A couple of weeks ago, Maddie got to try swimming for the first time. She did great!
I don't think she loved it, but Maddie was definitely intrigued and could not keep herself from the water's edge.
My friend, Ginsey, brought her border collie, Trust, down to the pool also so Maddie could see another dog swimming and having a good time.
Maddie liked to ambush Trust as he climbed the ramp with his retrieved toy. Maddie sees no reason to retrieve the toy herself when she can steal it from others.
I almost always swim my hounds with an inflatable collar as it keeps their ears above water. I find that many dogs do not like their ears to get wet and it can be a source of panic.
Plus it does not give them so much support that they just float around. Initially, I started with the life jacket and was reminded how much I prefer the inflatable collar.
All in all, I think it went well. We plan to practice regularly and hopefully Maddie will get more and more comfortable.
ADSENSE HERE
