Question
We've been getting our dog used to water for the past 2 years and have made great progress. She now goes in to fetch sticks and toys but only as long as she can stand without getting her belly wet. This is a bit of a problem because we lose toys when they drift out of her reach.
In order to make her swim we've liftet her into deeper water a couple of times and she can swim very neatly. But when she has to swim for more than a few seconds she stops paddling with her hind legs, which pushes her chest out of the water and her back sinks. She panics when this happens (can't blame her really) so we started to support her chest and belly when we want her to swim for a bit.
How can we help her to properly use her hind legs when she's swimming?
Answer
You might want to try a flotation jacket for the dog, they are not too expensive and might give her a bit more confidence in the water (should certainly support her in the water) and allow her to learn how to use her legs
Answered By - Bob