Golden LOVE to swim. Last year, I had a Golden Blast swimming in Maui HI Ocean anytime I want. Now that I am back home, Midwest Lakefront Beach is not ideal place for me to swim. When I was young I had a seasonal beach pass and swam in the lake.
However, the lake water has been unsafe for my Golden Sensitive Skin.
Swimming is such a PAWsome exercise that I want to keep as my regular activity. Indoor swimming is my only current option. Last weekend, I went to Splash Dog and went for a swim. It’s my 3rd time to swim in this facility. Click Here to read my 1st swim post. Since I am already familiar with the place, I Woof! Woof! and More Woofs! before my swim session starts. Mom has to keep me distracted and occupied by taking photos around the facility.
My style of swimming is doggy paddle.
Doggy Paddle is a simple and easy manner of swimming.
How does it work? While in the water, I simply lie on my chest and move my front paw/leg and back paw/leg alternately. It is like running on land.
Did you know? … The doggy paddle was the 1st swimming stroke used by humans, learned by observing four legged animals swimming. The doggy paddle is also the 1st stroke used to teach young kids to swim. Check out my 42 seconds Doggy Paddle Swim Video .…
Not all dogs enjoy getting wet and/or being in the water.
Many dogs don’t always instinctively know how to swim.
Do you plan to teach your dog how to swim? If your dog has never swam before,it is important to know these 5 Dog Swimming Safety Reminders.
1) For some dogs, especially those who are not natural swimmers, a life jacket is helpful.
2) Never leave your dog to figure it out on his/her own. In the beginning, it is helpful for you to join your dog in the water.
3) Lead your dog in the water with encouragement.
4) For some dogs, getting wet for the first time is enough. Don’t expect your dog to learn how to swim in the first session. Be Patient.
5) Provide a toy for your dog to play. Make your dog’s swim a FUN game.
I’m Golden Lucky as I enjoy getting wet and LOVE to swim. At a young age, 11 weeks, I started swimming. Does your dog enjoy swimming?
I am joining FitDog Friday Hop,
hosted by SlimDoggy, Peggy’s Pet Place and To Dog With Love.
Click Here to read our review of SlimDoggy App.
Read our previous posts on my Dog’s Health page.
Lots of Golden L♥VE n Woofs
SUGAR
I know it’s only Thursday but tomorrow, Friday, I have a special invitational post.
I invite you to check out my post. Golden Thanks!
Great post and we loved the video! This is very helpful as the in-laws just got a new woofie and they have a pool. There last dog ::bows head in respect:: was a labrador and hated water! Have a great Thursday and keep swimming! XXOO
Don’t think we’ll ever be in a REAL pool. We just go to the river. Bella taught herself how to swim and Roxy and I only paddle.
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
I’m curious…Do all Retrievers naturally know how to swim? Every one I’ve known seems to be drawn to water like a magnet. Sugar, you are a super fast swimmer. You look like you’re having a blast.
Not all dogs enjoy getting wet and/or being in the water – yep that’s Luna!
Hey Sugar! We loved watching you swim!! We really wish you would come to our house and visit…you would love to swim in our pool! We can even swim in the winter!! xoxo Chloe and LadyBug
Love it! you are amazing!
Great post and perfect timing for us. This will be Rosie’s first summer and I’m hoping she’ll like swimming with me. Her new life jacket is supposed to arrive today. Now, if only Mother Nature would cooperate and warm it up for us!
Sugar you are the Ester Williams of the K9 world. (Ooooops your mom is probably too young to know who Ester Williams was but she was beautiful and champion swimmer just like you)!
However your doggy paddle is 100% better than hers.
Hugs Madi your BFFF
PS
The only way I like my water is from my Fresh Flow water fountain.
thanks for the tips, neither of our dogs will get in our pool, they both hate it… love the video
Wow Miss Sugar you are a really fast swimmer! We have never been in the water, except the kind that falls from the sky.
Ain’t going to happen in our world – the only thing that gets in water willingly around our home is the fish!
Wow, Sugar, you are a fast swimmer!
Honey likes to wade but she doesn’t care to swim. I’ve seen her swim a few strokes when a small wave lifted her in the water so I know she can do it. She just doesn’t care to.
I have a feeling that she will eventually swim out to me but we’re letting her take it in her own time. Unfortunately the water temps in our area don’t usually get above 50 degrees or so. It’s a big sacrifice for me to hang out in the cold water waiting for Honey to swim to me.
Maybe she doesn’t like cold water either.
Wish we had a nice swimming pool like Splash Dog.
Awww look at Sugar go!!! Thanks for sharing. I’m so envious. I definitely need to get Titan to somewhere that he can experience water and see if he likes it or not
I love going in the water! You’ve given some great advice, some dogs are nervous to begin with.
Our Rusty (RIP) loved the pool and would stay in 24/7 if he could. Now our pool is quiet and no one in the pack is interested in swimming. But a few of them really love laying on the pool steps in the water to keep cool on a hot day.
Sugar Splash Dog sounds like fun. I am a paddle dog as I don’t like swimming as it gets my ears wet. Have a terrific Thursday.
Best wishes Molly
WOW SUGAR… you are an OLYMPIC SWIMMER fur SURE… sort of like that BARK the SPITZ guy from a long time ago.
Good Morning, Sugar! I wish we had a place where we could take the girls for a swim, like your Splash Dog! It would be sooo good for their arthritis! When they were pups, we had a plastic kiddie pool for them, but they didn’t like it. Callie would drink the water and Shadow would chew on the top edge of it. When we had Shadow’s litter sister and her humans to the house one day, Emma spent most of the time in the pool while Callie and Shadow chased each other around the yard and we humans watched and laughed.
I am a swimmer and my sister hates to get wet so we are opposites but other than being dogs we are opposite in about every way possible but we compliment each other and make a great team. I have to be real careful of lake water because there are so many lakes that have water that makes dogs sick if we drink it but if I can get in and swim I love to do it!
We can’t wait for the weather to warm up a bit so
we can try Splotchy at swimming. We don’t know anything about her swimming skills.
Thanks for the idea of taking a toy.
I know we will have lots of fun!
Delilah loves to swim, but Sampson not so much.
So tell me, is the place you swim chlorinated? Doesn’t the chlorine bother your skin?
Looks like so much fun!! And how awesome you got to swim in the ocean at Maui last year … so cool!!! Very refreshing and such great exercise.
Hi Sugar! Thanks for giving mom the idea to bring me for a swim with you! I hate to swim! I have been twice, I learned the first time in Lake Michigan, it was okay, then mom took me to Mondog. I hated it, it was too wavy for me and I cried and begged to get out. Maybe if she took me to a pool and I wore a vest I’d like it more. What do you think? Love Dolly
Pees: I even have a toy like yours! Love Dolly
I never tried to swim – I don’t like water. Mom hopes that I will try it when we are on the beach, but I think: Naaaaaah :o)
I knew that fire hydrant was special. What a fun place to get wet.
Cute video, Sugar! You look like you’re having such fun!! What a great spot for you!
Rita loves to go in the water when we go to the bay 3x/week – but she doesn’t like to swim! She will only swim if I go in first. Then she’ll swim to me, but immediately turn around and head back to shore. I wish she would swim since it’s such good exercise. Her best friend is a BIG swimmer and I always hope she’ll go in with her, but nope!
Hey Sugar,
Splash Dog sounds awesome! I’ve never swam before, so your tips are really useful! I’m gonna get Mum to see if there’s anywhere near me like Splash Dog – Paws crossed! 🙂
Big wags,
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
Love the video, Sugar, you look FAST! Our Golden Sheba loves to swim, but her brother Moses won’t go in any further if he can’t feel the bottom. Ironically, our little beagle Cricket also loves to swim….but her beagle brother Kobi barely wants to get his feet wet. He wouldn’t even go in our kiddie swimming pool when we put a treat in it! So I guess the girls are braver than the boys!
Our lab mix Maggie was also quite the swimmer, and she was very fast like you.
Our Callie loves to swim and the blind girls Hiker and Brook love to splash around in the water. Hiker will follow the sound of Callie swimming while she plays fetch in the water. Mr. Bill sometimes gets his feet wet. That’s all for him.
Life jackets are very important. We MUST wear them cause we are top heavy and sink
Benny & Lily
You swim wonderfully Sugar. Our Little Bit doesn’t like the water but she swims like you do. She’s fallen off the back of our boat many times. We knew she would eventually and had a plan for when she did. It worked. After a couple of times she knew exactly what to do.
Have a woof woof day. My best to your mom. 🙂
The indoor dog swimming near me is SO expensive, it’s really not an option, at least with any frequency. Once a year for a splurge maybe….It’s a shame as I love how clean the water is and no worries about Lepto and such from the lake….
Sugar my Mom and I LOVED this video so much! You are making Mom want to check and see if there is a doggy swimming facility for me!
Mom doesn’t even know if I can swim so we would take your advice about using a lifejacket for sure! What fun!
Splashing in the water is fun, but I like to keep all my paws on the GROUND, thank you very much. Momma has tried to teach me to swim, but I’m not having any of it!
I like swimming
Looks like you had a wonderful time swimming!
You are absolutely adorable swimming. Mom once had a little five-pound dog who loved swimming. Some of us kitties don’t mind water but none of us has ever tried to swim. Purrs and hugs from the kitties at The Cat on My Head, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette
Wow, you’re one speedy swimmer. It looks like you had a really good time. Beamer is still learning to swim. He doesn’t like wearing a life jacket and will roll around and try to get it off.
I was kind of right and king of wrong…it wasn’t the dog park but the Doggie Water Park you were visiting…Since you’re such a strong swimmer I’m wondering why you’re wearing a life jacket in the pool Sugar? Or is it a conditioning coat? Happy Thursday!
They should totally allow the doggy paddle as an olympic swimming event 🙂 Shiner loves swimming in the lake. She even knows how to dive under the water!
I was actually really surprised that my Smoosh loved swimming so much. I didn’t think English Bulldogs enjoyed it! He loves it, though. I always put his little life jacket on. 🙂 Great post!
xoxo,
Jules of Canines & Couture
http://www.caninesandcouture.com
A doggy swimming pool?? So neat. My doggies just swim in ours at home, its salt water so a bit better on the skin!
Yeah, I’m a ‘no water please’ type of gurl, butts LOOK AT YOU!! That is some great form Sugar!! I loves it
Kisses,
Ruby
Hi Y’all!
You look great Sugar! Do you miss rolling in the sand of the HI beach?
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Me and Stanley know how to swim and love the water. Mom wants to get me a life vest (cuz she cannot swim and is scared of water) but there is a little problem with me. Everytime I put on something, like a harness, coat, or sweater, I turn into a statue. If I did that with a life vest (and mom is pretty certain I would) I would sink! So for now, I am just a regular ol’ swimming pup!
Your Pals,
Murphy & Stanley
Ambassadors of Love
How cool that you have a dog swimming facility you can take Sugar to. Of all the wonderful dogs I’ve had in my life, I’ve only had one that couldn’t figure out how to swim. I tried to show her, but she just never got it.
Great post Sugar – swimming is a great exercise – especially for any pets with arthritis or other orthopedic injuries. The non-weight bearing aspect makes it perfect for them. Plus it’s FUN! Thanks for joining the Hop!
I have had a pool to swim in since I was 12 weeks old…. I love the water just like you Sugar. Your post is excellent because not all dogs are like us and dogs, like humans, Need to practice safety first 🙂
Buster and Ty don’t like to swim – maybe if they had a good swimming coach and and all round fun doggy to play with (like a certain Golden Girl we know) they’d give it a try. =)
You’re not called a Golden Retriever for nothing.
I am probably the only terrier that doesn’t like the water. Mom has tried to take me in the water and tried to teach me how to swim. I dug in and did want to go into the water. Mom’s sister had a pool in her backyard and I was never invited. Maybe I wouldn’t have been afraid in her pool.
I don’t even like a bath. have fun.
Hugs and licks, BJ Pup
swimming looks like so much fun. none of us, except Bob, likes water
urban hounds
Ash loves to swim in our pool but Teddy and I don’t like it so much!
Such great tips! I’m hoping to get Sherman swimming more this summer to help his knees. I really want to get him a life jacket so that I can guide him better! I learned the hard way last year that those Newfie legs are very powerful under the water, next to my leg 🙂
Fantastic post and I love the pictures. Kelly adores swimming too, and will swim out in the lake quite far and not listen to us when we call her back. That is why I’d prefer a pool, but we don’t have one! Thanks for joining FitDog Friday with this pawsome post about swimming!
Thanks for the tips on the perfect paddle, Sugar. I’m still working on my technique!!
Wyatt
Thanks Sugar – I’m still a little scared of swimming, but seeing how brave you are has inspired me! It looks like fun, maybe I’ll try again 🙂 Thanks and happy woofs, Hannah
What a great way to exercise. Hopefully after the agility trial this weekend my mom will teach us how to swim. She even bought us new life jackets that are pretty with flowers on them! You are so lucky to have a cool swimming facility for doggies!
Here are 10 more safety tips when swimming or boating with your dog:
https://losangelesdogs.net/10-dog-safety-tips-playing-water-boating/
Good for you. We have a pool around here that lets doggies come swim once a month before they drain the pool. Chester and Gretel don’t swim. Chester sinks without a life jacket and I don’t bother getting him one because he is not a fan of the water anyway.
Glad that you have a great place for you to go swim.