Water is the best summer exercise a dog can have: low impact, cooling, and genuinely tiring in a way that a walk on hot tarmac is not. It is also where a normal afternoon becomes an emergency faster than anywhere else on a walk.
In this country the options are the Alzette through the valleys, the Moselle on the eastern border, the ponds at recreation areas such as Kockelscheuer, and the various lakes within a short drive. Each has a different risk profile, and none of them is a swimming pool.
Which dogs actually swim
Swimming is not universal. Retrievers, spaniels and many working breeds take to it naturally. Flat-faced breeds, bulldogs in particular, frequently cannot keep their airway above the water and sink; short-legged, heavy-chested breeds struggle; and plenty of individuals of any breed simply do not want to.
The dangerous combination is a dog that cannot swim well and does not know it. Introduce water gradually in shallow ground where the dog can stand, never throw a dog in, and never assume that enthusiasm equals competence. A buoyancy aid is sensible for any dog that swims in open water, and essential for the breeds above.
Plan the exit before the entry. Most incidents are not a dog that cannot swim out, they are a dog that cannot climb out: steep banks, walls, slippery rocks and weed.
Blue-green algae
This is the one that kills dogs every summer across Europe. Cyanobacteria bloom in warm, still, nutrient-rich water and produce toxins that can cause liver failure and death within hours. A dog does not need to swim: drinking the water or licking its coat afterwards is enough.
What it looks like: a blue-green, brown or greenish scum on the surface, water that looks like pea soup or has paint-like streaks near the edge, sometimes a foul smell. Conditions are worst in late summer, in still water, after a warm spell.
The rule is simple and absolute: if the water looks green, scummy or discoloured, the dog does not go in and does not drink. If you think your dog has been exposed, go to a vet immediately rather than waiting for signs, and say what you suspect. Early signs include vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, drooling, tremors and collapse.
Rivers, currents and cold
The Alzette and the Moselle both look calmer than they are, particularly after heavy rain when the flow is faster, colder and carrying debris. A dog swimming downstream is having a lovely time until it has to come back.
Avoid water near weirs, locks and any structure with an undertow. On the Moselle, bear in mind commercial traffic and the wash from barges. And remember cold water: a dog that swims for a long time in spring or autumn can become hypothermic, especially small, thin-coated or elderly dogs.
Other water hazards worth knowing
- Water intoxication. A dog that repeatedly retrieves a ball from water swallows large amounts and can dangerously dilute its blood sodium. Limit repetitive water fetch and take breaks
- Leptospirosis, which is spread through water contaminated by rat urine. Keep the vaccination up to date if your dog swims, and ask your vet which strains are covered locally
- Glass, hooks and fishing line at the edges of popular spots, and rubbish in the shallows
- Livestock and wildlife along the banks: a dog on a long line rather than loose is the answer near nesting birds and grazing animals
- Stagnant puddles and troughs, which are a better source of gut infections than of hydration. Carry drinking water
Afterwards
Rinse with clean water, particularly after river or pond swimming, and dry properly, paying attention to the armpits, the belly and between the toes. Dry the ears of drop-eared breeds: water left in the canal is the commonest cause of the ear infections that appear a few days after a lovely weekend.
Check for ticks, which are abundant in the long grass at the water's edge, and look at the pads for cuts from stones and glass. Offer fresh water so the dog is not tempted to drink from the river.
A kit for water walks
Four things make the difference between a good afternoon and a difficult one: a towel in the car, drinking water so the dog is not tempted by the river, a long line for the approach to the bank, and a buoyancy aid for any dog swimming in moving water. For a dog that swims regularly, add a tick hook and an ear-drying routine to the same bag.
Two habits are worth building before the summer. A reliable recall out of water, practised in shallow ground where it is easy, because a dog fifty metres downstream is not going to learn it then. And a settle on a towel, so the dog rests between swims rather than repeating the same retrieve thirty times, which is how water intoxication and exhaustion happen.
Getting the benefit without the risk
Shallow water at a known spot, at a known depth, is where most of the value is. A dog wading and splashing in twenty centimetres of clean water on a hot day gets cooling, enrichment and low-impact movement without any of the hazards above, and for an arthritic dog that kind of controlled movement is genuinely therapeutic.
For dogs with joint problems, ask your vet about hydrotherapy rather than improvising in a river. A controlled pool session does more for a recovering dog than an hour of swimming after a stick.
If someone else walks your dog, be explicit: whether the dog may enter water at all, which spots are permitted, and the rule about green water. At PAWLY the default is that dogs do not go into open water unless you have agreed it in writing, and never into water that looks discoloured, whatever the dog thinks about it.
General information for dog owners in Luxembourg, not veterinary or legal advice. For your own dog, ask your vet, a qualified behaviourist or your commune. How this journal is written and checked.
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