Can Dogs swim

Question
Hello, I have a 1 yr old doberman who doesn't know how to swim. We brought it to the lake this weekend, and it reluctantly went into the water. However, once in the water, it just stood there frozen scared, not knowing what to do. WE tried showing our doberman how to swim, but it just stands on his hind legs and stands there? Can dobermans swim? Or is my doberman being difficult?? If they can swim, how do i go about teaching him how to swim?
Catalina  

Answer
Hi Catalina;
Hon , you need to understand dogs can have the same fears humans can.
Dogs can swim, all I have ever known, and that's a lot. But your Dobe may be afraid of the water, or he may have sensed a danger in it.
I had a couple that wouldn't go in the water at the lake.
I don't know if they were afraid of it or what. but they didn't want to go in,so I didn't push it. they loved to play in the sprinklers and be squirted with the hose at home, and they would play in the kiddy pool we put up for them.
You can't teach it to swim, because dogs don't swim anythimng like humans do. The way humans do what you call the dog paddle is close, but still not like the dog does.
My son had a little mutt when he was a kid, and George (the dog) had short legs. He was Beagle/Dachshund, and when we took him to this creek we used to go to swim, because it was shallow enough for the little ones, and had a rock bottom and clear water, George would walk into the creek. His head would go under, and he would walk on the bottom till his tail disappeared, and then he would bob up and swim. It was so funny to watch him go in the water.
I wouldn't try to force your dog to swim.
You might get one of those little wading pools that you put in the back yard for kids, and see if he will play in that. If he does, after the water gets dirty, and he still plays in it, he may go in the lake.
He may just be relunctant to go in beacuse he can't see what's in the water with him, but if he gets upset about you going in, GET OUT!
When I was a kid, we had a little creek we would go to. Part was a rock bottom, but there was a deeper pool where we could swim. We took my little dog and her brother that belonged to my girlfriend. They were swimming with us, and we went down to the pool, and got in.
Those dogs started throwing a fit, and biting kids, making us get out.
After the dirt settled and we could see through the water, the sides were full of holes. DUH! Where Watermocassins lived !
We were in grave danger, and those dogs knew it, and they were still pretty young pups.
I would let him go at his own pace, but first, make sure it is safe for you to be swimming there. He may know something is in the water you don't know about.
Charlotte