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TOAST: "I am old and my mom always thought I was scared of the water. I love to swim. It is the best feeling in the world even though I need you to help me so my head doesn't go under. On days I am disoriented, swimming helps me to wake up my mind."

SUNDANCE: "My mom building a pool has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Not only is it fun, but it soothes my body."

LEO: "I used to be scared of everything in life. Everything that moved. Now since I have been immersed in that body of water, have learned to move in it, and to get out of it safely, I have changed. I look at the world differently. Nothing is as it appears."

JASPER: "I am frightened thinking about getting in the water. I am learning to love it while I am in it. I even dream of going in it like Sunny. I am proud of myself. I think I have accomplished something extraordinary."

ROXY: "Ever since I have met you, you make me do crazy things. You make my mind stretch and crave more. I am scared when there are a lot of people splashing in the pool. I didn't even know I could move in water. It is nothing like a bath. I wish you could come over and teach me some more. Can you teach me to keep the water out of my ears?"

WHY TEACH YOUR DOG TO SWIM & HOW:

The pool can be extremely dangerous to dogs that do not know how to swim or to dogs that cannot find their way out. Older dogs or rambunctious dogs that are playing around the pool may fall into the pool by accident. Many dogs die by drowning. The good news is you can give your dog swimming lessons. (I also offer this as a service.) The objective of swimming lessons is three things; to teach your dogs how to swim, to feel comfortable swimming, and to teach them to swim along the side of the pool to find the stairs. Here is the basic training plan. (They will take several training sessions.)
1. Bring you dog to the top stair of you pool. Give him treats and stroke his body while gently holding his collar.
2. See if you can let go of his collar and let him explore the top step. Most dogs will jump out.

3. Carry your smaller dog into shallow end of the pool. Either pull your larger dog into the pool from the steps or drop him in from the side.
4. Support your dogs belly with one arm and chest with the other. Your dog may try and swim with his front paws out of the water. Keeping you hand on his chest will support his legs back into the water for a successful dog paddle.

5. Once your dog is swimming he will try to go to the side of the pool. DO NOT ALLOW YOU DOG TO PULL HIMSELF OUT AT THE SIDES. The reason for this is if he is exhausted he may slip back in and drown. If he tries to scramble up the side tell him “NO” and pull him back into the water. Holding his collar see if you can manipulate his body to swim along side the side of the pool. This is very important because you want him to be able to find the stairs in any pool. Guide him around the side of the pool to the stairs.
6. Once he finds the stairs. Let him get out and give him lots of praise, clapping singing, running together. It is very exciting that he just swam! (Do 1-6 at least four times in one session and then call it a day)

In between the sessions do not be discouraged if your dog goes and hides. He may need time to process what he has just done.

You may also want to towel, cuddle, and nurture.

7. The next session on another day repeat steps 1-6 two to three times.
You want to push or drop your dog into the pool at different locations. Let his head go under. You want to mimic a chaotic situation where he fell in the pool by accident. Do this stage several times over three different sessions graduating to your dog being in the pool alone.

Some of the dogs may learn to love to swim and others will still dislike it, but they ALL will feel confident enough to find their way out. Too many dogs die from drowning each year.

Here my friends are hiding from me before their third swimming lesson. They are secretly excited!

In my business, I hear too many stories of dogs of all ages and breeds drowning in swimming pools. Because of these stories, I offer swimming lessons as a service. My main objective is to teach the dogs to confidently swim along the side of any pool until they find the stairs. Over the years, what I have found is that swimming lessons does much more. It helps the elderly dogs loosen their joints and muscles while easing their dementia. Fearful and aggressive dogs tell me that becoming confident in being immersed in something so foreign and at first frightening helps them to become more positive and aware in other areas of their life.

I have learned a great deal from these dogs. I have watched dogs that are deathly scared of the water and I know would drown if I was not present become confident swimmers with a new outlook on life.

I begin to wonder if when I start to feel complacent with my life what happens when I try something completely outside of my regular routine. It exposes all my fears and vulnerabilities, but if I stick with it, like these dogs are forced to, I too become a happier more confident person.

Toast amazed me the most. She is an older dog who's owner always thought she hated the water. Toast loves her swimming lessons. Even though I have to hold her head above the water and support her every few strokes she cant wait to get in the pool with me! When she gets out she runs around the yard like a puppy. I hope I am like Toast when I am elderly. Eager to try and learn something new even though I may need to rely on someone else to support me.

If you have a pool, I urge you to give your dogs swimming lessons. IT MAY SAVE THEIR LIVES. If you lovingly support them through their fear of the water and drowning you may see changes in your dogs you didn't expect.

CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AT http://WWW.THEANIMALSTRIBUNE.COM