Making A Splash: Do Goldendoodles Like Swimming?

If you love swimming or spend a great deal of time near the water on the weekends, it’s important to consider whether Goldendoodles love swimming before you get one. This is especially important if you have a swimming pool in your backyard.

Goldendoodles absolutely love all kinds of water. This can largely be attributed to their Poodle and Golden Retriever heritage, as both breeds were designed to spend time in the water. Goldendoodles are not, however, immune to drowning, so it is important to consider water safely if you have one.

In this article will look at why Goldendoodle dogs love water so much. As well as where it’s safe for your Goldendoodle to swim. And whether swimming affects the Goldendoodles coat.

Genetics of Goldendoodles and Swimming

Poodles Love Swimming

Poodles are designed for water, and they love it. Everything about the Poodle is ideal for spending a ton of time swimming.

They have webbed feet, and a water-resistant coat, which means that they can swim fast and don’t really experience any negative consequences after spending a lot of time submerged; with the exception of getting tired.

Of course, every Poodle is different, so there are some that really dislike water. But, because of their breeding, which aimed to create a breed ideal for hunting waterfowl, most love it.

Golden Retrievers Love Swimming

Just like the Poodle, Golden Retrievers were initially bred for waterfowl – specifically their retrieval when hunting. They also love water most of the time and have certain advantages which make them very good swimmers.

The feet of the Golden Retriever are partially webbed, making them very good at moving through water. Their coats are a little bit more complex than that of the Poodle because they are double-coated. The outer layer is also water-repelling though. The undercoat acts as very good insulation in cold lakes and ponds.

Goldendoodles Love Swimming

When comparing the Poodle and the Golden Retriever, it becomes very obvious that Goldendoodles should love swimming. At least, when speaking about genetics.

Of course, there are certain exceptions. But, provided that you introduce your Goldendoodle to the water soon enough you should have no problems.

In my experience, dogs like this may love water so much that you may wish you never introduced them to swimming!

If you have a pool, they will swim constantly, including right before you need them to come indoors. Consider everything from your sprinkler system to your bird bath fair game too.

Different Swimming Locations and Coat Care

There are many different types of swimming. Or rather, there are many different places where your Goldendoodle may swim and play in water. Each of these may require a different kind of coat care before and after in order to maintain their coat and skin health.

Swimming in Chlorine and Salt Pools

Swimming in backyard pools is the most common way that your Goldendoodle may interact with water. Unfortunately, this is also where most accidents happen, and where most of the damage to the hair of the Goldendoodle occurs.

Fortunately, there are certain steps you can take to ensure you protect your Goldendoodle’s coat and delicate skin.

If you have a chlorine pool, it’s a good idea to wet your Goldendoodle’s fur with clean water before they get in. This will ensure the hair absorbs clean water, rather than the pool chemicals. It’s also important to rinse all the chlorinated water off after your Goldendoodle is finished swimming.

If you have a salt pool, it’s not necessary to wet your Goldendoodle before it swims, but it is important to rinse it with clean water after. This is because both salt and chlorine will irritate the skin of the Goldendoodle and cause the hair to become dry and brittle.

Swimming at the Beach

Just like when your dog swims in salt water pools, the salt that remains on their skin and in their coat after the water evaporates may dry out the hair, causing it to become easily damaged, and leading to skin irritation.

Sandy beaches can harbor sand fleas. These not only cause itching and discomfort in your Goldendoodle, but may spread diseases.

For this reason, it’s important you rinse your Goldendoodle’s coat after they spend a day at the beach and be sure to consider providing some sort of tick and flea treatment. This can be in the form of a tick and flea collar, a medicated shampoo, or many other options.

Freshwater Bodies

Freshwater bodies such as lakes and rivers are relatively harmless in terms of their coats. Provided that the water is clean, you should not have to do anything special. Just make sure that you brush your Goldendoodle out thoroughly to prevent matting.

If you have the time and resources, perhaps consider blow-drying it too. This will ensure that the coat dries with a more silky texture than it would otherwise, and make it easier to maintain until the Goldendoodle gets wet again.

If the body of water is muddy, or you notice your dog smells like fish afterwards, you may just be able to rinse them. Whether or not it needs a full bath would depend on a case-by-case basis. But, as a general rule, if you are willing to enter the water yourself, it should be fine.

Keeping Your Goldendoodle Safe in Water

Other than keeping your Goldendoodle’s coat and skin healthy, there are other things that should be considered in order to keep your Goldendoodle safe in water.

There is a common misconception that dogs don’t drown because swimming is instinctual, but this is not the case. Dogs can drown, especially younger dogs or swimming in strong currents. But there are ways you can prevent this.

Life Jacket

Goldendoodles drown in large bodies of water because they get exhausted. Their minds do not work the same way that ours do, so they can’t tell how much they can actually do before they physically can’t keep themselves afloat anymore.

Keeping your very energetic Goldendoodle from losing steam and sinking under the water far from shore may be as simple as getting a life jacket. It will prevent them from dipping below the surface and give you enough time to get to your Goldendoodle if it floats too far into the sea or similar large bodies.

Keep Goldendoodles Out of Dirty Water

Dogs can get sick from contaminants in dirty water just like we can. Make sure you keep your Goldendoodle out of any water sources that smell strange or seem to have been stagnant for some time.

If you would be willing to go in the water yourself, your dog’s coat should be fine. The same is true for the general health of the dog. Remember that they will drink from any water sources that they can find, especially if they are swimming in them, without differentiating between clean and dirty water.

Supervision

The best way to make sure that your Goldendoodle is safe, is to make sure that you observe them all the time. Whether they are in a familiar, relatively safe environment, such as the backyard pool, or when they are in nature, around fast-flowing, dirty water.

Just as you would watch a toddler all the time, make sure that you keep an eye on your Goldendoodle to ensure that their time in the water stays pleasant.

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