# How old was your golden when it swam for the first time



## whitedove (May 10, 2009)

We have been taking storm to a big lake twice a week since he was allowed out and about.
The first time he had a little paddle..2nd time went in and just started swimming.I could'nt belive my eyes.he was 10 weeks old.

I was told by some ppl that I would have to teach him to swim..But as goldies have webbed feet.I assumed it would just come naturally.which it obviously did for him.

Just wanted to ask how old your goldies were when they had a swim for the first time

Dove


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## Zoeys mom (Apr 26, 2008)

Hehe, my Zoey loves the water but wouldnt swim. She would get wet to her chest but that was it. A couple weeks ago my husband went into the lake with her and she has been swimming ever since. She is 18months old.


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## whitedove (May 10, 2009)

Hiya Zoeys mom nice to meet you.
I think thats what have encouraged Storm to swim as my 4 children were also in the lake..probly made him feel a little safer.
Aww so pleased your goldie now enjoys to swim...I love to watch them paddling about,They totally love it dont they.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

We took Sammy to the beach for the first time when he was like 3 or 4 months old.. he was the tiniest bit hesitant until I walked into the water and he went running in after me and started doggie paddling away. He loved it!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Two of my three were swimming around 8 or 10 weeks old. The third one was born in January, so he didn't swim until he was about 4 or 5 months old.
Interestingly, the 2 who swam at just a few weeks old are both OBSESSED with water and love swimming above pretty much anything else (except maybe dock diving, LOL). The one who didn't swim until he was a few months older couldn't care less one way or the other.


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## Mssjnnfer (Aug 9, 2009)

In his little doggy pool... 9-10 weeks old... He liked walking around, but refused to sit when I asked him. LOL. Didn't want to get his tush wet.

For REAL swimming... four months. In our pool. I'm not sure how much he liked it though, because he would swim back and forth between us, but then cling on for dear life when he'd reach one of us... And scratch the heck out of our shoulders. So we didn't keep him in there long. He swam really well though, I was impressed.

(They have webbed feet!?)


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## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy was a late bloomer. I knew she could swim but she didn't like to, would never go in past where her feet could touch bottom. 

Then one day, she saw an injured duck in the middle of a pond. And away she went  I was so excited I didn't have the heart to call her off, but thankfully the duck got away. She was 1-1/2 years then and she's been swimming ever since.


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## jenlaur (Jun 24, 2009)

Riley was 9 weeks old. Her mother can't stay out of the pool and it looks like she will be the same way:


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## Bob-N-Tash (Feb 24, 2008)

Natasha's first solo swim was June 26 2005. She was 11 weeks old.
That week, every time we went into the pool she ventured in and would play on the top step in the water. That morning she decided to push off the stair and she swam a circle about 3 feet in diameter.. out into the pool and back to the stair. After that there was no stopping her.


January 19 2008, Bob was 14 weeks old. From 5 weeks on he grew up and played around the pool. He was the only puppy of the litter that did not ever fall in. At 11 weeks old he would follow his mother to the edge of the pond and wade in the shallows. At 12 weeks old we took him to the ocean. Again, he would wade into the water and he played in the sand and the surf but no swimming yet. Then two weeks later while we were at the river one morning he followed his mother into the deep water (18 inches?) for his first solo swim.


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## Sucker For Gold (Jan 13, 2009)

Gracie swam for the first time at 26 weeks (almost exactly a month ago). I had her on a long lead walking a creek bed and coaxed her into one of the deeper pools.











Her first and *only* solo swim was the very next weekend at our dog park. She was after some cheerios someone had thrown in to feed the fish.










She swam again last week at the creek bed, but again I had to coax her. She loves wading, but I don't think she really into the swimming thing just yet. I hope that changes with time.


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## magiclover (Apr 22, 2008)

Jazz just went for the first time a few weeks ago. She is 11 months old. She was so excited when she saw Magic go in. Before I knew it she was diving off the riverbank.


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

Angel was a winter puppy so she was about six months old when she had her introduction to water. Vixen and company were in the lake here at 5 weeks. Kate was a winter pup, so she was 5 months old when she made the splash. Maxi was swimming at 5 weeks. 

Temperature and state of the water (frozen or soft) has a lot to do with water introduction. You never want to introduce a pup to water when it's ice cold.


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## spruce (Mar 13, 2008)

we got young Bridger when he was 6 months -- in the water 2nd day! (following the lab) -- our lab did big girl swimming at 4 months. 
Bridger was kinda awkward, but he was purty happy


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## Duke's Momma (Mar 1, 2007)

We got Duke in May and in June when it started getting hot he swam. He was sooo little! (love the pics btw!) It was really funny because we were swimming with him and just took him out with us. I know where the word dog paddle came from. He stood straight up in water over his head and dog paddled. It was a riot! So, Dee held his hiney up and that was that! He's been nuts for the water ever since. A golden belongs in the water.
Duke will swim just for the love of swimming. He'll go in the lake and just swim. No reason except he loves it.

We do have a toy we throw for him just so he gets a good cardiovascular workout in addition to working his hips and knees.


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## hollyk (Feb 21, 2009)

Winter was 15 weeks old. We were playing fetch in shallow water. I kept throwing it slightly farther/deeper. I threw it where I knew she would have to swim. She bounded after it so enthusiastically that her head went underwater. I held my breath and she came up reaching for the ball and swam it back to me. I gave her lots of praise and pets, but what she wanted the most was to do it again. It was like something turned on inside her. I knew those big webbed paws were for something.


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## EvanG (Apr 26, 2008)

Moose was 3 1/2 months old, as this was as soon as the water in Missouri was warm enough for a proper introduction. As usual, I put on waders and went out with him a little at a time. Ended with doing some simple, short, fun retrieves, as I typically do with pups.










He's doing better all the time.

EvanG


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## S-Dog's Mom (Jan 9, 2009)

Simon was 10 weeks when I walked him down to our beach. He took one look at the water, and took off running.. (he was off-leash at the time.
This caught me by surprise, and I ran after him. By the time I reached the water's edge, he had gone in head-over-tail. It was pretty hard not to panic, but I just watched, and he came up paddling, with a HUGE smile on his face, as if to say, "WOO HOO! This is FUN!)
I think the HUGE puppy paws had a lot to do with his swimming ability at that age!
He's been in LOVE with the water ever since.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Another winter pup here. Penny was 7-8 months old and her first exposure was at Lake Michigan. I think she was intimidated by the waves and noise.

She was 2 before she ventured into water. That was at a boat launch ramp near Key West while we were camping.

BUT, once she went in there was no stopping her. Her first actual feet off the bottom swimming was at age 5. She seemed to be alarmed by it but I was in the deeper water so she swam by me. This happened IN Lake Michigan. She had conquered her fears.


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## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

Hmm...I hadn't thought about the timing of the introduction to water being a factor. Sam loved the water right away, he was a summer baby. He lost interest as he got older though, he'd just hang around the water's edge...mainly I think, because I didn't venture in with him. Ike is a winter baby and was 6 months old at his first introduction. He liked the water but would not venture out past his ability to stand. He's 2 this summer and just getting the nerve to venture out past the end of the pier. It took watching another dog, a Lab, to get him interested in swimming out further.


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## slip_kid (May 12, 2009)

Comet (4 months) came with us to my parents pool this past sunday. As we were in the water an inner tube floated to teh side and he put his front paws on it. So I held it as he walked on it. I tried to get him to do a "DOWN" but he was shaking from the unstable raft to comfortably lay down. i pulled it the wifeys tube and he walked onto hers and layed hanging off the side.

then he fell off and swam to teh side. I think he realized that cold water on a 90 degree day spells relief. He got a bit of the zoomies and seemed more comfortable after.

last night we drove to a river/park area, after walking in teh woods for a qtr mile we came to a mini beach, a poodle ran up to him to say hi and they both went into teh water. shocked us. he just stood there up to his chin, but that was WAY more than we were expecting. so we treated teh heck out of him in the water.

then a cooled off pup enjoyed illegallly running through the soccer fields for another 10-15 minutes before heading home.

we'll revisit that spot tomorrow night. maybe we'll get a swim out of him yet!


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

Murphy (who was born in April) tried the pool for the first time at 8 weeks. Teller (who was born in January) didn't get to use the pool until he was five months old. They are now 5 and 2.5 years old and from April through October they are part fish (or you would think so anyway). They enjoy their daily swims - rain, snow, sun or wind. In the summer swimming is their primary form of conditioning - they both train and show in obedience and agility - it's so easy to get 30 minutes of swimming in two or three times a day.

Erica


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