Do Greyhounds like to swim? A Comprehensive Guide

How To Teach Your Greyhound To Like Water

Do Greyhounds like to swim?

Most dogs love water, but your greyhound might be a little unsure depending on their start in life. Usually, puppies are exposed to water at a young age and grow up to love it.

However, if you have a retired racing greyhound, it’s unlikely that they’ll have seen a massive body of water, such as a lake or ocean until they came into your life.

Racing greyhounds spend most of their lives in kennels and wouldn’t need to know how to swim. If your greyhound is unsure, you’ll need to take small steps to build up its confidence.

One way to get them to like water is to provide treats when they go near or go in the water.

They’ll start to associate the sensation of standing in water with something good and will naturally gravitate towards the water with the expectation that they get treats.

Your dog trusts you. You’re part of their pack, and they want to keep you safe and will normally follow you anywhere. Greyhounds are loving and affectionate dogs who get anxious when they’re away from you.

All you need to do is show them that water is a good thing, and they’ll follow your lead. If you go into the ocean and call them, they’ll follow you in.

Try not to show any reluctance or fear when you enter the water, your greyhound will pick up on it and be put off. If they see you having a good time, they’ll want to be involved.

If your greyhound really doesn’t like water, it’s probably going to take longer than a day to get used to the idea. You’ll need to be patient and take baby steps.

If your greyhound dislikes water, you’ll need to start small. Turn on the hose or sprinklers in your backyard and allow them to approach it in their own time.

Start to play around with the water yourself to show that there’s nothing to be afraid of. Using the hose as a game will help remove the fear and will get them used to the sensation of being wet.

Never spray your greyhound directly with the hose though, this may be seen as a punishment and will make the situation worse.

The next stop is bath time. Most dogs notoriously hate bath time, and greyhounds are no different. If you want your dog to like water, you’ll need to remove these negative connotations.

Let them take their toys in the bath and spend some time playing with them, treating them when they’re good. They’ll soon start to see the bath as a positive experience.

If you have a pool at your home, it’s an excellent opportunity to make pool time part of your daily routine. If not, a trip to the local dog pool will help to introduce your dog gradually.

It’s best to have a pool with steps rather than ladders, as you’ll be able to walk progressively down with them into the water, allowing them to get used to it at each stage.

However, some dogs fear stairs – it‘s unclear why- but the stairs into the pool may actually put them off.

If you notice that your greyhound is paying more attention to the stairs than to the water, you should try the other end of the pool.

Once your dog is confident in your pool, lakes are a great place for them to enjoy the water with their friends. Meeting other dogs who love water will boost their confidence and push them to be bolder.

If your greyhound is out in open water, it’s a good idea to fit them with a floatation vest to ensure they’re safe.

Don’t move on to letting them in the ocean until you’re confident that they’re good at swimming. Currents can quickly sweep a dog away if you’re not careful.

Are Greyhounds Good Swimmers?

Greyhounds are not the best swimmers. It’s just not what their bodies are best suited for.

In other words, greyhounds could be good swimmers if their bodies weren’t working against them.

Unfortunately for the Greyhound, they are sprinters and not marathoners, so they tend not to have the energy to swim for very long.

Some Greyhounds may enjoy the water more than they can tolerate.

The Greyhounds that love swimming generally run out of energy before they are ready to end the fun and come out of the water.

Of course, this can be very dangerous – especially if you are not watching them, are close, or can help them navigate their way out of the water.

Another issue is having to do with their body fat percentage being so low.

Low body fat means this breed struggle to regulate their body temperature. It affects their ability to stay buoyant.

Dog Lifejackets do a very good job of supporting the buoyancy problem, and if the water is not too cold and it’s a hot day, their temperature should be fine.

Many greyhound owners swear by this best-selling life jacket on Amazon. Consider you would need to get the XL size for this breed.

Some Greyhounds have found themselves in trouble if they stop moving forward, and their back end starts to dip lower.

If buoyancy issues come into play, they can have a hard time keeping their head above the water’s edge and struggle to breathe.

Life jackets come strongly recommended for this reason and can help keep a greyhound afloat in times of struggle.

What dog can swim the best?

The 7 Best Dog Breeds For Swimming

  • Portuguese Water Dog. As their name implies, this robust, web-footed breed is a natural in the water. …
  • Labrador Retriever. Labs take to swimming like ducks to water. …
  • Newfoundland. …
  • German Shorthaired Pointer. …
  • Irish Water Spaniel. …
  • Chesapeake Bay Retriever. …
  • Golden Retriever.
  • Greyhounds have very little “doggy odor” and do not need frequent baths. A rubber brush, grooming mitt or a soft brush will do fine. When you do bathe your pet, use a good canine shampoo, never use a human shampoo. … Always use warm water, never ice-cold water that could send your greyhound into shock.

    Top 10 Best Swimming Dogs

    Do Greyhounds Like Swimming? Though not all Greyhounds like to swim, many do enjoy the water. Even if they are not willing to go out far or immerse themselves totally, they do generally enjoy splashing in water, especially on hot days.

    TM: Greyhounds can be excellent swimmers. Some need a flotation vest, some don’t — depends on the dog. Each dog is an individual, and may or may not take to water willingly, but most enjoy at least going in for a wade and lying down in a shallow pool to cool off in hot weather.

    9. Greyhound. Pictured above is an Italian Greyhound, but its luxury-size counterpart isn’t known to love the water either. Greyhounds are the fastest dog breed, but don’t require much daily exercise, which has earned them a reputation as couch potatoes.