10/01/2026
Slightly controversial post alert ‼️
All over the interwebs we see videos of dogs being pulled, pushed, and physically placed into water to “learn to swim.” Sometimes, this works.
But more often, it causes a dog to distrust the human. To feel they have no choice, and that swimming has a heck of a lot of icky feelings with it.
The human gets reinforced because the dog “is swimming,” and with some dogs, they love the feeling of swimming so much that it overrides the ick.
But more often than not, dogs learn that water is a trap. They create muscle memory that is the opposite of lifting off and going for a swim, and this is incredibly difficult to counteract.
Swimming involves a ton of skills for our quadruped friends. Things like being aware they have a hind end, then shifting their weight to that hind end, being able to turn while floating, moving forward through that floating sensation, shifting their weight forward to grab a toy or food from the water surface, then quickly shifting it back before they land on their face, and many more.
We can build these pieces in a kind way. We can build incredibly confident swimmers. And we can build dogs that learn to love water.
We just need to approach it with understanding, curiosity, and patience.
If this sounds like something your dog would enjoy more than being pulled into water, you’ve found your place.
Welcome. ❤️
