Getting your corgi wanting to swim?

Ok with summer here, my g/f and I have been going to my complex pool and been swimming/tanning.

If theres no one else at the pool we take our 8month old corgi with us. At first he was curious about it but was scared. So i took him and placed him in the pool where he freaked out swam to the edge right away.

Id lure him in with treats, but hes smart.

I even carried him gently in the pool but he would start "air-paddling" with his paws and as soon as he touches water goes crazy. I would eventually get him to calm down once hes in the water, but id have to be holding him. As soon as i let go though, he bursts to the edge and once i let him out would hide like 5-6ft from the pool.

I regret not introducing him to the water as a puppy, but i also want to plan a outdoor activity this summer and go to a lake and go swimming with him as well as paddle boarding which we plan on purchasing a life jacket for him.

What will get him to relax around the water?

Will getting him a life jacket help him fear the water less?

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Permalink Reply by E on June 12, 2012 at 2:29pm

Go with another dog that swims (and that your dog likes to play with). Bailey didn't want to go swimming for the longest time but finally took the plunge when she saw another doggie friend go into the water willingly. She didn't want to miss out on anything.

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Permalink Reply by Whitney McGillicuddy on June 12, 2012 at 7:26pm

i agree wit the natural water is totally different, especially if they cant just wet their paws first in the shallow before they full on swim. Also the life jacket definitely boosts the confidence to actually swim. It worked for Toast, and now hes on to more adventurous things :)

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Permalink Reply by Lloyd & Elisabeth (Kobi) on June 12, 2012 at 10:15pm

thats totally cute.

Nice picture

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Permalink Reply by Diane on June 13, 2012 at 11:10am

As other folks have said - it would probably be easier if you took him somewhere he could wade in on his own if he wants to. When we first adopted Chewey he was not very interested in the water (either at the beach or a lake), but we just let him be and he gradually started going in more and more. Especially when it got hot!

Now he loves the water and will often go for short "dips" to cool off... He's not quite as keen on going in the ocean - he'll get wet but is a bit more cautious with the waves (which is definitely a good thing since there is some nasty shore break on the dog beach near us).