Teaching your Reluctant Dog to Swim

Contrary to popular belief, not all dogs enjoy the water - nor do they instinctively know how to swim. Yet, sharing pool time with your pet can be fun and swimming is a great low-impact exercise for overweight pets and dogs with joint problems.

Best Friends professional trainer Shawn Murace (Durham, NC) offers advice for leading your pooch to water, and teaching him to love it.

Safety first
Draw an imaginary perimeter around the pool (four or five feet from the edge) and put your pet in a down/stay there. For his own safety, your pet needs to learn that he is not allowed near the pool area until you give permission.

Don't allow the dog to cross that line until you issue a release command ("come", "okay", or other word or phrase). Murace recommends that you vary the length of time of you keep your dog in that down/stay from 10 seconds to 2 minutes.

Everyone in the pool
Once your dog is consistent in following the perimeter rule, introduce the water. Murace stresses patience: "Not all dogs like to get wet, even if they're traditional water dogs, like retrievers."

Don't throw a toy in the pool and instruct the dog to go after it, and don't drag him into the pool by the leash. "Approach the lesson on the dog's terms - take it in baby steps, and make it a positive experience." Instead, calmly walk him around the pool area. Praise him just for coming near the pool. Next, dip his feet into the pool, one at a time. Be sure to reward the dog for each foot he puts in the water.

Learning to dog paddle
When your dog will enter the pool on command (without praise or treats), you need to ensure that he can swim. It is imperative that the dog knows where and how to get out of the pool. Murace recommends a three-step process:

1.Put both your hands under the dog's chest and guide him into the pool. While you have the dog cradled, take a few steps out and turn slowly, rotating 360 degrees.
2.Still holding the dog under the chest, bring him back to the steps or ramp and release him.
3. Repeat the process, but halfway through the spin, remove your hands from the dog's chest and let him return to the steps on his own.

Don't encourage your dog to jump into the pool, which can easily hurt someone. Insist that he quietly enters the pool using the steps. If you choose to train your pet to jump into the pool on command, choose a separate command and be sure your dog knows the difference.