Dogs love the to be in the outdoors, but if any of your adventures involve the water, make sure that not only you has safety gear on. Your dog is your best friend, and it makes sense for your dog to wear a life jacket if you’re out for a day of sun and sea. The term doggy paddle is a bit of a misnomer as not all dogs can swim. The term is just used to describe a type of swimming stroke. There are some dogs, like Pincers, Dobermans, and Boxers who have a lot of trouble in water. Some dogs dislike water and will only swim if they really need to.

In North America it is estimated that there are currently 58 million dogs and 62 million cats. Unfortunately, every year thousands of these pets drown. Due to the fact that many people do not report these drownings, there is no way to know exactly how many pets actually die this way. Although, 99 % of dogs can swim, we have a false sense of security when we see our dogs running and jumping in and out of the water at the lake or our back yard pool. The reason for this is that most dogs (and a few cats) grow very tired after only swimming very short distances. When they are not able to find purchase anywhere with their paws, a debilitating panic sets in quickly, and this is what will cause them to drown. But it is more than just a problem for pets, for loving pet parents will selflessly and without hesitation dive into a frozen lake or rapidly flowing river in an attempt to rescue their animal.