Pets and Swimming

[spa]

So we have been introducing our rescue GSD to water and swimming slowly from shore, but yesterday she jumped in off the dock after me and my sister. Well long story short she freaked out and we had to swim/drag her to shore. 

Any ideas/suggestions on helping her with her swimming fear?

I just worry she'll do it when we are not paying attention or close enough to help - I mean I am fairly certain she can swim I think she panicked and started bobbing 

[mmp]

Dog life vest with a rope attached for easy access?

[cmeon]

Yes, you can get life vests for dogs- definitely use one around water while she isn't 100% comfortable.

Our boys started as puppies in a small pond with adult dogs "teaching them". I was so nervous, but, they knew what to do innately (to be fair, they are part lab- LOL). I do think we'd use life vests on boats or if we were around a long dock at a big lake (we have alligators in all our big lakes here, so that's not going to happen). Keep working on the shoreline, where it's shallower- play fetch?

[spa]

Le princess doggie won't like that but I should get her one for the boat anyways

cmeon we started with that and the heeler loved showing off that he could swim now she loves to play fetch in the shallow water

[spa]

Forgot to add the obligatory puppy pic! 

[pooh8402]

We have life vests for our dogs that they wear if we're bringing them on the boat (rare though). The golden used to be nervous about swimming, but we taught him to swim in a local shallow pond, about 3 ft deep, when he was less than a year old. We kept up the swimming lessons in good weather by playing fetch with him in that same pond. Now he loves the water and we have to watch him closely when we're at our parents' respective lake houses because he'll take off and jump in the water to swim. The little one doesn't care for water as much but she can swim if needed.