Not all dogs are natural swimmers.
Sure, they have the instinct to stay above water via the “doggie paddle,” but some dogs just don’t have the right body type to be able to do it (bulldogs, for example). Others are simply scared of water and panic the first time they see it.
Then again, some dogs will do anything for some swim time.
According to DogTime:
“Turns out there are three types of dogs: those who can swim, those who can swim but need help, and those who have a unique ability of sinking like a rock in any aqueous situation.”
That’s why one dog owner wanted to make sure he was right there the first time his puppy encountered the water.
Puppy paddle
Golden Retrievers are generally good swimmers. But that doesn’t mean they know what to do the first time they see the water.
And even dogs with swimming skills should have a life jacket on boats!
One puppy owner decided to teach his Golden Retriever puppy how to swim and uploaded the adorable footage of it over a decade ago. Since then, it’s received over 1.2 million views!
He starts off by giving the pup lots of reinforcement and snuggles to remind him that dad’s right there and there’s nothing to be afraid of.
In order to introduce the pup to the whole idea of a body of water (that’s not a bathtub), he wets his paws a little.
And the pup seems less than excited about this experiment. It looks like he’d much rather be running around the beach.
In we go
The dog’s owner isn’t trying to stress his pup out. In fact, it’s all for the dog’s own good. Now he’ll know how to doggie paddle his way to safety and not be freaked out the first time he’s in the open water.
So he sets the pup in, while still holding onto him at first.
Alas, every parent has to let go eventually and see if their little one sinks or swims.
Luckily, this is some pretty shallow water and the shore is just a few feet away.
While the sweet little swimmer manages to stay afloat, he doesn’t exactly take to the activity like a fish to water. In fact, he heads straight for the shore.
Are we done yet?
Even if a dog becomes an accomplished swimmer they should always be supervised in the water. Still, they need the skill and a bit of experience in case of an accident.
And while this little Golden Retriever had proved it can swim without panicking too much, it clearly sees no reason to go above and beyond as it climbs back onto dry land.
Nevertheless, the owner who uploaded the video insisted that the pup liked it more than it appeared.
“We wanted to take him in because he was too scared to go in himself. Once we got him in there he LOVED it. We didn’t THROW him in because we all know how shocking colder water can be.”
The pup doesn’t look all that upset, but it does make a beeline for whoever is behind the camera (aka the person who didn’t put him in the water).
He walks over as if to say “did you see what dad did to me?”
Sopping wet and looking a little pathetic, this cutie deserves a treat!
The good news is the tactic worked. In a later video, we see the same dog happily bounding into the lake to fetch a stick!
Be sure to scroll down below to see this pup’s first triumphant swim.
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