Just keep swimming

Hayley LOVES to swim.  If we're anywhere near water, it's hard to keep her out.  One time she was with her dog walker and jumped into a lake in an urban park to swim after geese...  Naturally I jumped at the opportunity when The Rex Center asked if I'd be interested in Hayley helping new swim coach students learn how to work with new dogs in their warm-water indoor pool. 


When we first arrived Hayley seemed a bit unsure...the pool is inside, it smells different, looks different, and is just overall very different than the beach, which is what Hayley is used to. The students carried her around the pool, praising her and letting her take it all in. Then they played with her water toys that I brought and something seemed to click and she was playful and enjoying herself. She would fetch her toy then bring it all the way back to the step. She seemed very insistent that after she fetched her toy she had to swim back to the step. The students also did some handling exercises in the water, holding her while she swam, redirecting her, etc. At the end Hayley didn't want to leave.


Here are some short videos of Hayley's swim from The Rex Center:

Benefits of swimming:

• improves body condition & physical performance
• improves strength and stamina
• improves muscle tone
• cardiovascular fitness
• weight loss and maintenance 
• increased body awareness
• low impact; decreased joint stress
• Stronger, toned muscles help to protect dogs against injuries sustained during normal exercise, such as running or chasing a ball, or during more demanding exercise such as agility.
• For a dog, a 5 minute swim is equivalent to about a 5 mile run

Physical conditions that can benefit from swimming are:

• Hip and elbow dysplasia
• Arthritis
• Stroke or paralysis
• Cruciate ligament sprains and strains
• Degenerative myelopathy

Hayley's favorite water toys:


Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper

Kong Wet Wubba

Must have collar for any water loving dog:  Dublin Dog Collars


For canine water safety tips, click on the links below:


Swimming Pool Safety Tips


Near drowning in dogs