Your Havanese Dog and Water
Last updated on March 15th, 2022 at 07:01 pm
Havanese dogs are adorable with their long goofy hair and soulful faces, but they don’t exactly look like the best swimmers, do they? If someone were to pick a pet to be their lifeguard at the beach, it probably is not going to be a Havanese dog. However, you may be surprised by the amount of muscle and athleticism beneath their furry coats.
Havanese dogs are pretty tough for their size, though you would never know it unless you took the shaver out and gave your pup a trim. But hold on – before you toss your Havanese dog into the lake and see if they can swim, read the rest of this article!
Do Havanese Like Water?
This might be a better question. Almost every animal can “swim” if you toss it in some water. But whereas many dogs instinctively run into the waves and splash around in the water, a Havanese dog may be coyer about the situation. The first time your Havanese dog is exposed to water may be frightening, and it may take some time before they get used to it. If given enough time and experience, it is highly likely that your Havanese dog will not only be able to swim, but they will enjoy it!
Because the Havanese is such a tiny dog, you do need to take some precautions before diving straight into the water. Your pup needs to wet their toes and learn the ropes. They can undoubtedly learn how to swim, but whether or not they enjoy it is the question. Most do, but it is entirely possible you’re your Havanese only tolerates the activity because you are standing at the water’s edge with your arms crossed.
Can I Teach My Havanese How to Swim?
Absolutely, yes. There are many reasons to teach your Havanese how to swim. This is especially true if you have small children and live near a body of water or have a pool on the property. In the case of an emergency, you want your Havanese to have the skills necessary to help a small child get out of the pool safely. It is better that your dog is prepared for the situation rather than caught by surprise. This is true for the Havanese as well. In a watery emergency, it is important that your dog understands how to swim itself to safety.
Because your fully grown Havanese dog is not going to weigh any more than 13 pounds, it has a head start in the floating business. Your dog is already buoyant and should be able to paddle its way across the pool no problem. However, you want to keep your dog inside of a life jacket while learning how to swim, at least until they get used to the water. Before teaching your dog to swim, make sure you learn proper canine first aid and pet CPR.
Can Havanese Puppies Swim?
Nobody recommends that puppies swim, especially your Havanese pup. Even if they can swim, it is a terrible idea to start teaching your Havanese dog before they have grown to adulthood. This is due to a huge number of reasons. The first of which is the potty training. You want to make sure your dog fully understands the business… well, it’s business before you start playing in the water. A water potty training accident could be a regretful mess.
The second biggest reason is that water can have some pretty ugly contaminants inside of it. Chlorine is especially harmful to dogs, and everything is more harmful to puppies. Their immune systems are still developing, and any kind of pollutant or pathogen is going to do serious damage. Even natural water, like lakes or beaches, is going to contain dangerous things that can potentially harm your puppy’s system. It is highly recommended that you wait until your Havanese is a minimum of one year old. Make sure they are grown and developed before you take them for a swim.
Can My Havanese Dog Swim in the Pool?
There are short answers and long answers to this question. The brief answer is yes, your Havanese dog can swim in the pool. The long answer is… well, they probably shouldn’t. First of all, is chlorine. Chlorine is absolutely terrible for dogs. It burns their eyes, hurts their ears, and irritates their skin. It’s a chemical that dogs simply don’t agree with. If your Havanese happens to swallow the chlorine water, which is ever possible, they are likely going to have some issues later on with their stomach. They can swim in the pool, sure, but try not to make it a daily activity.
The second reason you want to keep your Havanese away from chlorine is because of their beautiful shaggy coats. Chlorine is going to cause your dog’s hair to mat, tangle, get dry and brittle, and take on a dirty, non-colourful appearance. In short, your Havanese will start to look like a junkyard dog after too much time in the pool.
How Can I Teach My Havanese Dog to Swim?
It is not as hard as it sounds. Havanese dogs are very sensitive to their owner’s emotions and outputs. This is why the only good style of training for swimming is going to be positive reinforcement training. This is true with everything for the Havanese since they are such sweet animals. You want to allow your Havanese access to some clean, preferably chlorine-free water, and then reinforce good water behaviour and swimming skills with treats and happy praise.
Here are some of the basic commands you want to train your Havanese dog to obey when around water. First, teach your dog to only enter the water when you say so. Two, teach your dog to exit the water on command, using certain exit points.
That is pretty much it. Follow these simple rules and your Havanese will be swimming in no time!
What about the Hot Tub?
Havanese dogs, and really any dog for that matter should not go into the hot tub. It is not a safe environment for them.
