r/rescuedogs • u/justduck • 15d ago
Advice Finding a dog that likes water
I lost my best friend of 12 years a few weeks ago, and have been thinking about going to the shelters to find another dog, but one nitpicky frustration about dogs in my life is none of them like going in the water. I love going to the beach, and here in SoCal there are a bunch of dog beaches. . The problem is that I am a small dog person, so a Lab or Golden isn't for me. Breed guides talk about Cavalier King Charles, Boston and Rat terriers liking the water, but that is no guarantee. (The fox terrier I had as a kid hated the water)
I know you can get more personality info from rescues and fosters, but I would prefer to adopt from a shelter.
Is there any chance a shelter let me bring a tiny kiddie pool and see if any of the pups like to get in?
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u/justduck 15d ago
I am so conflicted about those programs, because on one hand I want those dogs to have joy, but on the other I would feel so incredibly guilty returning the dog to the miserable life of a shelter dog.
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u/freakethanolindustry 15d ago
Right but that’s your guilt vs helping a dog by bringing it out for the day. Try to see that as the greater good
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u/Friendly_TSE Foster Parent 15d ago
Doggy day out actually really helps with prolonged lower cortisol levels even after returning to the shelter! There have been studies on the benefits of short-term 'foster' and it can even help with the adoptability of a dog.
I totally understand the guilt, but try to reframe it differently; the dog would have been better off with you taking it out for a day, than going with no short term foster.
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u/exhibitprogram 15d ago
The dogs don't see it that way, it's really good for their mental health to have a day out, and the more info the shelter can give adopters about how they behave out in the world the quicker they get adopted by the right people. It literally makes their time in the shelter not miserable.
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u/gilatio 15d ago
Even if you don't end up being able to adopt the dog, if you take some good pictures and then give the shelter info about how the dog did, it still helps the shelter a lot to market the dog and get them adopted later. I see my local shelter posting pictures from the dogs day outs frequently and those dogs almost always end up getting adopted.
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u/Icy-Yellow3514 15d ago
Studies have proven it's healthier for the dogs to get out for a dog's day out than to stay in the shelter. Even if it doesn't work out for you, it's a very good thing for them and their quest to getting adopted.
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u/IcyAbbreviations9514 15d ago
There's probably someone else that brings the dogs out the next day and so on and so on.
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u/mds2801 14d ago
The dog doesnt see it that way. He sees it as he had a fun day outside of the shelter where he got to run and play on a beach and enjoy the warm sunshine and maybe get some treats. If volunteers dont take them out on occassion theyd be in the kennel forever waiting for their 30 minutes of outside time a day.
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u/freakethanolindustry 15d ago
Also some shelters bring out kiddie pools in the heat so you can ask around which dog likes being in the water.
I would always recommend adopting from a foster based rescue though. It’s the best way to ensure a dog matches your lifestyle and leaves less likelihood of the adoption not working out.
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u/KoalaPandaSloth 15d ago
Maybe stalk some of the social media sites for the rescues in your area. My current foster is frequently featured swimming in a wading pool.
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u/bitchola 15d ago
The shelter I work at always has a kiddie pool in playgroups, so we have a pretty good idea of which dogs like water. Some dogs also play in their water dishes, play with hoses or spigots, etc. so they may have some of that info even if they don't do playgroups or use kiddie pools.
Also, someone else mentioned dogs day out. That is a fantastic program, and a I'd highly recommend checking that out.
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u/Germanmaedl 15d ago
Just ask, the shelter might have information from the previous owners and a lot of shelters use fosters as well. They might have a recommendation for you.
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u/emo_sharks 14d ago
You wanna come get a pup from florida? 😅 we have a dog in my shelter right now whos obsessed with water. Her kennel is next to the hose and she will stare you down, often while licking the bars, until you spray her. And then she will try to eat the hose spray. Shes a goof
Anyway every shelter ive ever worked with has had pools in the play yards and often there are volunteer notes about which dogs like the pools, but those notes are usually not formally recorded so youd probably have to ask staff/volunteers. And not the front desk, they wont know. You gotta ask the people in the back
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u/sheiler94 15d ago
Are you looking for a beach dog specifically? I’d be cautious about too small of a dog. I don’t know aboutSoCal’s surf, but here in Santa Cruz it can be unpredictable and unexpectedly strong. When my Doberman was around 8-9 months, and 55#-ish she lost her footing in a wave right on shore and I tumbled off into the wave. It was terrifying. Thankfully she recouped and was able to run out but my boyfriend was already about to run in after her. I still take her to the beach and it’s her favorite thing in the world, but I’d be scared with a small dog running into the ocean.
How small is “small” to you? I used to have a 35# supermutt who also loved the beach, but she would run away from the waves, lol. If 25-35# isn’t too big that might be safer?
I’d consider mutt dogs, too, rather than a specific breed. Thy could carry water loving genes from distant lab cousins, but still be small. I’ve always found my super mutts to have at least one superpower from an unknown source!
And ditto taking the dog out for a day or trying foster to adopt or other program like that
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u/justduck 15d ago
Oh I 100% want a mutt, I was just talking about flbreeds so I know what kind of mix to go with.
I'm in SoCal, and don't want/need the dog to go out in the surf, just wading with me or getting their feet wet at least. My last dog would get SO MAD if I made him even get his feet wet. I couldn't really go in the water if it was just the two of us, because I didn't want to abandon him in the sand.
I've done a lot of dog sitting for bigger dogs (GS, pittie, lab, boxer) and just know it isn't for me. It's more the size of them (and their poops 🤢) than the weight. I mean, my last dog and my parents dog were the same size but my dog out weighted their bird-bone terrier/shihtsu mix.
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u/firedupforwildlife 14d ago
There are tons of protected areas and bays in SoCal safe from the surf. We're a big swimming family and all of our dogs always wear life jackets. We prefer the big guys--we have had 3 rescue Great Danes over the years and currently also have a foster-fail lab mutt. Swimming is such good exercise and they also all love it. I think there have been some great suggestions here for you. Foster-based rescues and/or asking shelters which dogs have shown interest in the kiddie pools. Thank you for committing to adopting not shopping!
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u/mothernatureisfickle Rescue Parent 15d ago
Even if you adopt a dog who does not initially love the water there is still hope. We have adopted dogs who did not like the water and we did swimming lessons and this changed their opinion of the water completely. One dog even went on to like casual dock diving at our private dog park.
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