piperspal]

My toy poodle is a sinker, she doesnt like the splash in her face while in the water (but will happily spend hours in her clam shell of water splashing around) so she lifts her head, which drives the back end under, her front paws come out of the water and lo and behold, she splashes. Repeat. I think I will get her a life jacket, as she loves the water but just cant manage the action.