Sharing water activities with your dog provides a wonderful bonding experience, and is a great way to beat the heat, but fun can quickly turn to disaster if you are not careful. Over 4,000 dogs drown every year! Some dogs are not good swimmers, and others simply do not like water, so it is important to consider the dog’s safety and comfort. Heat from the sun is more intense around water, so make sure he has shade… a dog’s sensitive ears and nose can get burned with too much exposure, and suffer from sunburn or heat stroke, and keep him off hot sand as it can blister paws.
If this is your dog’s first introduction to water, start slowly and be patient. Don’t assume he will automatically know how to swim. Let him approach the water and investigate in his own time. Never splash him, or force him to enter the water before he is ready, and never leave him unsupervised around water. Once his caution has turned to curiosity, try going in yourself, and gradually he should be confident enough to join you. If he isn’t interested in water activities, you need to respect his feelings. We have several kiddie pools at the TLC for the dogs to splash in…we assumed that they would jump right in to happily cool off…not so…most of our smaller residents right now simply do NOT like the water.
It might seem convenient to let your dog drink from the lake or the river, but this is not a good idea. Ponds and lakes may be contaminated with parasites and bacteria such as giardia that can make your dog sick. A serious risk associated with stagnant water is blue-green algae, which is very dangerous if ingested. Swallowing too much salt or chlorinated water can also make your dog ill, and many man made pollutants are found in many lakes and rivers, so be sure to always take along a separate supply of safe drinking water for your dog.
Dogs who enjoy swimming may not enjoy boating. Keep in mind that dogs are used to surfaces that are still and stable, and regardless of the kind of boat you have, let her get acquainted with the boat while it is still tied up. Keep her first boat trips short, and watch for any signs of motion sickness. BEFORE you go out in the boat with your dog, buy her a life jacket AND USE IT. Accidents happen, and cold, deep, choppy water can challenge the strongest swimmer… even dogs that swim well can tire very quickly because they don’t understand the concept of resting or treading water…they just swim and swim, until they can’t anymore. Never let your dog swim too far away from you because he could get into trouble very quickly, and make sure he wears a life jacket when playing in water that gets deep farther out, as well as on a boat. Make sure the jacket fits him properly and allow him a chance to get used to wearing and swimming with it before taking him out in deep water or on a boat.
Take a careful look at the variety of the life jackets for dogs that are available on the market….many of them are junk. Kyjen, the maker of Outward Hound life jackets for dogs, is a leader in outdoor and travel gear for dogs, and has a good lightweight jacket which boasts high visibility colors, multiple reflective strips, easy-grab handles, quick release buckles, and outstanding flotation. It is affordable, easy to fit, durable, and most of all, comfortable on the dog. Outward Hound jackets may be found in most pet stores or on www.outwardhound.com
Another good life jacket is made by Henry and Clemmie’s, a relative new comer in the outdoor dog apparel market. Their products are made of sturdy nylon weight material across the yoke, and are made to last. Look for these at specialty stores introducing this new product at prices competitive with those of the Outward Hound life jacket. For more information, go to www.henryandclemmies.com
Considered the Cadillac of canine outdoor equipment products, EZYDOG is the leader in agility harnesses and customer product reviews consistently give this life vest 5 star ratings. It is sturdy, well made, and comes in attractive designs. The cost of this jacket is higher than the other jackets, but if you are interested, check it out on www.ezydog.com
Water activities can enrich the lives of both you and your dog, as long as you keep safety and comfort in mind!
