Hey everyone So I have just recently been able to acquire a car and with the weather slowly getting warmer, me and my dog have been going to lots of different new places we weren't able to go before. Well, the thing here is I don't know how to swim and because of that I'm scared to let my dog get near water. I know Labradors are good swimmers but since mine has never been in the water and I know I couldn't potentially save him if something went wrong (because well, I'd probably drown faster than him) I've just been really afraid. Ever since I got a car me and my dog have been going to more "backwood" areas to walk and we often come across these very peaceful lakes and rivers I just wish I could let him swim in. Am I worrying for nothing? Is it a bad idea to let him in the water by himself if I, myself, can't swim and couldn't potentially help him out if something did go wrong, or are Labradors such good swimmers that there's nothing to really worry about?
Hi there! I know what you mean. A dunk in a possibly pretty deep hole in a forest made me worry about Lilly's swimming abilities as I read somewhere that it doesn't always come naturally! So, I took her to swimming lessons! There is a hydrotherapy pool near us who also do fun swims and we started with them, first of all with a flotation vest, then "au naturel". She could swim.No problem. I felt better. Going with someone else and their dog who CAN swim to begin with will probably increase your confidence. But Hey! - why not look at swimming lessons for yourself. It's never too late. And even if you only learn to keep yourself afloat, you will feel better and more confident around water too.
I really agree with this. NONE of my dogs could swim. At all. I'm a very strong swimmer and wanted my dogs to love water. When the two I raised from puppies (Duncan and Brogan) were small, I had a baby pool in my garden for them to encourage them to love water. When old enough, I took them to the ocean and lake. They did love water, but only up to their knees and never learned to swim despite coaxing and cookies and life jackets and all of it. Very weird. They weren't afraid of water, just couldn't keep themselves afloat. Duncan rather famously once chased a tennis ball into a friend's pool, leapt into the deep end and simply sank like a stone. Luckily I was right there and able to reach into the water and lug him out by his harness. Now, most Rottweilers absolutely can swim (check out the video below) but it really is a myth that "all dogs can swim". I was once a drowning decoy at a Newfoundland swim training day and even Newfies - as famous for swimming as Labs - have to learn sometimes. There were plenty of thrashing and spluttering puppies there that day! The good news is that my observations from my friends' water-loving dogs is that once they learn, a strong swimmer is pretty safe. The one thing I would recommend from watching my friends' dogs is to have a VERY good recall on your dog. We have a couple dogs that will happily swim to the other side of the Danube and then have a happy frolic while their owners are on the other side hopping up and down in frustration because their dogs won't come back!
Labs are pretty much natural swimmers, but you could start out in a a shallow pond or creek. It wouldn't hurt to start out with a dog PDF (aka life jacket) We use PFDs on our dogs when we are in a boat, mostly to make them more visible and to give us a handle to get them back in the boat. We don't use them when they are swimming in lakes, rivers or the ocean, but it might give you some peace of mind when you first start out. In short order it will probably become apparent that your dog can probably swim circles around most human swimmers. I can keep up with my dog(s) for about 50 ft and they can go all day. Dog Paddle should not be a derogatory term. I think the chances are much higher that they will rescue you than visa versa. Do watch out for their paws if you go swimming with them. They kick really hard and have big claws. You really should take some swimming lessons, just to stay safe.
I would have to agree with what the members of this community have suggested, you should take a swimming class for you to overcome your fear of water. Once you get to conquer it then you can enroll your lab to a dog swimming class. Dogs are fast learner and labradors are natural swimmers. Set aside your fear of drowning as you learn to swim, then so as your pet. It's never too late to explore new things, trust me when I say that your dog will surely enjoy this activity.
It sounds like this is more about your fear of swimming than your dogs. If you take your dog to a shallow, non moving lake or Resovoir he will probably self limit. Make sure you have a pocket full of tasty treats. The other option to give you confidence is go with a friend...and a dog who is sensible around the water. In my experience labs are awesome swimmers. I walk a couple of times a week round a Resovoir and bump into many swimming labs...all having fun and the other bonus they get their coat washed.Your dog would probably love to get in the water I hope you can find a a way to support him....then post us some pictures
Hattie who is 9 years old and Charlie is 6 years old (both Labrador crosses) had never been swimming until we went to Scotland last summer, we stayed in a cottage on a beautiful Loch. They ran straight in and spent the whole week retrieving and having the time of their lives swimming. It was fantastic to watch them, I didn't worry for a single second x
@Jlko I am also a non-swimmer despite spending a small fortune on lessons over the years although now I refer to myself as a non-swimmer as I really hate being in water more than 1m deep Psychological rather than physical difficulties. I always make sure my dogs have a shallow entry into the water rather than having them jumping in from banks. They then just start swimming as they lose contact with the lake bed/river bed. I use a dummy for retrieving in the water so distance (as I'm useless throwing it ) is not a problem
