This is a magazine article by Steve Brooks, CPDT/KA Fido Friendly Magazine Summer 2016 Page 60, He yaps / She yaps Beware of Water-Logged Dogs, by Steve Brooks, CPDT/KA http://www.zinio.com/express3?issue=416386706&o=ext Beware of Water-Logged Dogs By Steve Brooks, CPDT/KA Q: I am blessed to have an eager-to-please dog who loves water play. You name it – the beach, pool and even backyard sprinklers. What are some ways to keep him safe and avoid becoming too fatigued when swimming or fetching balls in the water? Labs and Portuguese water dogs love to fetch and will happily swim or dog paddle! Bull dogs and Pugs (short-snout) are not the best swimmers. Avoid throwing a dog in the water to teach them to swim; you may risk trauma and fear of water. Don a doggie life jacket and teach your dog to “come” and “retrieve” a safe floating toy on dry terrain first. Next, sit in a kid-size pool with just a few inches of water. Deliver a tasty treat to reinforce fun! Pool safety requires a clear exit strategy: place a blue or yellow flag or cone as a fixed object by stairs or ramps and teach your dog how to exit the water. Pooches that beach-dive for tennis balls or swim in the pool for long periods can become fatigued, so take regular time-outs. Pups that lap up pool water, salt water or ingest too much playing with the hose may become victims of water intoxication (although rare, it can be fatal). Then there’s the risk of drinking pond water. Dogs can contract Giardia, an intestinal infection from a microscopic parasite found in standing water. If your dog-tired pup is swimming or drifting towards danger, tossing a floating toy in the opposite direction can potentially save your dog’s life. Start and stop water games: take five and rest in the shade with a small amount of fresh water. I recommend every owner learn pet First Aid & CPR and watch for signs of heat stroke: excessive panting, disorientation, weakness, foaming at the mouth, vomiting, rapid heart rate, red tongue, pale gums—move your dog to a cool area and contact your emergency Vet. When summer heats up … apply doggie sunscreen and sunglasses and remember, just like kids, whenever canines are unsupervised around water, always use a cover or pool alarm, enclosed gate and training! Steve Brooks, CPDT/KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Canine Behavioral Expert, author of DOG BITES with STEVE BROOKS, shares 20 years of training techniques using "dog bites" as rewards for good behavior. SteveBrooksK9U.com

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