# leash for swimming?



## Janine16

Hi

I have noticed on some of the photos that have been posted that a lot of your dogs seem to be wearing a leash for swimming. Sounds like a good idea, that way they can't go that far, but what sort of leash is it, and how long is it?

Hardy hasn't been swimming yet, the snow had all gone and we did think that spring was here, but then we woke to 8" of snow this morning, but once the weather is better we wanted to let Hardy try some swimming.

Any tips for introducing your dog to swimming would be great too!
Thanks in advance


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## JeffM

Personally my boys don't have a leash when swimming but I'm always close by and never take my eyes off them.


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## Kayla's Dad

When I took Lancer swimming for the first time. He only wore it the first two times in the water.

















He was wearing a 25' long line made by Katie's Bumper.

Katie's Bumper River Rope 

However, you can get line from places like Home Depot, REI and just attach clips to them yourself as well. Rope like this or nylon shoul work fine.


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## Jessica H

When i first brought Scoot swimming I put a long clothes line on him (light and cheap) but now I know he will come back so I just leave a regular leash on him for when he gets out. I probably will do the same with Dozer the first few times just to be sure.
At first I put a life jacket on Scooter because he hated going in over his head, now he leaps off docks, he is a crazy little dog, lol. I hope Dozer loves water like he does. Sadie doesn't like it, I am going to try the life jacket on her this year.
he doesn't even notice there is a leash on him...


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## DancingCavy

I have used two different leashes when taking Risa swimming. One is a 50-foot nylon rope and the other is a 20-foot lead. I like that she can get a good distance away on the 50 but it tends to get knotted and become a mess.


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## Chicagocanine

I've only used a leash for swimming once or twice, after my terrier had gone deaf... Sometimes he would come to shore farther away from where he got in the water and not know where I was at first, and couldn't hear me calling. I bought a bright orange floating rope made for boats, and I braided it to make it thicker and tied it to his lifejacket.
Usually I don't use leashes when they are swimming because they might get them tangled around their legs.


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## Lauri & The Gang

Good timing for this thread! Mauser got his first taste of swimming today and he LOVED it. He is not very solid on his recall yet (my fault) so I used a flexi at the park today. Next time we go I plan to bring a long line for him to wear when he goes swimming. Maybe 15 feet and whatever is the cheapest material I can get at the local hardware store. I have enough dog clips from dead leashes that I don't need to buy any!


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## MrLeadFoot

> Originally Posted By: ChicagocanineUsually I don't use leashes when they are swimming because they might get them tangled around their legs.


No kidding!

When I discovered my pup LOVED water more than a lab (OK, it just seemed that way), my son was walking along the water's edge with her on a leash when she was about 3.5 months old. He let her wade in the water, which is about all we expected. Imagine our surprise when she suddenly dove in head first yanking the leash out of my son's hand.

I thought she would just swim for a little bit and come right back out of the water once she realized she couldn't touch bottom, but instead she swam straight out away from the shore, with the leash now sunken. When I called her to come back, she promptly turned around and swam back to us. As she walked onto the shore, we could see that the leash was indeed all tangled up in her legs. We were fortunate, because since dogs don't float, it surely could've been a sad day indeed!









Moral of the story, for ME anyways, is that I will NEVER leash a dog when it's swimming. OK, maybe there might be some circumstance, where it might be necessary, like maybe on an X-games adventure involving swimming across the rapids in 30 degree water, or something, but I would think I would have her in a life jacket so leash wouldn't be an issue.

If someone has a good reason for a real life application, please share because the more info I have the better armed I'll be, but right now I can't think of one.


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## Jessica H

Scooter has a life jacket and I use that for kayaking and for when I was teaching him he could go in over his head. Unfortunately Scooter may take off when he gets OUT of the water so I need something I can step on. Scooter doesn't go far enough out that I could not get to him quickly so I use a leash and it usually floats next to him.

I do not think I am going to use a rope with Dozer the first time, maybe a life jacket, Dozer does not like going more than 15 feet away from me, lol.


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## angelas

The only places I could take Lucky swimming required dogs to be on leash. I made myself a light 50 foot leash out of nautical (floating) line and a small snap. The line would float so I didn't have to worry about her getting it tangled in her legs.


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## MrLeadFoot

> Originally Posted By: Dozer...so I use a leash and it usually floats next to him.


Ahhhh, a FLOATING leash. Much better idea. I didn't know they made them, but I guess you can get ANYTHING nowadays. Thanks for the reply.


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## MrLeadFoot

> Originally Posted By: angela scriverI made myself a light 50 foot leash out of nautical (floating) line and a small snap.


Note to self:

Get and keep some nautical line handy.


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## Kayla's Dad

> Originally Posted By: MrLeadFoot
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted By: Dozer...so I use a leash and it usually floats next to him.
> 
> 
> 
> Ahhhh, a FLOATING leash. Much better idea. I didn't know they made them, but I guess you can get ANYTHING nowadays. Thanks for the reply.
Click to expand...

That is similar to what Lancer used in the pics further up this thread-see the pictures further up the thread. You can find that kind of line at camping/outdoor stores like REI.


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## Chicagocanine

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangGood timing for this thread! Mauser got his first taste of swimming today and he LOVED it. He is not very solid on his recall yet (my fault) so I used a flexi at the park today.


I used a Flexi the first time I took my dog to the beach because I didn't know if she would recall in that environment... Bad idea! The Flexi housing ended up full of sand and I had to take it apart and clean it out.








I'm surprised it didn't rust or something since I just used a wet cloth. Surprisingly that Flexi is still in fine working order 8-10 years later.


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## jesmagmisty

I used a 30 ft nylon tracking lead we don't use anymore and put a cheap nylon harness on them. The lead hooks on their back and doesn't pull them around so much or get caught on their feet.


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## nysirk

I wont use a leash for swimming, I find them too dangerous, although I understand the need for a safety net, just in case. 

Dexter is teenager and still testing limits. For him instead of using a leash as my back up, I use this orange floating dog toy, and whatever stick, toy or sometimes even food I can use to trade him off with. When we hit the water it pretty much becomes a big retrieve game. throw the toy trade off and start over, kinda a habit we got into last summer as a pup he would follow his big sister Libby right in and realized water is fun. He gets so caught up in the game, I really believe he thinks its his job to do this and he loves it, Libby also joins in and I cant stop throwing and trading enough stuff something I need to work on this spring summer, but hey if it works.... 

Dexter is a barrier frustrated and is dog reactive when on leash, so when we go out in public and try to work on it we always get those looks or comments from people "Vicious police dog" But when he is swimming at the beach doing his job he leaves other dogs alone, or sometimes he even gets to join in group retrieve/ swim games with a bunch of my neighbors friendly dogs (yes many are labs) which is a blessing to be able to go do this. At the beach swimming we actually get many many compliments on Dexter, and his manners, which is a nice break from alternative when we go out to a petstore or busy parks. 
The only time ive ever used a leash for swimming was years ago with my weak nerved rescue Libby. 
Libby used to be terrified of bodies of water mostly the waves, which wouldn't have been an problem if we didn't live on the lake and have an awesome unofficial dog park with just the neighborhood dogs, although there is a few bad apples most of my neighbors are excellent dog owners and we are all very careful about our off leash dogs, play and such. 

We used to take Libby out for walks to the beach and started to make the water a really fun good thing. It took a few weeks but we started to walk closer and closer to the waves and water with her keeping upbeat trying to make it like a game. As she got more comfortable we started to wade in the water on leash together, I was very careful with the leash to not force her in but just for her to trust in me, and stay next to me. With slow steps we started to play a chase game off leash on the beach with just a step or two into the water and so on. She kept on progressing that summer and going out further and further with me we started to remove the leash continue our little chase games. One day we had been out wadeing together and i encouraged her to go into deeper water with me she attempted to doggy paddle and went under, I don;t know why her doggy paddle didn't work,but it sacred me I was right there to help her up and guide her back to where her feet could touch, I never pushed her to go into deep water again she will never be a swimmer but she sure dose LOVE to wade. by the end of summer 2005 she was pulling me on leash to get to the beach so the two of us could go splashing in. 
I really felt I could trust her with us working together helping her overcome her fear of the scary waves and many other things really deeply bonded us, and I feel i have ture respect and trust from her.
None of the other dogs at the beach do I EVER wearing leash's in the water mostly because there are so many rocks and sticks and things the leash could get caught on. 
I don't think a leash is needed when it comes to swimming, there are other ways to find control with a dog, each dogs a little different. For dexter it was a toy and for Libby it was more of a training trust bonding thing, I think everyone just needs to find what works for their dogs and run with it.


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## Janine16

Thank you for all those great replies, and the photos of the sea made me miss it. We used to live on the south coast of England, now we are in Alberta and a very long way from the sea. There are lots of ponds and lakes around so hopefully Hardy will get to try some swimming when the weather improves.

Thanks again


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## JerzeyGSD

I have, like, a 30 ft leash that I've put on Jerzey when she's gone to the lake before. I don't attach it to anything, it's just on in case I need to grab her. Usually she doesn't need to wear one, but sometimes at the State Parks there can be a lot of people around and I'd rather have a way to grab her, if I must.

Although, to be honest, Jerzey has never really "gone swimming." She'll go as far as she can walk and then come back.


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## Ceph

I took my dogs out swimming a little while ago and had just a normal leash attatched to them...didnt do much good because they tend to sink  As far as introducing my dogs to the water...well....um....I put their vests on and threw them in...not too nice...but they were making awsome rounds around the boat 

I know Signature K9 makes something called a MWD leash -- they have leashes and long lines of this ilk -- one of my helpers has the long line and it floats really well on the surface of the water...it's made of some kind of grippable, durable foam.

~Cate


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