Do beagles like to swim - Pet Consortium

Beagles are considered to be active animals and must be kept busy. So because of their active nature, one of the things frequently recommended by the vets for Beagles to stay healthy is exercise. So you might have for once wonder do beagles like swimming?

Well, that and some other closely related questions are answered in this article so read on to reveal to you, certain facts you never knew about your beloved pet – Beagles.

Table of Contents

Do Beagles like water

No, Beagles do not like water. Just like most other dogs, Beagles do not like water. Although if they suddenly find themselves in the water, or they see other dogs in the water, that does not mean they cannot effectively utilize their natural dog-paddling skill to glide their way through the body of water for safety or as an imitation.

Why do Beagles hate water

Beagles just like most other dogs hate water because they are not natural swimmers and consider it to be dangerous.

But apart from the general intuitive reason common with most other dog breeds, Beagles

hate water because they are scent hounds I.e They receive most information about their immediate environment through their nose. Therefore, it is safe to say they see and hear with the nose.

That is why when a Beagle finds itself in a body of water, it technically loses control over its immediate environment because its sense of smell has been impeded.

This situation can be compared to a human losing it’s a sense of hearing or sight temporarily. I’m sure no one would ever want to be put in that kind of situation.

Another reason why your Beagle may hate water is that you might have accidentally put it through some kind of situation that makes it develop a negative attitude towards water. For example, maybe one time during a bath, you have poured water directly on its face causing it to have difficulty with breathing or seeing.

Do Beagles know how to swim

Yes, Beagles know how to swim. Just like most other dogs, they can dog paddle through water but that doesn’t necessarily mean they enjoy swimming altogether. While some may find swimming adventurous, some will find it extremely difficult to stay in the water.

Albeit, regardless of your Beagle behavior towards swimming, if you want it to swim, through constant training, you can achieve that. However, it would be advisable to introduce swimming to them at a very young age.

Are Beagles good swimmers

No, they are not good swimmers. Beagles are not standard poodles or Newfoundlands who naturally are good swimmers. Although through constant training and

practice, Beagles might end up picking up some swimming skills but do not set your expectations so high because they can’t make great swimmers.

Like I said earlier, they are natural scent hounds, so they prefer sniffing around the corners of the house or running in the forest the whole day to getting themselves wet.

How fast can Beagles swim in water

In general, if a dog swims in water nonstop for 1 minute, it is equivalent to 4 minutes of running. This means that they are 3 minutes faster on land than on the water.

Beagle breeds through constant training can also meet up with this standard so we can as well say the same thing about them.

But an average Beagle dog can swim for about 20 minutes. And if your Beagle dog is full of energy, it can swim for close to 30 minutes. A Beagle puppy can stay up to 10 minutes in the water.

Note: Regardless of how fast they can swim or how long they can stay in the water, always ensure your Beagle dog wears a life jacket.

How to teach your Beagles how to swim

If there’s any exercise that is perfect for a Beagle dog breed, it’s swimming. Swimming helps Beagle to stretch their joint and recover quickly.

If you want to know how you can teach your Beagle dogs to swim, here are few tips.

Total Time: 2 hours

Get a life jacket

The first thing you need to do once you have set out to teach your Beagle dog how to swim is to prioritize its safety. Before any other thing, you must ensure that your Beagle dog is fully protected against any life-threatening risk. This preventive measure takes precedence over ever another thing.
Help your beagle get rid of fears

At first, it is normal for some Beagles to feel discouraged because they fear being around water. If your Beagle dog fears water, take him to the shallow part of the pool/lake where his legs can touch the ground to make him a little bit comfortable.
Show your beagles how they can easily make their way in and out of the water

You can do this through verbal and gestures. But ensure that no matter what you do, they practice it themselves. Although getting them to do this may be difficult because they are stubborn by nature, so you might have to lure them with treats or get them to sit in a heavy-duty float.
Help build his self-confidence

After your Beagle dog takes few steps in the pool with his legs on the ground, put a life jacket on him and take him to a deeper section of the water where his legs will not touch the ground. This will help eliminate any fear of water left in him and build his self-confidence. While you do this, ensure you are by his side and keep everything simple.

Additional information

If you don’t have a life jacket, make sure you hold him all through the process and ensure he stays afloat all through.

Also, treats and toys will help your Beagle dog gain your trust faster.

How to train your Beagles to love swimming

If you want to get your Beagle dog to love and enjoy swimming, you should follow these four useful tips.

1. Get a kiddie pool

Your Beagle dog may like a bath, but that does not mean that it is going to automatically jump into the beach or bigger pool with you. So to get your Beagle dog accustomed to swimming in pools or lakes, start with something like a kiddie pool. Fill the kiddie pool up to your ankle level and throw one of his toys into the pool and play the fetch game with him. Do this every day and ensure you increase the pool level as you notice positive attitude changes.

2. Dive with your Beagledog into the pool

Beagle dogs tend to learn faster once they get as much help as they can from their owner. Jumping into the pool with them or letting them observe while you jump into the

pool will go a long way in making them realize that it is ok to be in the pool.

3. Go to the pool with other water-loving friends

To make your job much more easier and faster, go to the pool with one of your Beagle

dog friends that loves to swim. Beagle dogs just like most other dogs love to imitate, so when they see their friends having fun in the pool, they are likely to join their friends in the pool.

4. Make bath time Funtime for them

If your Beagle dog does not like the pool, he sure can’t avoid water touching his body during a bath. So anytime, he takes his bath make it fun and memorable. Beagle pups like warm water, so bath them with warm water to make them comfortable. You can also lure him with treats and praises. By doing this, you will make them realize that any positive attitude will attract reward from you.

Do Beagles like a bath

No, most Beagles don’t like baths. Beagles don’t like a bath in general because they hate water. However, they enjoy the water when they are in the tub. Just make sure the water is warm that the doggy shampoo does not have any kind of odor.

Also, make sure you completely rinse the soap off their body after each bath because most doggy shampoos contain harsh chemicals that could cause irritants on their skin.

If the shampoos make causes irritant on their skin, it is only a matter of time before they start exhibiting a negative attitude towards the bath.

How often do Beagles need a bath

Bath your Beagle dog in such a way as to achieve a balance between healthy skin and proper hygiene. You can achieve this by bathing your Beagles dog every 2 to 6 months. This could be a little bit challenging because Beagle dogs love running in the mud so you might have to bathe them on a daily basis.