[Merlin's Mom]

Merlin is very much a cottage dog. My family and I are up on a regular basis and really want to teach little Merlin to swim for two reasons!

1. Safety - If he were to happen to make it into the water, I would like him to feel comfortable to swim to shore. He has fallen in and the first time he sunk like a rock! AH

2. Keep him cool - as a little black dog the sun's rays enjoy him, which makes him hot and very tired :/. If he can go for a dip and enjoy it, he would probably like spending more time with us on the dock without getting too hot.

We have tried a couple of times to get him in. They have worked a little. He seems most keen when other dogs are in and are getting a treat from me lol. I am reserve with this as I am not comfortable with treating dogs around each other. It can make the happiest, friendliest dog a nasty one.

Any suggestions!?

Oh yes! The video - :clap2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AazRFhYWzhg&feature=plcp

 

[sassafras]

It took me a couple of summers to teach Pip how to swim. He loves to fetch sticks from the water, so I just kept throwing them out a little farther and farther. For a long time if they were far enough out where he would need to swim to get them, he would wade out as far as possible and then just stand and bark at them. Which was ok with me, he was still in far enough to cool off.

What really did it was one day at the dog park another dog swam towards his stick, and that he could not abide. So he took the plunge and got to it first, and has been swimming ever since.