# Does your poodle swim?



## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

Does your poodle swim and if yes how'd you get him to do it?

Over the summer we showed Charlie how to get in and out of the pool coaxed him to swim but he really didn't care for it. Today I took him to a dog beach where he could walk in with a dog pal of his from the dog park. I thought if he saw all the other dogs go in especially his buddy he'd get the idea and do it too. He wouldn't go near it even when chasing his friend and the other dog would run into or towards the water he wouldn't go in. Tossing a ball to retrieve was also a dud, any suggestions?


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## mom24doggies (Mar 28, 2011)

Have you tried getting in with him? That's how I got my mini to like the water. He wasn't too keen on it either, but then mommy got in and showed him how fun it was! He still prefers me to be in there with him, silly boy. Make sure Charlie knows how to swim too, I made the mistake of assuming all poodles know how to swim and just put Trev right on in...and he started sinking poor fellow. I had to wade in and pull him out. He knew how to work his front feet but not his back ones, so he would just tip over backwards. I had to keep boosting his rear up until he finally caught on. Now he swims beautifully. Raven also swims beautifully but he absolutely hates it! Acts like the water burns his tender little tootsies lol.


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## Carley's Mom (Oct 30, 2011)

Carley is the same way. I still don't know about Stella, but I hope she doesn't like it. I would not want to deal with a wet poodle all summer long (backyard pool) and I would worry about the ears too.


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## Vixen (May 31, 2011)

Misha tries to swim in his water bowl and makes a HUGE mess and I'm big on treats at bath time, but Misha has never been somewhere he could swim. Everything is dry around here still. I'll be watching this thread for pointers too.


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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

I've gotten in the pool with him and my husband. My husband will take him out to the deep end and he'll swim to me but is very scared and holds on for dear life. He wants to get out and not go back in. I feel the pool and swimming would be great exercise especially since it gets so hot down here in the summer.


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## sweetheartsrodeo (Sep 19, 2012)

Remington is a year around swimmer. He is cautious around the pool, and does get into trouble when he gets in too deep (my deep end is a little over 14ft). He loved the beach summer before last... He started off trying to bate the waves, but caught on quickly that it was fun ... I did keep him on leash, as he kept going out way over his head... 

I think that it is dependent on the pup... I know the poodles next door to my mom are not water dogs at all.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

Indy is a natural swimmer but Maddy needed a little help; we waded in with her (about waist deep) and supported her body with her head out of water, and with her long legs just paddling away we walked around in the water. It wasn't immediate, but after a few times she got to like it. Indy actually scares me because she'll put her head right under the water to look for rocks that look like balls, and to chase sticks that float by. So we keep them on leashes in case they get in trouble in a strong current, but they do love it.


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## Qarza (Feb 23, 2013)

When Bridget was just a baby and we had only had a few days, we were camping at a lake side. She didn't know what the lake and water were. She just ran straight at the water and ended up over her height before she realised it. She had to swim. She panicked a bit and DH scooped her out. It hasn't scared her off water though. We live near the beach, but I don't encourage them to go into the water much as it is such a job after to wash out the salt water, sand etc, then drying, brushing and so on. If we were near a lake again I would not hesitate to get them into the water. Poppy is not at all keen.


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## salexander04 (Jan 15, 2013)

Hi everyone, 
We don't have a pool, but plan on teaching our poodle (when we get him/her) to swim in the lake possibly? Does anyone have advice on this? When is a good age to introduce a standard poodle to the lake water?


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## Sawyersmomma (May 28, 2012)

We live by a creak and in the summer when it was getting hot I tried taking Sawyer out to it. He liked standing in the water, but he's not really into swimming. He'd rather just hang out. I bought a kiddie pool, hoping he'd just lay in it or something when it got hot out, but he has no interest. I can call him in and he'll stay, but he won't go by himself


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## Harrymummy (Aug 27, 2012)

Hi. Interesting to here poodles don't auto take to water. I have been told at the kennel that harry is a bit cautious about water. Then recently there was a scandal re kennel as a terrier drowned there whilst unsupervised. 

Had trouble at kennel but ironed out. Due to lack of facilities here will stick with them but I think may take him out of pool time

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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

Harrymummy said:


> Hi. Interesting to here poodles don't auto take to water.


Lol yeah I was surprised too, I kept saying c'mon Charlie it's in your genes! Damn rebel


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

Rain was a year old when she came to live with me. I don't think she had ever been around water. But since I live on the water & there is water everywhere here, our first ventures together involved getting Rain to love the water. 

I first got her interested in chasing minnows in our boat basin :










... and pretty confident about being in the water :










... gradually coaxed her into deeper water at the beach :










Rain swimming from the boat to get to Bernie's Island:


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

My dogs don't like to swim which is a very good thing because we go to a park that has a pond with filthy water! Yuk. It is fun to watch the labs swim back and forth after the ducks. But I'm happy not to have all that dirty water in my poodle hair. Cammie will wade in just a little as shown by her black feet in the second photo.


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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

Nu2poodles, I'm so jealous! I want him to like it I think it'd be great exercise. With our heat down here it just makes sense to get him swimming.


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## lindasdoggrooming (Nov 12, 2012)

Does this count?
It was my grand kids pool.
It can get a little crowded.


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## Whitty721 (Apr 2, 2013)

My boyfriends parents poodle is afraid of the water & doesn't like to swim. They can get her in the pool but she doesn't like it at all & wants to get out, she doesn't like it when people are in the pool either...especially if they go under the water she goes crazy & starts barking.


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

Spooluvr said:


> Nu2poodles, I'm so jealous! I want him to like it I think it'd be great exercise. With our heat down here it just makes sense to get him swimming.


Make it into a game that he really likes to play. If he likes to fetch, e.g., start with fetch where he just gets his toes wet. Let him get hot & he'll see how nice the water feels. Transition to "water dog" can be slow; be patient; do not push.


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

Ralph was reluctant about the water at first. He would wade in but resistant to actaully swim. Wouldnt go further than he could stand. We kept at it and once he saw his dog friends doing it without fear he learned to join them. HE is still a very cautious swimmer, he doesnt like dogs too close to him while he swims, it's like it takes all his concentration to retrieve the toy and swim, he cant do any more than that so dogs had better back off! (He barks at them to back off and if they dont he drops the toy and swims faster away from them). He's a real toughie.


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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

nu2poodles said:


> Make it into a game that he really likes to play. If he likes to fetch, e.g., start with fetch where he just gets his toes wet. Let him get hot & he'll see how nice the water feels. Transition to "water dog" can be slow; be patient; do not push.


Thanks maybe I'm going too fast, we tried the fetch and letting him play with a dog park buddy near the water,but maybe he's not ready yet we'll go a little slower.


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## WhosMyFluffyPuppy (Jan 12, 2013)

Playing fetch into the water is how we got Darku to start wading into the water. Have you tried using a PFD (doggie life vest) and bringing your dog out into slightly deeper water? My Darku was very cautious in the water till he figured out that the PFD would keep him afloat. He became comfortable enough that he can swim without the PFD, but we still always keep it on him if we're swimming.

PS my profile pic is Darku wearing his PFD


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

I once had a Weimaraner (my heart dog), who, before she came to me, had lived the first 5 years of her life in a kennel, without much human contact. She had many problems adjusting to life outside (-- and inside, since she had never been in a house). She didn't have a clue about water, 'til one day, not long after she came to live with me, she saw a fish below the dock of a small pond we used to frequent with the dogs. Much to my surprise, she leapt from the dock into the pond in an attempt to get the fish. It was such a shock to her, that she was going down & I had to fetch her from that very cold pond, boots and all (-- long, cold walk home). Needless to say, she was afraid of water after that experience.

So I spent an entire summer wading the creek behind the house & coaxing her to wade with me. Little by little we got deeper and deeper with me supporting her body. She loved all the attention & by the end of summer, she loved swimming too. She became a wonderful distance swimmer & would actually swim the shoreline, hunting. Sometimes, fearing that she'd been in the water too long, I would run along the shore calling and coaxing 'til she finally came close enough for me to get hold of her and haul her out. (Such an amazing dog with a heart as big as the sky -- I miss her so).


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## Spooluvr (Feb 5, 2012)

nu2poodles said:


> Make it into a game that he really likes to play. If he likes to fetch, e.g., start with fetch where he just gets his toes wet. Let him get hot & he'll see how nice the water feels. Transition to "water dog" can be slow; be patient; do not push.





WhosMyFluffyPuppy said:


> Playing fetch into the water is how we got Darku to start wading into the water. Have you tried using a PFD (doggie life vest) and bringing your dog out into slightly deeper water? My Darku was very cautious in the water till he figured out that the PFD would keep him afloat. He became comfortable enough that he can swim without the PFD, but we still always keep it on him if we're swimming.
> 
> PS my profile pic is Darku wearing his PFD


That sounds like a good idea I'll try it.


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## The Opera Poodle (Dec 19, 2012)

If we go to a dog park with a water feature it is the first place my Shasta heads to. Shandy (RIP) loved the water but not "swimming." Here is a favorite picture of her. Dang, I miss that dog!


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## Whitty721 (Apr 2, 2013)

Took Cerberus to the beach for the first time, he wasn't so sure about the water. He went in when I would go in but otherwise he just wanted to sit on the beach, if he was close to the edge of the water he would jump back from the water. He did to in to the lake though.


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## Oreo's Mommy (Dec 18, 2012)

I live in Hawaii...two blocks from the ocean...Oreo HATES the water but loves to dig in the sand. He can swim...I use a 15 foot leash in the ocean for safety. I take him out a few feet...let him swim back...and then he will start walking down the beach with any random person who is not going in the water. 

My Fifi would do the same thing except she would look back over her shoulder while walking off with other people and give me dirty looks if I got her wet...very funny!


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## sarahmurphy (Mar 22, 2012)

I got into the lake the other day and made splashes for Spike to jump on - of course, as soon as he hits the water, he turns for shore, making himself pretty vertical and quick to sink. I did a lot of supporting the back end of him to keep him from sinking, but had to keep the support to one hand at arms length so he did not climb up me... 

Remember - if a 40 lb child who thinks he is drowning can pull you under, so can a 40 lb poodle - keep your feet on the ground unless you happen to be a lifeguard...


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## Angl (Nov 9, 2012)

When we went to the beach over Memorial Day, Max had just recovered from his shoulder surgery. He loved the beach. He spent his days chasing waves, so funny to watch and yes he could swim and loved the water.


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## PoodlePowerBC (Feb 25, 2011)

Russell likes to fish and splash but only swims when he has to save my life, LOL. If I go out on the kayak he will follow me crying loudly the whole way, so I have to leave him in the cabin. Thinking of getting him his own kayak


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## TrueColors (Nov 18, 2012)

Jenna loves to swim! we introduced her when she was about 2 years old. I got her to swim by just putting her in which wasn't such a great idea. She wasn't so fond of the water after that.. I then fixed that by going in with he but she'd only stay in the shallow end. I then started to teach her to go in the deeper water by buying a water dummy and getting her to play with it on land then attaching a long leash to the water dummy then throwing it in the shallow water then throwing it in farther and farther. she still doesn't like going in the deep end alone which is good. Where we used to camp our friends had a waterfront lot that i use to bring Jenna almost everyday.Sadly we've moved campsites and there's rapids so i have to put Jenna on a leash so if there's too much current for her i can just pull her in  if only i had pictures I'll try to see if i can get some next week when we go up to the campsite


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## peepers (Apr 13, 2012)

If you call slapping the water with your front paws while his body is vertical Pierre swims.


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## pandj (Jun 12, 2013)

Jolie will swim in the gulf chasing birds but she will only go into the lake until it touches her belly. She loves to run at the edge of the water at any beach. I understand that Toys usually are not avid swimmers.

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## bartjones (Mar 13, 2013)

Our Ruby got her first taste of swimming last month in my brother's backyard swimming pool. I carried her in with me and let her go. She swam right for the edge and looked like she couldn't wait to get out. Since then we've been back there several times and she seems to be a little more enthusiastic now. Last weekend we put her in and she did a lap around the pool before making an exit from the shallow end. My wife and I are convinced that she enjoys it. I have to say, it's pretty amazing how swimming just seemed to be second nature to her.


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## KellyL (Apr 17, 2013)

Alfie (9months) and Cooper(four months) both had their first water time in our pool this summer. Alfie swims without any problems. Cooper on the other hand is a little nervous. He loves to be in the water, but panics when my husband tries to let go of him. So we'll just take our time with him. He'll be swimming by the end of summer I'm sure.


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## tattoogirl73 (Nov 18, 2012)

oh put tricky in the middle of our paddling pool and she swam to the edge and climbed out. she only wanted to be in it if she could sit on my knee


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## Simsek (May 5, 2012)

I know that this is an old thread, but I guess I'm already looking forward to summer and the lake! LOL! 

Odin was introduced to the water when we first took him to camp at about 6mos and, while he LOVES the water, he's the most inept swimmer ever. The first year, he tried to learn from the humans, wading out to us but keeping his back end down and then splashing wildly and climbing onto the nearest person. He started putting his legs over a water noodle to float like the kids, which completely cracked us up. After many swimming lessons with my husband or myself (often my husband because he'd prefer to perch on an adult than swim) he was still not using his hind end effectively and had to be helped in order not to sink. Even after watching my brother's dogs swim, he wasn't able to stay afloat, so we started using a canine PFD with him, and that was the ticket. 

His PFD has a nice wide, soft belly band and plenty of flotation to keep him up and level in the water, and it boosted his comfort and confidence a lot. He started swimming out to us, and back and forth between us when we were swimming, which made him happy as he seems perpetually worried that the kids might be drowning! LOL! Soon, he was swimming out to the float with his life vest on, and even jumping off.

This past year (his second year at the lake) he dashed to the water straight away, but still couldn't stay up long without his vest. His back end was working better, but he seems to have very little natural buoyancy. Still, once he had his vest on, he was ready for a full day of swimming and playing. I don't know if he'll ever be able to stay afloat without his life vest, but I'm so happy that we have a way for our water dog to actually enjoy the water beyond the shallows!

It's funny that so many poodles seem to have this issue, in spite of their webbed-toed water-dog lineage! Has anyone ever seen this problem with other water dogs like labs or PWDs? Or does this have something to do with Spoos lanky build and deep, narrow ribcages?


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## cliffdweller (Jan 31, 2011)

It took Rain a long time to become comfortable in the water, and I'm not sure she will ever be a swimmer like the Weimaraner I described in an earlier post. She swam low in the rear, almost like she was trying to tiptoe on the bottom. Eventually she discovered that, if she relaxed a bit, her rear would float. Here she is, making like a frog (this is the first time I noticed her doing this):










Not long after, she decided that she might swim across the channel to the opposite shore (I had to call her back ... it's a lot farther than it seems ~~~):










I think, as with humans, a dog needs to learn how to relax and control their breathing to help with buoyancy.

Rain swimming for the beach (which we frequently need to do, depending on the tide):


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

Here's Brandon's first swim. He fell in the pool and I jumped in after him clothes and shoes. It took him a couple of minutes then he caught on.










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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I do think they are naturally less buoyant than something like a lab. (A duck hunter I know observed that poodles are less adapted to cold water retrieving too.) Even so, I know someone who taught a greyhound to swim. You can't get much less engineered for water than a greyhound!


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

Does digging in the water bowl in the kitchen count as swimming? If so, than Yes!
lol


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