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Can Patterdale terriers swim? Well the short answer is yes – most of them can. BUT, the more complex answer is that not all dogs can actually swim, contrary to popular belief. They only way that you can know if your Patterdale terrier can swim is if you see him swimming successfully!
Patterdale Terriers as Swimmers
Patterdale terriers on the whole are good swimmers. They are active dogs who usually have a good swimming ability. They are hunters and built to sustain the durable weather conditions of Cumbria in the Lake District.
Other Breeds as Swimmers
There are many other dogs that are great swimmers – particularly gun dogs and retrievers. Springer Spaniels and Golden Retrievers are truly excellent swimmers. But there are also some dog breeds that don’t lend themselves to swimming very well – namely Pugs, Daschunds and Bulldogs.
Check if you Terrier can Swimming by Testing it in a Controlled environment
It’s a good idea to take your dog to practice swimming in a controlled environment. This could be a doggy hydrotherapy pool or a dog event with swimming opportunities. Approximately 10-20% of dogs cannot swim which may be to do with a medical condition and so its worth testing safely first.
We tested Blake’s swimming ability at the Dog Barn summer event which had a K9 pool. They put life jackets on the dogs before their first time in the water and there is an instructor in the pool with them. Owners were calling their dogs at the side to make them swim towards them! Blake didn’t seem to love the swimming, but he could do it! There was a little Frenchie who went next and he struggled a bit with his back right paw, so this was good for the owners to know.
If you enjoyed this article on Can Patterdale Terriers Swim? then you might also like to read are Patterdales good guard dogs?
