Can Yorkies Swim? Safety Tips For The Water
Most people think that all dogs can swim, but in fact, that’s not so true. Most dogs can, but there are some exceptions like Bulldogs for example. Other dog breeds can swim but they don’t enjoy it and others are really great swimmers like American Water Spaniel.
Can Yorkshire Terriers Swim? Basically – yes, most of the Yorkshire Terriers can swim, and actually they are pretty good at it. Most dogs, placed into the water, will doggie paddle. But the Yorkies are good swimmers with skill above the average. This is because the breed have small and sleek body and light bones and believe us – that helps a lot.
And moreover, the coat of the Yorkies is silky which is another plus when being in the water, because other breeds with thicker coats and fur are way weighted down by it. The tenacity of the Yorkshire Terriers is another factor that you have to think about. Despite the small size of the breed, these dogs are very determined and adventurous.
So you can be sure that your Yorkie will be more than glad to join you in your water summer adventures and it will have as much fun as you are.
Table of Contents
Do All Yorkies Like to Swim?
Yorkshire terriers can swim (and as we already said they are pretty good swimmers), but they are not naturally built for swimming like some other water dog breeds. Some Yorkies love water and others don’t. You need to test your Yorkie if he enjoys swimming or not.
When you take your dog for a swim for the first time you have to stay very close and supervise him. Never throw a dog into the water!
Let him check the water for himself, to walk in and out. See if he likes it and if he does you may go first and encourage him to swim to you. Start with a short distance first until he feels comfortable in the water.
Can A Yorkie Swim In A Pool?
If you are going to the swimming pool, you can be surprised by how fun your Yorkie can have if you take it with you. But as an owner, you have certain duties and one of them is to plan the safety of your Yorkie. But do not worry about that, because we are prepared to give you some basic advices.
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Safety Tips For Yorkie Swimming
1.) First of all, consider to let your Yorkie swim in the kiddie pool.
After all, this is something new for the dog and you do not want to spook it. The kiddie pools are a great way to help your dog to stay cool in the hot summer days and have fun.
Just at first let the dog swim in the shallow and after it gets used to it you can move it to the deeper, which is not deep at all in the kiddie pool.
You can even place some rubber toys for the dog to play with, but no matter how fun it has, we recommend to supervise it all the time.
2.) When placing the Yorkie in the swimming pool, make sure that the water temperature is right. It should be 25.5 degrees C (or 78 degrees F) at a minimum.
You might think that lower temperatures might still be cooling and refreshing, but it could be too cold for the dog.
Most resorts and hotels keep the water temperature in their pools around 27 to 29 degrees C (or 82 to 85 degrees F). This should be perfect for your dog to start swimming.
Do not forget about the water temperature because in the summer the air is pretty hot, but the water inside the swimming pool can be a lot colder than you think.
And as you can expect, if the temperature is not good enough, you should not let your Yorkie swim, at least until it gets hotter.
3.) Another pro tip to have in mind is to never toss your Yorkie inside the pool.
The dog has great survival instincts and will start swimming doggie paddle, but believe us – it will not have any fun that way.
It will be best if you just enter into the swimming pool holding your pet as it gets used with the water and the temperature.
4.) If you have concerns that your dog can get tired soon after it starts swimming, you can place a life vest on it.
This way the Yorkie will not have any problem staying over the water and come back to you even from the other side of the pool. And that way you as an owner would be a lot less stressed if this happens.
This way one small and comfortable life vest can give you peace and can give your dog the necessary confidence to swim and stay in the water for longer periods of time.
And if you wonder if there is a life vest for a Yorkie – yes, there is. Actually, you have plenty of good options with many high-quality canine life vests on the market. And yes, they are offered in size extra small, specially made for small dogs as your Yorkie.
If your dog is tiny and you have concerns about the fit of the extra small size, check out the exact sizes that are given or you can take direct measurements from your Yorkie.
5.) Another thing that we advise, mentioned briefly earlier, is to supervise the dog most of the time.
You do not have to watch it all the time and keep your eyes only on it, especially if it is wearing a life vest, but every minute or so watch it and do not walk away. If you are in the pool just take the dog with you, but if you decide to stay out and let it swim by itself, you have to watch it.
6.) When mentioning having fun in the summer, we have to remember another essential thing – the sunscreen.
When going to the beach or the pool, we are applying sunscreen and this is valid for the dogs too. They can get sunburned as easily as we do, especially if your dog is with a very short haircut.
So next time you go to a water adventure with your pet, just take the right sunscreen for it and apply some to the dog. The best sunscreens for dogs are the ones with a spray bottle.
They are easy to apply and also smell great. Apply the sunscreen to the dog every time when you think it is necessary.
7.) Next advice – Bathing. Do not forget to rinse your dog after the swimming sessions are over.
After all, the water in the pool is chlorinated and the chemicals have to be rinsed off.
If you do not do that the skin of the Yorkie can become dry. Rinse well the chemicals and even use a dog shampoo.
If the Yorkie was swimming in the sea – this advice applies for there too. The salt in the water can be very drying for the skin and the coat, so a good rinse is a must.
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Swimming in a Lake or Other Body of Water
If you prefer to go to a pretty lake instead of a beach or swimming pool and relax with your Yorkie, you might as well think about a little dip in the water. But in this case, there are still a few safety tips that apply for your dog and you as an owner need to remember.
First of all, many of the aforementioned safety tips for the pool apply here too. These include taking the gradual approach, never tossing the Yorkie in the water, regularly applying sunscreen and placing a life vest on the dog, especially if the water is deep enough.
Aside from these tips, there are some additional which are specific to lakes.
1.) One thing, concerning the safety of the dog is to keep it away from algae.
One certain type of algae that is called cyanobacteria or blue-green algae is very toxic to the dogs.
This can make your Yorkie sick or even die after swimming in a pond or lake. This is because this algae produces two types of toxins – microcystin and anatoxin.
The first one can make a dog or humans very ill just from swimming or drinking water with it. The signs of toxicity are weakness, vomiting and diarrhea. This could cause shock or even seizure or death.
The second toxin can also be dangerous for both dogs and humans. The signs are tremors, runny eyes, difficult breathing, and trouble walking. Do not get scared, not all types of algae pose a danger for the dogs, but if you cannot recognize the blue-green algae, if you see any algae in the water, keep the dog out of it.
2.) If you see a stagnant lake, do not let your Yorkie enter the water, and you as well might want to stay away from it.
Lakes are moving bodies full of freshwater, but some of them can be stagnant. This means that the water in them can contain a lot of bacteria and diseases. For that reason, keep the dog away from these kinds of lakes.
3.) Bring with you lots of freshwater.
After all, your Yorkie will get thirsty at some point and you do not want it to drink water from the lake. This can make it very sick, causing diarrhea and dehydration. For that reason bring with you water and give it to the dog regularly.
There is no need to wait for the dog to get thirsty, just offer it some water.
In Conclusion:
If your Yorkie has never swim, you can be sure that the dog will enjoy it, but you have to let it do it.
If your pet was already been to the swimming pool or other place with water, you still might want to apply these safety tips to limit dangers. After all, those sunny days full of water adventures have to be fun and safe, not stressful, and full of negative emotions.
Here is a video with one very sweet Yorkie. Her name is Zoe and she is very excited when it comes to swimming.
Do your Yorkie like to swim?
