Dog Water Toys Fun and Safety

Dog water toys can be a lot of fun for your pet to play with on the hot summer days ahead. Whether you play with your dog in a river, lake or your backyard pool, he will welcome the opportunity for some exercise (as well as quality time with you!) where he can play vigorously without getting too hot! Even if you don't have a body of water your dog can play in, a backyard sprinkler or squirt gun can be a fun way to help your dog play in the water.

Finally a target for the kids to shoot at with their water guns that won't get upset when he's hit!

Is Your Dog Comfortable with Water?

If your dog is a retriever or sporting dog, he may be particularly adept at retrieving floating throw-toys from the water. However, many types of dogs can enjoy this type of activity with a little gentle introduction. It helps to introduce dogs to water in a place where they feel comfortable. A park near home where they're used to having fun with you is a great choice.

I found with Kera, that even though she is a water dog breed, she was not particularly comfortable jumping in a swimming pool to swim. She prefers water where she can see the bottom and touch it with her feet. She's more comfortable in a river bed or lake with a gradual descent into the water, rather than a steep drop-off.

Water Safety For Dogs

This is probably a good place to point out some water safety tips. If you have a backyard pool, it's important that you don't allow your dogs (especially inexperienced puppies) access to it unsupervised. A pup can fall in the pool and swim for a while (most dogs naturally know the doggie paddle) but if he doesn't know where the stairs are and how to get out of the pool he will swim to the edge, not be able to get out, tire and drown. So keep your dogs safe around the pool, just like you would your kids.

So, depending on your dog's comfort level with the water, different water toys may be a better fit for him than others. Some dogs, like newfoundlands are comfortable swimming out in deep water and will retrieve a toy as far away as you can throw it. Other dogs, won't go deeper than they are comfortable and you may find yourself rowing or swimming out after toys, fetching them yourself if your dog refuses.

The Dog Water Toys Your Pet Likes Best

In most cases, it's best to allow your dog to get accustomed to deeper and deeper water gradually without forcing him, or throwing him in. As he feels more safe, and sees that you are safe and having fun in the deeper water, he will join in later on.

Some dogs eventually get so comfortable that they will retrieve diving sticks and other sinking dog water toys that they have to go underwater for.

For the most part, though, floating objects are the best dog water toys and if you have more than one dog it can be fun to see them scramble and scrap for a toy in a new environment!

Keep it safe and fun and you and your pups should stay cool with dog water toys all summer long!

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