Answer: Can All Dogs Swim?
Question: Is there a breed of dog that cannot swim?
Yes, in fact. Basset Hounds and English Bulldogs- heavy dogs with short legs- aren’t built for swimming. While it is not absolute than any dog of such a breed can’t swim, it’s very difficult for them in general.
Additionally, some dogs are afraid of water and can’t swim. Don’t assume that your dog will naturally be able to swim; if he wants to go into water, great. Don’t leave any dog unsupervised in water, even if she is an excellent swimmer.
To follow: A pictorial tale of the pup’s first adventure in water.
For some ideas on how to teach your dog to swim, then check out this article.
July 19th, 2008 at 11:15 am
we have a boxer and he cant swimm a lick we have tryrd to teach him but he cant.. we had to save his life cause he fell in the lake when we was fishing and that scared us,, he is family to us he is about 2 1/2 yr old…
August 17th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
we have a schnoodle (a schnauzer-poodle) and she can’t swim either. we assume it’s because her legs are like little twigs and she just doesn’t have enough width on her paws to get any resistance in the water considering the length of the rest of the rest of her body. that and she seems to panic a little, even if you’re holding onto her tightly. she was able to keep her upper body afloat, but her back end sank like a bag of bricks. she does like standing in the shallows though…
September 12th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
my shitzu drowned
December 18th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I have 12 dogs and they can all swim except my Schnauzer Mason.
Hey Amanda are you still on-line? How did Kallie die?
December 18th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
My poodle, Destiny, cannot swim because she’s afraid of water. She likes to stand in the shallows, but if the water gets too deep, she gets scared. However, my Sheltie, Misty can swim really well. Even my Chihuahua, Pedro, can swim a bit, which is a real shocker!
*In memory of Kallie, the best Lab ever*
*1999-2008*
I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART!