How should I go about teaching my puppy to swim?

Just like humans, some dogs swim and others don't. Not all dogs can swim and not all dogs enjoy it.

Your friend is not terribly bright, so I would not take her advice. You are correct in thinking that you want to take it slow and make this a positive experience for your pup. She's only 4 months old, so if she gets scared now, you may never get her in the water again.

Start in a section of the water that is calm, have some super tasty treats, like boiled chicken, string cheese etc., also bring a bright floating toy, maybe one that squeaks if you can find it. Make it positive and fun, let her get out if she wants to, also, don't lure her out into deeper water, you want her to move parallel to shore, you don't want the ground to drop out from underneather her and for her to get scared. There's nothing wrong with a good lifejacket, the one I own is from RuffWear and will not cause them to tilt over.

BTW, I have dachshunds that swim. One of my dachshunds was never very comfortable in the water and would not go in, not for chicken, not for meatballs, not for squeaky toys. I never ever pushed him. He wanted to, especially if I was in the water. Now my female dachshund, dove into the shore at 4 months old and has been swimming ever since. Anyway, 1 day Ijust kept throwing the floating bumper in the water and Jada was the one having all the fun, that Cadman barking his fool head off on shore, just got so frustrated and jumped into the Bay...he has not looked back since. Now, everytime we go to the beach, he can't wait to jump in the water and retrieve his toy. He will even put his head under the water to get it and in fact, I can't keep him out of the water.

So, the moral of the story, I guess, is keep exposing him to it, keep it fun and he just might surprise you.

First off, for those who mentioned simply 'toss him in" - please, permit's have a little bit extra admire for the puppy and no longer freak them out. Put to your swimsuit, bring him in and help him below his chest for a minute. He will routinely begin displaying you that he can swim by means of doing the popular "puppy paddle" Let cross.. he is swimming! Don't tire him out an excessive amount of and exhibit (educate) him in which the stairs are. NOTE: If you have ever given him a bathtub and he is dripping rainy, prefer him up from beneath (with one hand) off the bottom (tub) and you can see his puppy paddle then as good. (There's a lovely video in most cases on youtube, that indicates anyone protecting a small puppy above the bathroom and the puppies does the puppy paddle. (Too humorous) Never depart him external unsupervised along with your pool. I had a buddy that had a domestic dog identical as your puppy's age and he could not get out and ...good, you realize. :(

If the dog looks to you for love, protection and guidance, her trust in you is fathomless and you hold this truth as a key to swimming success or failure.

Her trust in you will be the draw that causes her to follow you, her trusted leader, into the water. Put a lead on her and casually walk in the water, guiding and encouraging her. Once she's deep enough she'll have to swim. You can then turn her around and lead her ashore followed by joyous praise and play. Then, repeat as often as you like and follow your instinct whether she's ready for deeper water or not (which also depends on water temperature and your own comfort, as you are still the leader and guide in this learning phase, which means that you get wet).

I live along a lake with deep water (no wading in!), so all my new dogs get a trip to the local landing for swim lessons. This has worked wonderfully time and time again. You will know soon enough whether your dog needs a swim suit or not ("life vest"). In the case of my Dachshund, this was evident early on and he knows not to enter the water without. His own build creates the necessity - long heavy body driven by overly short legs equals a submarine dog.

Put a leash on her take a treat with you and walk into the water ahead of her. Walk out far enough so when she comes to you she will have to eventually swim. Call her, and I would bet she will walk as far as she can and when the water gets too deep, she will swim. I might warn you, once she loves to swim, and she will, never allow her loose in a large body of water. You will never catch her.

I had a Westie that so loved the water he would swim until he simply couldn't anymore. He had to wear a life jacket (a doggy one) or he would have drowned before coming back to shore.

Here is what you do. First off you don't just throw her in the water!!!!!!!! Ugh. You get in the pool with her and be sure to be infront of her. And as she comes to you, keep backing up. But stay close so that way you can just catch her.

OH I forgot about this.

I have a Sibrian Husky that is two years old that I had rescued when he was 1 years old. So I wanted to keep him active by introducing him to some sports like swimming. So I took him to the Dog Park with a beach.

Then I got in the beach with him while holding his leach still on him. Since then, he loves to get in water. He has his own little swimming pool in our backyard.

So maybe thats another option for you. :) I hope that these might work for you.

Put the puppy in the pool (with head over the water). Move the the puppies front legs back and forth, keep doing this until her gets the gist. My 4 month old puppies rolled down a bank near a lake. I panicked soooo bad. Before i jumped in the came back up to the top and started puppy paddling! It was the cutest thing. Most dogs will learn how to swim naturally. Just be patient....

The instinct will come naturally. You don't have to throw the puppy in the water... you can carry her in and let her go, staying close in case she panics or gets scared. Or you could try playing with her and throwing a ball or rope toy in the water so that she chases it and goes in after it.

Check out this site for a quick online guide:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/25585446/ns/today-to...

Just throw the puppy in the water.