How to safely turn dog into a paddling pooch
By SUE MANNING June 28, 2011 5:24PM
Four-year-old Valentine, a short-snouted English bulldog, spends time with trainer Cora Wittekind. Valentine’s health improved after she started swimming. Introducing a dog to water early is recommended. | Richard Vogel~AP
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Updated: September 28, 2011 12:19AM
When you think of four-legged swimmers, Labrador retrievers might come to mind. But any dog can take to the water if enticed properly.
“I don’t think that every dog has an inherent skill. They might all have an idea what to do but some dogs do it much better than others. Some are born to swim. Some are never meant to put foot in the water,” said veterinarian Karl E. Jandrey, who works in the emergency and critical care units at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis.
Valentine is a 4-year-old, 42-pound, short-snouted English bulldog with stumpy legs who is heavy on both ends and looks like she would sink if placed in water.
For three years, James MacKinnon went to great lengths to protect Valentine from the swimming pool at his home. Then a year ago, he started boarding her at Paradise Ranch Pet Resort in Sun Valley, a cage-free, luxury country club and water park for dogs about 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. (You can board cats there too, but the water is off limits to them.)
It turns out Valentine loves the water. During the eight months MacKinnon traveled for work last year, with more time away this year, Valentine lost seven pounds, partly due to swimming. Her health improved, her endurance grew and she became fast friends with a Rottweiler named Chico.
She probably decided to try it when she saw how much fun all the other dogs — including Chico — were having, said Chico’s owner, Cora Wittekind, an animal behaviorist who worked with Valentine.
The best way to turn your dog into a swimmer is to introduce water very early, as a puppy if possible, making sure the experience is pleasant, according to recommendations from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Never let dogs get in water over their heads until they are accomplished swimmers, and don’t force or toss them in water.
“Don’t push them to do things they don’t want to do,” Jandrey said.
And beware of the risks. Based on emergency room visits, one of the most common backyard pool accidents happens when dogs walk onto pool covers. If the cover collapses, the dog gets trapped, struggles and inhales water, Jandrey said. Safety covers made of solid material can run hundreds of dollars, but are worth the investment if there’s a possibility your dog might jump on a soft pool cover.
Another risk, if you are at the beach and your dog drinks salt water all day, is acute salt intoxication, Jandrey said. It’s easy to prevent — always carry fresh water for your dog and offer it often. A few gulps of salt water won’t harm your dog, but watch for vomiting and early neurological signs of salt poisoning like dullness and depression. (The chlorine in pool water, on the other hand, is not considered a major problem for dogs.)
In fresh water, dogs can be infected by a parasite called giardia, which can hide in the most pristine of streams, Jandrey said. Usually dog and owner will get it by drinking from the same water source. Owners can also be exposed by cleaning up waste from infected dogs. Symptoms include mild diarrhea and vomiting.
Owners should also know when their dogs have had enough water play. Dogs don’t float, but constantly paddle with all four legs, so they might tire faster than humans.
AP
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