Teaching Your Dog How to Swim

When you stop to think about it, you typically associate dogs as being strong swimmers.

However, what do you do if your dog is scared of the water?

Trainer Adam G. Katz (of DogProblems.com) offers his advice:

I started getting in the pool and making the dog be with me in the pool. He'd immediately want to turn around and swim back to the steps and get out of the pool and run and hide. I didn't let him. I would bring him into deeper water and hold him in my arms. The whole time, he'd be trying to swim away, and even scratching. No problem. Just keep holding him. He's basically running in place. Just stand there and hold him and let him expel the energy, until he stops swimming and you're just holding him in place. He'll still be petrified.
That's okay.

Do this four or five times, and pretty soon the dog will not fight so much and learn to relax in your arms. Start walking with him in your arms around the pool.

Next, teach him to get in the pool and stay in the pool until you give him the release command. Just let him stand on the first step. After a couple of times, leave him on the first or second step while you sit in the shade or play in the pool, but do not let him get out. Very quickly, he will acclimate and being in the water will start feeling nice. Make him get out of the pool and go back in, until it stops being a big deal.

The final step is to introduce a toy. Start using his play drive and toss the toy in the pool and encourage him to get it. After the first or second time, he'll be hooked.

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/81124164@N00/3617092913/)