Orion fell in the pool!!

I usually don't take Orion out near the pool since he's only 10 and a half weeks old but we were out there with my brother's australian shepherd, who swims, and Orion turned around near the edge and his back foot slipped in and he fell in. My brother and I nearly had heart attacks but it was only at the second step and he started paddling toward the first step, where we grabbed him. He didn't really seem phased at all so my question is, at what age should corgis be allowed to start some swimming lessons? Should I get Orion a life jacket so he can swim with me or is ten and a half weeks wayyyy too young?

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on May 28, 2010 at 10:22pm

Don't know if this is true but I was told by a breeder once that corgis are very much water dogs and that pups will swim. I would be careful/watchful but let him in the pool by the steps for short amounts of time. Teaching may also be an important thing(such as not going in unless he is given an ok...I know he's too young to maybe learn this but if you practice that he sits and waits until given the ok everytime this will be safer for him!)

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Permalink Reply by Mim on May 29, 2010 at 9:47am

I start my guys off as puppies in a little paddle pool like those shell-shaped ones. I fill it up only very slightly and just have fun with them and gradually increase the amount of water. I now have dogs that will launch into a pool even if the water is FREEZING. They are mad things, corgis.

So maybe get a little paddling pool for him to build confidence in and then introduce him to the big pool.

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Permalink Reply by Parker on May 29, 2010 at 3:13pm

Grover hates water! But I've only had him at the lake and on a boat. We put him in a life jacket and tried to get off the boat with him...it was terrible. He paddled for his life before even hitting the water and had this WILD look in his eyes. We quickly took him out and he did seem to want to go back in for the rest of the day. We haven't taken him out on the boat since then. I tried to get him to swim in one of those small kiddie pools, but he wouldn't even get in. Maybe I didn't ease him in enough, I'm not sure.