Why do dogs swim for exercise: the greatest effect of swimming is exercise, this is true for both humans and dogs. During swimming, dogs need to constantly tread water and make movements such as stretching and curling, which requires the cooperation of the muscles of the whole body, and therefore allows the muscles of the whole body to be exercised. Stress relief: Most domestic dogs nowadays have a lot of energy but nowhere to give it out. A lot of bored time can cause dogs to have very serious anxiety and stress, which is why it leads to behavioral problems such as housebreaking and barking, and swimming can help them release their excess energy into exercises that keep them active and healthy. Cooling down: Dogs find it difficult to enjoy the coolness of a hot summer day. Because of the difference in body structure, they can only sweat and pant through the fleshy pads of their paws to cool their bodies, so even a small pool can be a great help to dogs when they are overwhelmed by the heat. Complementary therapy: dogs with hip disease, if you do something like running, it is likely to cause damage to the hip joint, and swimming can use the buoyancy of the water to lift the dog’s body, not only to reduce the weight and wear and tear on the joints, but also to make the muscles get a strong and relatively gentle exercise. Dogs are not natural swimmers in the consciousness of many owners, dogs are natural swimmers, so they do not need to be taught how to swim, which is actually a very wrong and extremely dangerous idea, countless dogs also perished precisely because of this ridiculous idea. In April this year, a pet store in Quanzhou drowned a pooch because of a staff error, a bloody lesson. The swimming talent of dogs is very closely related to their body structure, and for some dogs with special body shapes, swimming is not an easy task, so when these dogs want to have a close contact with water, owners need to pay more attention and be more careful. Dogs with shorter legs, such as dachshunds, corgis, bulldogs, etc., their small short legs in the water is difficult to generate enough thrust to keep them afloat; then there are breeds such as French bulldogs and English bulldogs that are relatively compact and have short tails, and their hind limbs are more likely to sink when they are in the water; and dogs with flat faces, short nasal passages, narrow nostrils, overly long mouths and collapsed tracheas. These characteristics will make their breathing function will be very limited when in the water. In addition, dogs with impaired motor skills also need extra attention when swimming, such as older dogs, dogs with untreated trauma and dogs that have just undergone surgery and have not yet recovered.
Pre-swimming preparations water and food: enough clean drinking water and the right amount of dog food, as well as the dog’s usual food bowl, familiar supplies can ease their nervousness, help them eat properly and replenish the energy required by the body. Traction tools: the owner needs to prepare a strong and good chest and back traction belt or professional dog life jacket, if necessary, bring the mouthpiece, to ensure that the dog within the control. Cleaning tools: prepare large towels, hair dryers and mats used to keep the carriage clean, to facilitate the dog’s body as soon as possible to blow dry water. Otherwise, if the dog’s body is kept in a wet state for too long, bacteria or fungus can easily develop, and it is also more likely to “attract” troublesome parasites in the outdoors. Other: The owner needs to bring a dog license and dog tags, but do not hang on the dog to avoid loss, and also need to be equipped with some drugs to prevent motion sickness, allergies, emergency treatment of trauma, and prior to the veterinarian to understand the dosage. The choice of location choose clean water swimming pools, but should be careful to avoid swimming pools containing too much chlorine, pool chlorine exceeds the standard will not only induce lung disease, serious will also cause cancer. Some rivers and streams with acceptable indicators can also be chosen, but be aware of the bacteria and parasites in the river water that are harmful to your dog’s health. The most reassuring place is a swimming pool specially prepared for dogs, where the water level and water quality are more suitable. Swimming precautions for those first time swimming dogs, the owner must be gradual, so that the dog gradually adapt and learn how to maintain balance and float in the water, do not recklessly push it into the water. The whole process must pay attention to watch their dogs, do not let it into the deeper water, it is best for it to tie the chest back type leash, when the danger occurs to facilitate timely rescue. Like humans, dogs swimming will encounter some unexpected conditions, and in serious cases can also be life-threatening, such as cramps, so the owner must play the spirit to look after their dog, once the dog appears abnormal immediately hold the first aid on shore. The cleaning after swimming is essential to bathe and blow dry the hair immediately if possible. If you can’t give your dog a bath right away, prepare a towel for your dog to dry the water on his body as much as possible. Short-haired dogs are best wiped over with a strong, absorbent towel; long-haired dogs are best with two spare towels. No matter how hot it is, you should not let your dog dry naturally in the sun. It is important to give your dog a full and thorough worming. If necessary, you can take your dog to a pet store to thoroughly clean and check for any accidental body scratches, punctures, and other conditions. After swimming home, pay attention to observe whether the dog has the symptoms of a cold. If so, give the dog medication or see a doctor as soon as possible, but also pay attention to check the dog’s skin condition, because chlorine and salt rinse is not clean will suffer from skin disease. All the process should be done in a hurry to avoid any unanticipated attacks of disease.
