Can any dog do water rescue?
No. It demands a powerful physical structure, tolerance of cold water and a very calm temperament. Water breeds have real anatomical advantages: an insulating coat, a tail used as a rudder, webbed feet.
Water sports
Water Rescue
A Newfoundland towing a boat to shore is not a film image: it is a real discipline, with examinations, in which water rescue dogs tow people and craft.
About the discipline
What Water Rescue is
Water rescue is one of the few canine disciplines with direct operational application. The dog learns to swim to a person, offer them a point of support and tow them to shore.
Advanced programmes include jumping from a moving boat, towing a craft and working in coordination with divers. These are exercises that demand considerable strength and a very calm temperament.
The classic breeds are the Newfoundland and the Labrador, thanks to their physical structure, insulating coat and webbed feet. It is not a discipline any dog can do.
How it works in practice
What the training involves
- complete acclimatisation to deep water
- swimming long distances, safely
- towing a person towards shore
- carrying out a lifebuoy or a rope
- jumping from a boat, sometimes while moving
- towing a small craft
- coordinated work with the handler, from the water
Every exercise is built gradually, with a life jacket at the start. A dog forced into deep water can be left with a permanent fear.
Which dogs it suits
- water breeds, with insulating coat and webbed feet
- physically very strong and emotionally calm dogs
- teams with regular access to safe open water
What you need
- a rescue harness with a solid handle
- a life jacket, during the learning phase
- ropes and a towing buoy
- a boat for advanced exercises
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Water Rescue
Does the dog really tow a person?
Yes, at advanced levels. The person holds onto the dog's harness while it swims to shore. That is why a harness with a solid handle is the central piece of equipment.
Where does one start?
With acclimatisation to water, without any pressure. Only once the dog enters happily and swims relaxed do retrieving exercises come in, and towing much later still.
From the same category
Related sports
Water Work
Retrieving, towing and working exercises in water.
Surf Dog
The dog keeps its balance on a surfboard.
Stand-up Paddle with your dog
A recreational or competitive activity on a paddleboard.
Water Agility
A course of hoops and floating obstacles, swum rather than run.
We do not run Water Rescue
This page is informational. We work in mantrailing, search and rescue and preparation for the TSAC and BH exams - but if you want an honest opinion on what would suit your dog, write to us anytime.