It’s no secret that some dogs love to swim. Who hasn’t seen videos of a gorgeous lab doing the doggy paddle to reach the frisbie? It’s a great sight. But swimming is one of those summer time activities that needs to be carefully monitored to make sure your pet is safe.

Brad has a few tips and notes for folks who want to hit the pool, beach or lake with their furry friend.

1. Remember, a dog who is chasing something, won’t know when to stop, and a dog can swim themselves into exhaustion or worse if you’re not careful. Moderate the activity so you pet has plenty of rest time in between adventures.
2. Lock up your access to the water when you’re done. It was probably fun for your pet, and no doubt they’ll want to get back to it as soon as possible. Make sure you have a high enough fence that your pet doesn’t jump it.
3. Check out some pool and water toys like the Ruffwear Floating Lunker or the Outward Hound Splash Bombz Ring, or a whole bunch of options from ChuckIt!, like the Amphibious Boomerang, Duck Diver or Flight Max Glow!
4. Make sure to wash down your dog after exposure to chlorinated or salt water. Both can cause irritation and drying in your pet’s coat if you don’t clean it off. Just like you’d rinse off your bathing suit, rinse off your dog with fresh water.
5. And to prevent tangles and mats, take a good brush or comb to your pet. We like the Comfort Comb from JW to quickly and safely get out the tangles.

Have a great time in the water, and if you think of it, send us pics of water-time with your pet!