I can lead my dog to water, but how do I teach her to swim?

I Can Lead My Dog to Water But How Do I Teach Her To Swim? Article & Photography By Deborah Lee Miller-Riley.

(Article Excerpt)

Well, it’s not so much about teaching a dog how to swim as it is about supporting and motivating her and setting her up to succeed at learning how to balance and paddle on top of a liquid field. It’s like learning to ride a bike.  Someone may have held the seat until you were on and falling off may have slowed you down, but it was your persistent DESIRE to ride that taught you to balance while peddling.  All great canine swimmers began with the DESIRE to play in the water.  Lucky for us, desire for water play can be nurtured. So swim coaches, here are some tips to increase your canine’s splash desire and balance:

Physical Safety Promotes Emotional Safety. The trainer’s job is to create an environment in which the dog feels safe to play and explore and welfare risks are removed or reduced. Get the dog fitted for a quality fear insurance plan – USE a canine life jacket. Remove all throat collars to keep that airway risk free.  Avoid dangerous long lines in the water; instead use a 3-4 ft piece of brightly colored floating line that attaches to the dog’s life jacket. Leads are used to protect a dog from unsafe or rude choices, never to compel a dog to enter or work in the water…(PURCHASE A COPY OF THE MARCH/APRIL ISSUE  TO READ MORE) Click Here