When Should Puppies Be Introduced To Swimming?

  • By: Jovica Radulovic
  • Date: June 28, 2022
  • Time to read: 5 min.

Dogs are one of the most faithful creatures on the planet. They not only look adorable but support their owners in their day to day life. There are many breeds of dogs that one may adopt. Generally, people tend to adopt younger puppies so that maximum time can be spent with them. Puppies need to be parented and not just trained.

Just like infants, they need to be introduced to swimming at the right time. To swim, they require to have a dog swimsuit that is available at pawspurrs.com. So when should puppies be introduced to swimming?

The Entire Route To Introduce Puppies To Swimming

1. Know The Right Age

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Just as humans are diverse, puppies can be diverse. Puppies within the same breed are often quite different, not to mention other breeds. Commonly, you can bring most puppies into the water at the age of about two to five months. At the same time, it is important to know that not all dogs can swim. The physique and anatomy of some dog breeds do not allow them to be agile in water bodies.

Puppies handle water distinctly. While some dogs might love to dive into the pool, some dogs refrain from such exposure. You must consider their likes and dislikes before anything else. The idea is to train them and not traumatize them for life. This makes it essential for you to be gentle with them and consider your actions from their perspective.

2. How To Bring Them About The Water

Being gentle will always be good for your puppy. Bring your puppy to a bathtub before the pool. This pretask will allow you to know what temperatures they are comfortable with. At the same time, the puppy will know what to expect and how to stay afloat. Eventually, increasing the depth and reducing the temperature to normal will be imperative.

Once you know that your puppy is comfortable enough to sustain the wilderness of a pool, you may level up further. It is advised that you enter the water with your puppy so that it feels calmer. More importantly, you will be in more control of your puppy’s movements. Instinctively, it will push up towards the surface to breathe. They will rhythmically push their paws. Once the correct rhythm is formed, they will know their way around.

3. What Items Are Needed?

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Initially, you may want your puppy to enter the pool in a padded suit. Most swimsuits that are available for dogs are waterproof so that it keeps the dog a little warmer than the water temperature. They might come with a padded jacket to keep afloat. Another object that turns out to be useful is a foam board that is used to train juniors. The puppy can take support of the board whenever it feels necessary. Sometimes, to interest the puppy, you might consider using water toys that kids use for their pool time.

Why Is It Important To Train Your Puppy?

1. Endurance

Swimming is one of the most exhausting activities that one can do. A puppy cannot only build endurance through a walk in the park. Swimming will allow them to burn a lot of calories. This exhausting activity will lead to an improvement in metabolism. Domesticated dogs do not get the exposure to the wild that they would otherwise. Therefore, it is necessary to tap into their basic instincts and train them to swim.

2. Power

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Swimming helps to strengthen the muscles of a dog. The muscles used tend to get microscopic tears which allow growth. When the muscle mass of your dog increases, they will be healthier than they would if not doing many activities. Their ability to jump and explosive strength rises dramatically.

3. Life Skill

Swimming is a life skill. You never know when it might be needed. It is never a sin to learn an activity. A puppy will not know about how it should behave in water bodies if it has never been in them. Moreover, it allows them to help their case.

4. Fun Time

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Puppies are hard to keep entertained all the time. They need to be given fun activities to do. Swimming and playing around with water toys is really refreshing for them as normally you would only take them out for walks. It relieves you of your own pressure of such a major responsibility.

5. Bond

Dogs love to spend as much time as possible with their owners or people they like. When you involve yourself in teaching them how to swim, they will enjoy it a lot, not to mention the amount of stress you will be relieved of. Over time, your bond will grow deeper and deeper when you connect with them at a personal level. It is not necessary to have a huge water source. An inflatable pool will do well enough.

6. Immunity

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Just as humans have an improved immunity when they exercise regularly, your puppy’s health will improve when exposed to work outs like swimming. There are many pool sports that you may involve your dog in. The cardiovascular health of your puppy will remain toned in these testing and polluted conditions. Other than that, the lungs of the dog will gain capacity. Oxygen retention and utilization will be more efficient. These factors assist the immunity of a doggy.

Besides, if your puppy swims often, they will require a lesser number of baths as they will remain clean. It is still important to give them a shower after the pool session as any substance in the water might cause harm to their skin.

Conclusion

It is a good thing to teach your puppy how to swim. Considering their age and their reaction to water is a priority. Scaring your puppy away from water is not ideal. Therefore, you must take enough care when giving them a bath as young ones. If they cannot get accustomed to baths, they will not take to pools soon. Despite investing in many veterinary products, they still breed on love like other human beings. So it is crucial to be patient with their progress.

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