I work with dogs every day, many times in not so nice situations. They are more vulnerable than you might think.

If you are really close to your pet and value their lives, buy them a quality flotation vest. Not only in flood prone areas but if you have to bug out in cold weather it works well in keeping in vital body heat. Barky can get cold too.

I believe Stearns has them for around $30 for most size dogs.

Be sure to get one that has a grab handle on the back.

Good idea. Many folks think dogs have some innate ability to survive nearly any condition. And while they can be better at it than humans, they are still affected by the surrounding conditions.

For example, many people think that all dogs can swim, but some can't. I remember one particular day at the beach when someone decided to throw the dog in the water so she could take a swim. Dog sank like a brick and stood at the bottom just looking up at us. Granted, it was one of those dumb small dogs, but apparently it had no idea what to do in water.

I shouldn't laugh, but I just can't help it.

I wonder if any real dogs have problems swimming?

Vest is still a good idea.

It wasn't funny at the time, I was about 5 and it was my dog. Now, though, that image of the dog looking up through the water from the bottom is darn funny. I don't think I've ever seen any other dog *not* swim - most dogs seem to like it.

My parents have a lab retriever mix that I took to the lake one time. I really thought it would be able to swim so I tossed him in. I had to go in and get him. My dog is a medium sized dog and pretty darned smart too, but apparently that doesn't help him to swim. They both paddle their front paws but it's the butt that drags 'em on down to the bottom. Not really sure how to teach a dog to swim...

It seems that not all dogs know how to swim. I wonder if it's a breed thing or if they need to be exposed to water as puppies or something.

Kinda weird. Other than the one dog mentioned above, I don't think I've known any other dogs that couldn't swim. Most times, I have to do all I can to keep them out of the water.

I don't think it's breed. A golden retriever mix should be a good breed to swim. I do plan on taking my dog to the lake this summer and doing all I can to get him to learn. He's a part of the family and I want to make sure he can survive if something happens.

I was referring to small dog breeds in general. But, yeah, I agree that a retriever, even a mix, should know how to swim. At least, I would think so.

I think pets come pre-programmed with some instinct as to how to deal with water.

I am guessing the same type factors would apply to dogs as well as humans in general, meaning body density. A very muscular dog, with low body fat, may be a good swimmer, but would have to work harder to stay afloat. A dog or human with greater amount of body fat would find staying afloat easier with less work. Just a guess.

Hmm, the one thing I do know is I am not tossing my cat in the water to run a test, I would literally be left in stitches, ha.

I bought my dog a life jacket, around $30, took him to the lake. It took him a little bit to get comfortable but by the end of the day he could swim without the life jacket anymore. It helps to keep his head up further and not swallow water and start choking so we'll keep using it on and off.