Summer is here!!! It’s time for back yard BBQ’s, boating trips, Summer vacations, and of coarse we cannot forget. . .Swimming!!! Just as you and your children love cooling off and romping around in that big ole body of water, so does your Mini Goldendoodle. Both the Retriever and the Poodle part of your minigoldendoodle desires to play a bit in puddles, streams, and even pools if taught to be use to them from a very early age.
The key here is that your Mini Goldendoodle must be taught to swim just like your child. You cannot just throw your pup into the water, walk away and hope for the best. For the first several swims, your pup MUST be supervised and shown both the entrance, layout, and exit to the pool. Pups tire easily, so they must know the way out. Otherwise, they will just paddle and paddle tirelessly until they run out of steam just looking for the exit. So that brings me to my next point. HAVE AN EXIT!
A deep blow-up pool for example with a ring and no exit is not a safe place for your minigoldendoodle to cool off from the summer sun.
Once your pup knows the entrance and exit and can demonstrate he knows how to get out you can enjoy your backyard swims.
Until your puppy knows how to swim, please keep an eye on them and make it a point to latch and lock all gates around the pool area. If you don’t have a fence around the pool area, consider investing in a temporary safety fence that is used for children.
In Memory of Chuy:
I couldn’t write something on swimming without talking about sweet Chuy. Chuy was one of Duke and Daphne’s 2009 pups who died in a terrible drowning accident. He snuck out of the house while his parent was unloading the groceries into the kitchen. After unsuccessfully searching the house for him, the search led them outside where they found little Chuy in the family swimming pool. He didn’t have a chance. What a tragedy for this family. They are still grieving the loss of their baby and cannot go near the pool to this day. We pray for comfort and peace for them and thank them for letting us use their story to help others learn about pool safety.
When vacationing abroad, whether on a lake, a pond, river, etc. Use good judgement and consult your vet prior to letting your mini goldendoodle swim in these bodies of water. With your mini goldendoodle use to drinking filtered water from your home, he has not built up the proper bacteria in his digestive system to combat any foreign bacteria or algae found in certain types of bodies of water and should not drink the water in which he swims. Just some common sense tips:
– Keep fresh water at hand for drinking water.
-Don’t let your minigoldendoodle drink from stagnant water. Not only for fear of bacteria, but also for water snakes.
-Don’t let your doodle swim in strong currents.
-Keep an eye on your dogs eating habits and stools while on your trip for any significant changes that would warrant concern.
-Consult your vet prior to travel for any suggestions.
Most Mini Goldendoodles LOVE the water from the start. Others must be taught to enjoy this adventure. Once they get the hang of it, it is an awesome sight to see them swim and enjoy themselves. Here in the Texas heat, our Doodles, love to cool off daily! And we’re right along with them.
Take care and enjoy your Summer with your Mini Goldendoodles!
God Bless
–Sandi
