It is SUPER hot in Seattle, and I would like to try to get my Boston Terrier to get in the water. Does anyone have any experience with their squishy faced dog swimming? I purchased a life vest for him.
Absolutely they can! I had a Boston Terrier for 4 years and he never swam until one day.... we were at a pond and left him on the shore to wait as we went out about one hundred yards in a canoe. He couldn't STAND being left out, and sure enough, he got in and figured out how to paddle all the way to us! After that, he swam whenever he had the chance because he discovered that he enjoyed it. So cute! He just lifts his head a little higher than other dogs to keep the water out of his snout.
Your question made me curious, so I went looking. This is from Yahoo, so take with a grain of salt, but it makes sense so here it is:
In water, flat-faced (brachycephalic) dogs have a greater probability of getting water up their short little noses and sputtering, choking, having trouble breathing, and inhaling water. Many of them have difficulty breathing under normal (non-swimming) situations -- that's why they snort so much, and snore like chain saws (not to mention passing gas). Putting them into water is not a good idea without very close supervision -- and, of course, assuming they really want to be in the water. I would never force one to go into a deep stream or pool, and be careful when bathing them.
Because they are very sensitive to heat, many of the flat faces will enjoy a wading pool that they can walk into, with the water level no more than a couple of inches. That way, if they want to, they can sit or lay down in it with little danger of having it go up their noses. Another good thing to do in warm weather is to wipe the dog's body down with a damp cloth, or lightly mist with a water spray bottle.
Be sure to never leave your flat-faced dog in the car in warm weather -- it doesn't take much to have them go into distress or even die.
Flat-faced dogs are adorable, but we need to take extra care of them to keep them healthy and safe. But they are so worth it!
I also found comments indicating that the barrel chests of many of these breeds make it hard for them to keep their heads above water.
Thanks for the question! I learned something new!
As a household comprised of a lot of smooshfaces I will say, yes! BUT it depends on the animal and if he or she likes to swim. Flat faced fur-kids do overheat easier and can smother in water easier so use caution! Our boston loves her pools, our pugs, not so much :P
Yes Boston Terrier are able to swim. Thanks to their short heavy heads they may not be able to swim long or far but they sure can swim. Visit my site for more information- https://petsbyte.com/can-boston-terriers-swim%3C/p%3E (https://petsbyte.com/can-boston-terriers-swim)