The Gift of Teaching Your Dog to Swim

By Chrissy Poth, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, FFCP 

When Jack was just 14 weeks old, he was curious about water but found it . . . well, suspicious. He’d look at lakes, streams, and puddles with that mix of fascination and hesitation only a puppy can pull off. I made it my mission to change that.

Every week, we explored a different kind of water—a calm lake one day, a babbling creek the next, and even the shallow end of a pool. With the help of Erica, we made every interaction positive, turning splashes into fun instead of fear. Slowly but surely, Jack’s confidence grew.

Then, finally, at nine months old something magical happened. While we were at the lake, he spotted a kayak gliding across the water. His curiosity finally outweighed his caution. He gathered every ounce of puppy courage, paddled out, and swam for the very first time. From that moment on, there was no stopping him. Jack became the kind of dog who would happily drag me toward the water at ...

The Water Table: Your Secret Weapon for Teaching Your Dog to Swim Joyfully
Written by: Erica Etchason, owner 4 Paws Adrift and Dremel Like a Boss

Swimming is often one of our favorite activities to offer our dogs, whether for recreation, sport, or conditioning. 4 Paws Adrift was built on teaching dogs to swim. I started swimming dogs to spend more time outside in beautiful lakes with my dog by my side, and it brought me so much joy that I wanted to share it with other people.

The Challenge: Teaching Dogs to Swim with Joy

Some dogs take to the water like fish and some do not. I recognized pretty quickly that people wanted their dogs to enjoy the water even if it didn’t come naturally. My mentor, Deborah Lee Miller-Riley, created a platform that allows dogs to put their feet down in the water while learning to swim.

This was a game changer for all of us. More and more dogs, of all breeds and ages and at all levels, were successfully swimming and learning to enjoy the water. 

What is...

One of my passions is to address the low pass rates in our breed water tests and why this cycle has been going on for so long.  I have seen pass rates for a single test as low as 10%.

I know this is a big topic to take on, but my goal is to identify what is important to the participants and support keeping these tests viable for the future owners and the water breeds that participate in them.

I have Newfoundlands.  I also have many clients with Portuguese Water Dogs.  Some of the same issues cross both breeds.  There are also Labrador Retriever and Leonberger breeds that will participate in these tests when opportunities are open to them.

I am not an advocate for making the current test criteria easier, I am in the camp of educating members on how to properly train the tasks using scientific methods.

I am a Professional Dog Trainer that spends time and money educating myself with the most current scientically supported training methods from many instructors across many disciplines....