Swimming

[LKLMommy]

I have a 4 month old female rottie pup....we live in phoenix, and its been warm, so we've had the kiddie pool out, and shes been loving splashing around with my kids! my father in law has a pool, and is wanting us to bring her swimming with us this summer. i know that rotties are good swimmers, but i've never taught a dog how to swim before! are they any special techniques i need to know? and is she old enough? or should i wait until shes a little older? Thanks in advance for you help!

[Ayoka]

I think that they can swim at any age - if they can run. I saw a photo of the tiniest puppy (bred by a member here) in the tiniest little life jacket and it was just tooo cute! I'm not sure if it was before or after he left the breeder but he wasn't more than 4 months old when I saw the picture.

The thing to remember is thay are small and swimming is hard so supporting them under the waist or getting a lifejacket will allow them to paddle around. I had to help my adult dog learn to swim but holding his back end up...he didn't realise that he needed to use those back legs to stay afloat.

[bigdogweilerx2]

Just put them in and be there for her, some do good right away some make more splashes and noise but just help them a couple times.My breeder husband had a kiddie pool set up,and every day till they left,they swam across the pool.

[Mick Trainer]

The only real problem with a dog swimming in a pool is often they do not know how to get out and this can cause them to panic. To help this I always teach the dog how to get out. I do this by plaing the dog in the pool right at the steps etc where it will be getting in and out and letting it swin only 1-2 feet before it gets its paws on the step and can get out. I do this building up the distance away from the steps until the dog is comfortable about getting out from the pool in any location.

Mick.

[SABELLESMOM]

Rottweilers aren't always the "best" swimmers. Some breeds, obviously, are better designed for it, like gun dogs, etc. But they can so it, certainly. Many excell at it. They tend to be a bit heavy in the water, but they are powerful.

Make sure the dog learns the exit first thing. In fact, have the dog with you near the exit. He'll probably swim right off the bat, with very little help for you. Be calm and encouraging. Be there to prevent a dunking. It scares them, a bit.

[HeyJude]

My girl, now 10 months old started swimming at 3 months, she just could not wait to get in the pool, started swimming straight away and just swam into our arms when she got tired. She mastered the pool stairs at this stage as well. Hardest thing is getting her out of the pool, she just loves to swim. We also take her in the ocean and though she was a little scared of the waves at first she now loves it. She will even put her head under the water to retrieve a stick or a toy. Playing fetch in the pool or the ocean is her absolute favourite thing to do and what great exercise swimming is. My husband and her even have races, she kicks her back legs madly trying to keep up with him.

[observer]

Mick is absolutely right (as always). The first thing you teach her is how to get out.

They aren't always naturally great swimmers. When I took Missy for pool therapy a year or so ago, I told the therapist I didn't know if she'd ever been in a pool before. His response after the first session (he used life jackets as well -- they do help!) was that if she had ever been in the pool before, it hadn't been her idea! She got good at it really quick, though, and it is wonderful exercise as well as cooling them off in the coming hot weather.

[LKLMommy]

thank you all for your advice! i see almost everyone mentioned jackets....where can i get her a jacket? i think it would make me (and her) feel more secure when we are just starting out. is it something i can find at like a pet store, or do i need to special order it?

[observer]

I've seen them at specialty pet stores, but there are tons of them online. Just do a google search for dog life jacket, or dog life vest.

[Nishasmom]

My dog started "swimming" around 6 months. Before that, she was more comfortable where she could stand. One day, she just decided to go for it...she has been swimming miles ever since! She is fast...when there multiple dogs at the park, she beats goldens and labs to the ball !

[Zumie05]

I didn't really have to teach my rescue dog Zumi how to swim. She had always liked water and went in but was too nervous about stepping out where her feet couldn't touch.

So one day over at my friend's cabin I was throwing her pine cones into a pond, and being an insane-for-a-fetch type of dog, she was going nuts not being able to bring me back that pine cone. Very gently I nudged her in with my knee, and that is how she learned to swim lol.

Ever since that she has been an awesome swimmer and will swim to retrieve for hours on end if I let her.

My rottie Gary on the other hand is 7 months and is afraid to get his feet wet. I'm not sure if I have a swimmer here. I think if I nudged him into a body of water he would get quite scared. My best bet is when summer comes around I can go swimming with him and try to coax him in.

[hokisteph5]

Originally Posted by LKLMommy

thank you all for your advice! i see almost everyone mentioned jackets....where can i get her a jacket? i think it would make me (and her) feel more secure when we are just starting out. is it something i can find at like a pet store, or do i need to special order it?

I got my dogs' life jackets at PetsMart.