Though not all greyhounds enjoy swimming, many of them do enjoy the water. Even though they are hesitant to venture far or fully submerge themselves, they typically like to splash around in the water, especially on hot days.
TM: Greyhounds can be excellent swimmers. Depending on the dog, some may need a flotation vest and some may not. Each dog is different and may or may not enjoy water, but the majority enjoy at least wading in and cooling off in a shallow pool in the summer.
9. Greyhound. An Italian Greyhound is shown in the photo above, but its luxury-size counterpart is also not known to enjoy the water. Although they are the fastest breed of dog, greyhounds are known as couch potatoes because they don’t require much daily exercise.
Are Greyhounds Good Swimmers?
Greyhounds are not the best swimmers. It’s just not what their bodies are best suited for.
In other words, if their bodies didn’t get in the way, greyhounds could swim well.
Unfortunately, because greyhounds are sprinters rather than marathoners, they frequently lack the stamina to swim for an extended period of time.
Some greyhounds may find the water to be more enjoyable than they can handle.
Greyhounds who enjoy swimming typically exhaust themselves before they are ready to stop having fun and exit the water.
Of course, this could be extremely dangerous, particularly if you are not paying attention, are nearby, or can assist them in finding a way out of the water.
Another problem is that they have such low body fat percentages.
This breed struggles to control their body temperature because of their low body fat. It affects their ability to stay buoyant.
The buoyancy problem is very well supported by dog lifejackets, and if the water is not too cold and it’s a hot day, their temperature should be fine.
Many greyhound owners swear by this best-selling life jacket on Amazon. Consider you would need to get the XL size for this breed.
If a Greyhound stops moving forward and their back end begins to dip lower, they could get into trouble.
They may struggle to breathe and have difficulty keeping their head above the water’s surface if buoyancy issues are present.
For this reason, life jackets are strongly advised. They can keep a greyhound afloat during times of difficulty.
How To Teach Your Greyhound To Swim
A pool is available in some dog training or rehabilitation facilities with the express purpose of building a dog’s muscles or teaching it to swim.
Because the pools are long and narrow, you can use a vest to support our greyhound’s weight as they practice their swimming technique.
Even if your dog has never been in the water before, they naturally paddle; with time and practice, this instinct can quickly turn into a proper doggy paddle.
When you’re sure your greyhound can stay above water, you can gradually loosen your grip and let them swim independently.
Greyhounds may always require a floatation device to keep their heads above water because they aren’t very buoyant.
You’ll need to assess each greyhound individually based on their swimming technique to determine whether they can survive without one as this isn’t always the case.
Floatation vests are just like life jackets. To keep them in place, they clip under your greyhound’s chin and belly and wrap around their body.
This means that your greyhound only needs to paddle in the proper direction and not worry about staying afloat.
They may enjoy swimming a lot more as a result, and you’ll feel better knowing they’re secure. In colder water, a floatation vest will also keep your greyhound warm, preventing them from becoming exhausted as quickly.
Because of their high prey drive, Greyhounds can’t live with cats or small animals.
TM: Prey drive varies from dog to dog. It’s true that some greyhounds don’t get along with cats, small dogs, or other pets, and a good rescue will assess each dog’s temperament when it accepts them from the race track. However, a lot of dogs are categorized as “small animal workable” or even “cat safe.” Just be sure you introduce a dog who has passed the necessary tests for your current pets slowly and carefully. However, because they are sight hounds, greyhounds are easily distracted by distant, fast-moving objects and should never be left unattended, especially in an area that is not fenced.
FAQ
Is swimming good for greyhounds?
Greyhounds can swim like most dog breeds, but they aren’t the best swimmers and will require training to increase their confidence in the water. Start in the shallow area of the pool so that your greyhound is safe and comfortable.
Are greyhounds protective of their owners?
As a rule, greyhounds don’t make good guard dogs. Due to their size, they can be intimidating, but since they are not aggressive toward people, they do not make good guard dogs.
Why do greyhounds lean on you?
When your greyhound leans against you, they are trying to get your comfort and physical support because they are insecure about the situation.
Do greyhounds like to cuddle?
MYTH: Greyhounds enjoy racing, but what about the people who get hurt or killed there? Greyhounds love to RUN – not race. Like any other dog, they enjoy playing, sleeping, cuddling, and being loved for who they are.