Going for a dip!

Zeek loves water! Providing the water is not in a bath or coming from a hose. He isn't so keen on the clean water. Basically any water that means he is going to come out of it dirty and occasionally smelly is great! We always wanted him to go swimming, after all he is a Labrador. Plus it's great exercise for dogs that are on the larger side without putting pressure or strain on the joints. Just 1 minutes swimming equates to 4 minutes running so is also great for the cardiovascular side of things. Building up a dogs muscle tone by swimming also gives them a greater chance of avoiding injuries when on walks or running.

If you're not so comfortable letting your dog take the plunge then have them on a long lead so that you can pull them in if needed. If you do this make sure that you're somewhere that they are not going to get tangled up. I was nervous letting Zeek swim the first time, but with a little reassurance I let him go for a paddle in a shallow pond. There was no going back. He sprints to the water every time we see it now and loves swimming with the ducks or finding a nice soggy stick to carry home with him. Our favourite place to go is Belhus Woods Country Park. There is a nice clean lake there that is dog friendly and there is always lots of other dogs who love going for a swim. Great for socialising and exercise. Belhus Woods Country Park - Google Maps

Swimming is used as part of a recovery process for dogs that suffer from ailments such as, arthritis, hip & elbow dysplasia, ligament tears, muscle degeneration, orthopedic surgery or paralysis. Whether you want to take your pooch for a swim to help them recover or just because you want to fit it in to their exercise routine, I definitely recommend it. Once you take the plunge you won't look back.



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