If you’re a dog owner, then you should already have the desire to share many activities with your dog. Swimming may be one of those activities. You’ve seen dogs swim around before, but can your German Shepherd do that as well? Should you let your German Shepherd swim in your pool?
Under certain precautions, you can safely enjoy a nice swimming experience with your German Shepherd. As long as you keep an eye on your dog and don’t spend too much time in the pool, then it should be a beautiful experience.
In this article, we’ll highlight why you should let your German Shepherd swim with you and what to do to reduce the cons of such an experience.
Dogs and Pools
You should first understand that not all dogs are natural swimmers. It’s easy to get that misconception after watching online videos of dogs swimming happily with their owners.
German Shepherds aren’t bred to be natural swimmers. Still, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take your dog with you to the swimming pool. With proper training, you can teach your dog to swim and enjoy the water just like you would do.
Now let’s talk about the swimming pool itself. Swimming pools can contain chlorine or salt water, or both.
Chlorine and salt are safe for your dog if their levels are maintained. You should also ensure that your water is properly cleaned and that both you and your Shepherd take a good shower after the swim.
One last thing to consider is not to let your dog swim for extended periods in the pool. The small amounts of chlorine may pose a threat over extended periods. Additionally, if your pool has salt in it, your dog may experience salt toxicity.
Before and After the Swim
Before taking your German Shepherd to the pool, you should give him a quick rinse with a hose. This will remove any dust or dirt on his body and prevent it from spreading in the pool. It shouldn’t be a thorough shower with rubbing and scrubbing; just a quick rinse is fine.
The rubbing and scrubbing should be after the swim, though. This ensures that any chemicals or salt in the pool won’t stay on your pup’s body and potentially harm him.
Advantages of Letting Your German Shepherd Swim in Your Pool
With all the warnings and flags you have read earlier, you might be thinking of keeping your German Shepherd away from the pool for good.
However, that’s not recommended as the water can be helpful to your pup. Here’s how:
1. Improves Blood Circulation
If you’re too lazy to go for that daily walk, you can substitute it with 30 minutes in the pool with your dog. Swimming is an excellent workout to improve the cardiovascular health of your German Shepherd.
Keep in mind that swimming will be a valuable workout for your dog after learning how to swim. However, if your dog is still learning, he may not yet get the full benefits of swimming.
2. Cooling Off in Hot Days
How often have you wished for the sky to drop ice-cold water on you when the heat is unbearable?
A swimming pool is a great substitute for that. On those summer days, you and your German Shepherd will appreciate a good swim in the pool.
Remember to keep the water temperature within acceptable levels. Water that’s too cold in hot weather might cause a shock to your pup.
When shocked, dogs will panic and might start to move frantically. This could be even more dangerous if he’s still learning how to swim, as he would swallow a lot of water.
3. Swimming Is Therapeutic for Senior Dogs
If your German Shepherd has been around for a while, chances are that he may not be able to exercise as much as he needs to.
Swimming is an excellent, low-level exercise that many vets recommend for older dogs. It’s easy on the joints and refreshes blood circulation without stressing the muscles too much.
4. Bonding With Your Dog
If you’re often too busy to bond with your dog, taking him for a pool swim is a good idea to hit two birds with one stone.
You get to relax and have fun while bonding with your affectionate pup.
Disadvantages of Letting Your German Shepherd Swim in Your Pool
Unfortunately, there are still a few cons to having your German Shepherd swim in the pool; they are:
1. Your Dog Might Drink Pool Water
Anyone who has swum in a pool before has accidentally swallowed water. Still, well-maintained pools should be reasonably safe if your dog drinks in small amounts.
However, larger amounts of chlorine and salt might cause vomiting and salt toxicity.
2. Cleaning the Hair
German Shepherds, especially long-haired ones, can leave behind quite the amount of hair for you to clean.
The filter of your pool often takes care of most of that hair. Still, you will eventually end up with some debris that you’ll have to clean yourself.
Most owners hardly complain about that if it means having a great bonding time with their dogs.
3. Ear Infections
A variety of reasons can cause ear infections in dogs. Moisture and foreign bodies are the pool-related reasons among the lists of causes.
If you don’t dry your dog’s ears after the swim, the remnants of water and foreign bodies there might cause some infections.
On the other hand, if your German Shepherd is already suffering from an ear infection, it’s not recommended for him to swim until the condition is treated. This is to prevent the case from getting worse.
Conclusion
So, should you let your German Shepherd swim in your pool?
The recommended answer is yes. The pros easily outweigh the cons. Moreover, you can easily handle these cons by giving your dog a good wash after the swim.
Just make sure that the level of chemicals in your pool is correct and that you accompany your dog whether he knows how to swim or not.
