Mary Allen
The sun is shining and the temperatures are rising – these are ideal conditions for spending time together with your dog by or in the water. So, pack your bags and head to the sea, the nearest bathing lake, or the garden with the paddling pool and let the dogs have fun in the water. For most dogs, the cool water definitely means a lot of fun, either swimming or just romping around in the shallows.
Can any Dog Swim?
In principle, every dog, regardless of breed or size, is able to swim. With some breeds, however, physical conditions mean that the dog may be reluctant to go into the water. Maybe your dog is hesitating because it’s your first time at the water together and he doesn’t know it yet. Or he may have had water experiences in the past that made your dog startle and become insecure about the wet element. But here, too, nothing stands in the way of water fun for dogs, except maybe a little persuasion.
Water Fun for Dogs: Toys
There is a wide range of buoyant dog toys on the market, from lighthouses to frisbees to balls. It is a great pleasure, especially for dogs that are very fond of retrieving, to fetch them either from the deeper or even from the shallow waters. Due to the risk of injury, such toys are definitely preferable to a branch or piece of wood.
Rest Breaks
Rest breaks are very important and you should definitely allow your dog these regularly, even if your furry friend would like to keep going like this forever. Swimming for 15 minutes is equivalent to 45 to 60 minutes of trotting on a bicycle. Even if your dog doesn’t swim but only frolics and plays in the water, you should make sure that it doesn’t overwhelm itself physically. Find a shady spot to take a break, because the scorching sun also harbors some dangers, such as sunburn or heat stroke. It is also important that you rub your dog dry and pat its ears dry to avoid possible diseases. In addition, your dog should have enough fresh drinking water available during rest breaks.
Bathrobe
The bathrobe for the dog? What some people can’t even imagine turns out to be a very useful tool in everyday life to get the dog dry after a long bath. The bathrobe takes care of the drying without much effort. A good-quality bathrobe will soak up the dog’s moisture. Depending on the texture of the coat, the dog is dry in a bathrobe in about 15 to 20 minutes. There is now a very wide range of different models, including ones with legs or a hood for the ears. Despite everything, you should not do without a small towel for your paws and ears.
Tips for Hydrophobic Dogs
Dogs that are afraid of water should slowly get used to the cool water. You can put a small dog pool in the garden or just a stable tub and let your dog first fish treats or your favorite toy out of the pool, or you are looking for a lake with a very shallow entrance and encourage your dog to race together along the water’s edge. In the case of dogs that like to fetch, you can also position your favorite toy at the waterline and then let your dog fetch it. Even a hamstring game at the water’s edge can provide a lot of water fun for dogs and reduce insecurity about the cool water.
It also helps some dogs if you go ahead into the water with a relaxed self-assurance and motivate the dog to follow you there with your favorite toy or treats. At first, let your dog lose the ground under his paws for a few short strokes and then immediately move back towards the bank. This gives him the security he needs for the next swimming trip. In any case, it is important that you never force your dog into the water, as this may develop an aversion to water.