Swimming for dogs

For some dogs swimming is low-impact exercise that's easy on the joints, and in summer it can be one of the best outings going. Not every dog can swim, though, and not every dog wants to. Safety depends on the dog's build and experience, on water temperature and on currents. It also depends on where the dog can get out and how clean the water is.

Get your dog used to water gradually, somewhere it can walk in easily, like a gently sloping bank. Never throw it in or drag it in on the leash. A well-fitting buoyancy vest can help, but it doesn't let you take your eyes off the dog. Your dog needs an easy way out at all times, and early sessions stay short.

Lakes and rivers, or the sea, can hide obstacles and currents, algae or pollution. Check the local rules and warnings before you go in. After a swim, rinse your dog if needed and dry it off. Then look over the ears and skin. Don't put anything in the ears without your vet's say-so.

Hydrotherapy is a different thing from swimming for fun. It's a rehab treatment and follows a plan set by a professional. A dog that swims well won't necessarily benefit from any kind of work in water when it has a health condition.

Swimming makes sense for dogs that go in on their own and move comfortably in water, for supervised fun outings, and for cases where the vet has okayed the exercise.

Not every dog swims well, and not every dog enjoys water. A dog thrown into a pool or a lake can panic and inhale water.

Go in gradually, in shallow water. Use a vest when your dog needs one.

Keep sessions short, with an easy way out close by. Afterwards, rinse your dog and dry it off, then watch how it recovers.

Watch how your dog sits in the water. Swimming nearly upright, scrambling frantically to get out, coughing, tiring or shivering all tell you how it's finding the swim, and that it's time to get out.

Get a well-fitting vest ready and pick safe water your dog can get out of easily. Bring a towel and drinking water. If you're going to a pool or working with an instructor, mention any ear, skin or breathing problems.

Where needed, someone stays within arm's reach of the dog. The water has no strong currents and isn't too cold or too warm. If it's a pool, its hygiene has been checked. The dog's level gets checked at the start, and after a warm-up the effort builds gradually.

Coming when called, along with going in and out of the water on cue, makes swimming safer. Training should never be used to keep a frightened dog in the water.

Swimming isn't automatically right for every build or health condition, and medical hydrotherapy is a separate service. Risks to talk through: drowning and inhaling water, then ear infections or irritation. There's also exposure to contaminated water.

The same format won't suit every dog. Before you decide, think about your own dog: its build, how it feels in water, and what the vet says about its health.