Almost all animals can swim. Even cats can feel great in the water if handled correctly. Dogs are no exception and can stay afloat from puppyhood.
Some dogs jump in the water by themselves and you don't have to teach them. But what should you do if your puppy vehemently objects to swimming? The first thing to do is to get your puppy used to the water and make him understand that there's nothing to worry about. The best time to do this is during the warmer months. Take your puppy to the pond, and if it's the first time he's there, give him a chance to run around and have a look around, just to reassure him and get him used to the new surroundings. Then take him along for the ride and play with his favorite toy. Play for a while so that he doesn't tire, just get him excited. While playing, throw the toy into the water. Throw it not far, but literally halfway down the puppy's body. Make sure that when the puppy wants to get it out, he steps in the water. If you throw it far away, he just might not want to go for it. If he does get it and gets his feet wet, that's fine. Throw it a little farther.
There are dogs that even without the toys themselves climb into the water, but as soon as they get to the depths, feeling that the contact between their paws and the surface is lost, they immediately jump out onto the shore. This process can last a long time and if untrained, it will never go into the water deeper. I saw such a picture: a woman swimming, called her dog (dog 6 years old), but he would not go into the water. Then, she even tried to imitate the sinking, called her for help, but to no avail. The dog was literally knee-deep in the water and immediately jumped back out, just running along the shore and barking. This is bad.
If a puppy goes into the water up to his chest, and he's afraid to go any further, it's no big deal. The most important thing is that he is not afraid of water. Now we need him not to be afraid to swim, and here we will help him.
We gently take him and go into the water with him. To go no farther, but so that at the moment of lowering it into the water, it could swim at least one meter to the shore. If you see that he is swimming confidently and is not sinking, repeat the procedure, but go a little farther. It is not necessary to go far, just a step. At one time, two procedures will be enough, no more is needed. The most important thing is not to scare him and training to be carried out in standing water, so it does not drift by the current. Next time repeat the training by taking him further away. Usually one time is enough, so that the next day after his nap, during a walk, puppy goes into the water to swim by himself. Sometimes the training will have to be repeated several times.
Most importantly do not throw him in the water, do not immerse him, otherwise, instead of friendship with water, you will instill in him fear of water.
Recommendation: do the training in hot weather. When you get him in the heat, he'll understand that water is a friend, and he'll happily climb into it.
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