Don't throw them in at the deep end

Swimming is a great form of exercise for dogs on hot summer days but not all sporting breeds are keen, says David Tomlinson, who also offers some top water safety tips

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WE ALL know that you can take a horse to water but can't make it drink; it's equally true that you can take a dog to water but can't make it swim. Some years ago I photographed a selection of HPRs (hunt, point, retrievers) at a novice working test. They were competent retrievers but they all flatly refused to get their paws wet at the water test. Fortunately a labrador was on hand to retrieve the dummies. I've never known a labrador with a dislike of water: the problem is usually how to keep them out.

There's a great divide in the sporting dog world between the enthusiastic swimmers and those that are less keen, not to mention those that won't swim at all unless thrown in the deep end. The vast majority of retrievers are competent water dogs, with labradors, goldens and Chesapeake Bay retrievers standing out as the very best. Most springers and cockers love water, too, but that's not true of all spaniels. Sussex spaniels never seem particularly eager, while water work isn’t a strength of Clumbers either. Irish water spaniels live up to their name, as there’s nothing they like more than being wet.