When dogs are swimming should they be using all 4 legs to 'doggy paddle'?

My boy can swim and gets from 1 side to the other with no problems (doesnt particularly like swimming but he'll retrieve from anywhere!)  When he does and the water is clear, you can see his legs moving but he only used his front end and tucks his back legs up and floats them. Is this normal or maybe a breed specific thing. How does everybody elses dogs swim?

My Spanish nearly use their legs like humans, it's definitely not a doggy paddle and their rear legs really stretch out and are used.

My two dogs use all four legs too. My boy is having regular hydrotherapy sessions at the moment and I can clearly see him start to use the back legs less when he starts to tire but he does still use all 4.

no thats not normal

mine uses all four legs

ok been to hydro tonight & asked my hudrotherapist. apparently its normal,but fairly uncommon. usually with dogs that sont like getting their ears under the water/wet, & dosent mean anything wrong at all. :)

Mine uses all 4 but he was bred to retrieve from water. Now I'm an excellent swimmer, very strong, very fast and I tend to use only front paws myself. I can swim formally but when splashing about it's more natural for me. Maybe he's related :-D

Some dogs do do this. I take one of mine to hydrotherapy and he tends not to always use his back legs. We have to try to get him to use them all, so he gets the benefit where he needs it ie his hips. From talking to a friend who has a hydrotherapy pool, some dogs are able to float more and therefore only use their front legs.

My collie girl loves swimming and will fetch endlessly from water but like yours she mainly uses her front legs. Her back legs move now and again but she doesn't stretch them out and use them the way others have described. I should add that she's very fit and has excellent hips so I'm not worried about it :D

my dog has awful hips and has had one of the top of the femurs cut off in surgery- she refuses to use her back legs- slowly with hydrotherapy she is starting to use them, esp when the therapist presses her hand against the paws..

Glad to know hes not a complete freak! He is a GSP so maybe having a deep chest means he has more floatation than other breeds.

Cant wait to get my new baby springer swimming to see what she does :)

mine wont swim at all:rolleyes:

Nor mine. If they can't see the bottom they won't even paddle. :rolleyes:

My Meg never used to go in the water at all. I started off flinging sticks just an inch or so into the river so she could lean over and grab them, and gradually she would get her front feet wet fetching, then all feet and now you can't keep her out the water. She swims up and down the river just for the fun of it - and I'm supposed to keep flinging stones in to amuse her. Actually I kindoff wish I'd never taught her it as you don't always want a soggy dog in the car. She's very obedient but will slope off if I'm busy with one of the other dogs and don't notice, when I finally realise she's gone and whistle she comes racing back soaking wet :rolleyes:

Harley swims in the sea most days and it is really hard to get him out. Most of the time his recall is pretty reliable but when swimming he goes totally deaf. If I get the treat bag out he instantly runs back into the water and only comes out when we have retreated back up the beach and he thinks we are disappearing without him.

Mine won't swim either, he loves to paddle though!! he will go and lie down then turn round in circles swishing the water round. He did swim a little but one day he got stuck on the bank and couldn't get back up, and i think it's put him off swimming in deep water!!

One of my Spanish Water Dogs "WATER" will dive under water but won't swim :d:rolleyes:

One of my Spanish Water Dogs "WATER" will dive under water but won't swim

but then what happens???    Do you hav to send one of the other dogs to rescue him???

:D

Mine will only go in up to the top of their pasterns :D

My older boxer bitch swims with her own "style" !!  She uses her back legs that vigorously that she propels her shoulders and front legs sort of out of the water so when she does use her front legs they sort of slap the surface of the water and her back isnt parallel like to the water like normal but its vertical instead!!  She looks like she is drowning but loves it.