Today, I have a step-by-step guide for you on “How to Teach Your Dog to Swim.”
We’ve had our corgi, Asti, for 5 years now. We’ve gone through all the stages of accepting the sea — from running away from approaching waves to jumping into the water headfirst 🙂
Let me start by saying that Asti has lived by the sea since she was a pup. She first saw the Azov Sea, then the Black Sea, and finally the Mediterranean. She swims in all of them pretty much the same.
First Encounter with the Azov Sea: Corgi at 3 months old:
When Asti first saw the water, she didn’t quite appreciate it. She ran from the waves and cautiously placed her paws in the water.
“Where have you dragged me?”
As our walks became more frequent, Asti got used to the sounds and force of the sea.
We walked in all kinds of weather and at all times of the year — both when it was cold, when it was hot, and even when the sea froze completely.
When it’s cold, we just play on the beach:
Do not bathe your dog in the sea during the winter! Asti would happily dip her paws in the water even in winter, but we prohibited it because of her low belly — getting her paws wet would mean soaking her belly and making her sick.
How we helped Asti not be afraid of water:
- Regular walks: The more often the dog sees the sea, the faster she gets used to it.
- More fun, less stress: We played, walked, ran, and gave her treats. We didn’t throw her into the sea right away or force her to swim to the shore. Positive reinforcement is key — if every visit to the sea is fun, the dog will remember it and look forward to it. At two years old, Asti runs to the beach as soon as she sees the sand 🙂
First walks at sunset:
Water games with her two-legged friends:
- “Come here”: Each time we went into the sea, we called her with the “come here” command. Surprisingly, Asti went into the water and swam on her second trip to the sea. We waded in up to our ankles and called her. This was at the Azov Sea, which is quite shallow, and that day, there were no waves.
- Carrying the dog in the water: We would pick her up, carry her into the water, and wade in until we were up to our waists so we could easily lift her out. We submerged her in the water and held her. We did this several times, but only after Asti had started running into the water herself. This method might not be suitable for all dogs; if your dog reacts with panic or whining, don’t try this. It’s better to use the next technique.
- The partner trick: One person picks up the dog, carries her into the water up to the knee, turns her facing the shore, and lets go. The second person calls the dog to the shore. Our dog swam with wide, terrified eyes 🙂 We gradually carried her into the water more often.
- Treats/toys: This technique was inspired by Asti herself. One day at the beach, I noticed she was curiously staring at something in the water — it turned out to be a feather, carried by the current. Asti went into the water on her own and started chasing it. So, if your dog is motivated by treats or toys, tease her tail a little and throw something into the water. The dog will have to run into the water. If your dog already walks into the surf on her own — you’re halfway there 🙂 The feather moment can be seen in the video linked below.
Great treat (just kidding):
That’s pretty much everything I noticed while teaching our dog to swim. Now, every time we head to the water, Asti runs after us, swims toward us, and paddles back to the shore. She doesn’t linger in the water, but happily barks, swims, and then runs joyfully along the beach.
Just a second before:
You can see a video of Asti’s first attempts at entering the water up to jumping into the waves here.
We’re thinking of buying her a vest to see if it will help her stay in the water longer with a floaty assist 🙂 I’ll update this article after we try it out.
Something like this is what we plan to buy:
By the way, Asti also learned to swim in the river. After getting used to the salty sea, she already knew how to control her body, so there was no need for additional training. She swims the same way in the river.
And here are a few more photos of Asti on the beach 🙂
Here we’re happily wiping ourselves off with sand. Good luck to the two-legged ones cleaning all that thick fur!
“I won’t leave until I’m dry.”
Here we’re happily barking at the waves: Outrageously big waves for a puppy.
Here we’re grumbling because they won’t let us wet our paws: (Autumn on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast.)
Here we’re sunbathing. Fethiye beach:
Here we’re exhaling after a swim. Rainy day in Alanya:
And here we’re watching sunsets with our two-legged friends. A not-so-hot Turkish sunset:
And here we’re chilling with Turkish friends on the beach 🙂 An outdoor friend at the barbecue:
Wishing you all happy tails! Do you take your fluffy ones to the sea?