Can Puppies Swim in Lakes?

Yes, puppies can swim in lakes as long as they’ve taken their vaccinations and are old enough to keep themselves steady in the water. Lakes may not be safe for unvaccinated pups because they’re teeming with bacteria, germs, and viruses that can cause illnesses.

Even if you have a vaccinated puppy, you should supervise him when you take him to your nearby lake. This is because the lake environment might contain things that could harm your pup if you’re not careful.

How Old Does a Puppy Have to Be to Swim in a Lake?

One of the coolest things about puppies is that they’ll be ready for an excitement-filled lake day when they’re only eight weeks old!

See, your puppy should have his full vaccinations with shots by the time he’s two months of age. This should protect him from diseases that tend to spread around a lake, usually in the sand or the water.

However, you should also keep in mind that the breed of your dog will determine whether or not he’s ready for a trip to your nearest lake.

To elaborate, puppies with long noses should be prepared for a nice swim once they turn two months old. 

On the other hand, dogs with smushed faces, like French bulldogs, will find it a bit difficult to breathe at this point. As a result, swimming will be extra hard on those furry buddies.

To know whether or not your pup is physically prepared to swim in a lake, it’s always a good idea to talk to the vet about it.

How Safe Is a Lake for a Puppy?

Even if you have a vaccinated puppy, you should keep in mind that lakes aren’t 100% safe. Their risk doesn’t only lie in their nature as a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria.

To fully understand what your dog will face when swimming in a lake or walking on its shore, here are some points to bear in mind.

A Lake Can Be Too Deep for a Puppy

A two-month-old puppy will surely not be able to swim in a lake as confidently as a three-year-old doggo. 

Even though puppies can technically begin swimming at this stage, they won’t be professional swimmers. You might surely leave yours in a kiddie pool with no worries, but not a larger body of water like a lake!

Thankfully, your little buddy doesn’t have to miss out on all the fun on lake day as long as you follow these tips:

• Keep your puppy on a short leash that doesn’t allow him to go too deep into the water
• Don’t take your eyes off of your puppy when he gets close to the water
• Consider putting your pup in a life jacket
• To be extra safe, keep your dog by the edge of the water without allowing him to swim in it

In addition to all these points, remember that not all puppies are comfortable around water. Even those who are okay with getting water on them may not like swimming in it.

If your pup belongs to these two groups, avoid pushing him into the water or doing any similar behavior that might annoy him. Some dogs are just not cut out for swimming!

The Sand Might Get Into the Pup’s Eyes, Nose, and Ears

We humans don’t worry much about the sand when we’re out on the beach, but we can’t say the same for our furry friends. 

Dogs aren’t as careful as we are, and sand can easily get into their eyes, noses, ears, and mouths while they’re playing on a lake shore. 

Fine sand grits in the eyes might cause irritation and infections. Plus, if the sand gets in the nose, ears, or mouth, it could create blockages that your pup is better off without.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to stop your dog from playing in the sand. Still, you can invest in a pair of doggo sunglasses to better protect his eyes.

If sand particles find their way to your puppy’s nose, eyes, or mouth, don’t hesitate to visit the vet.

Hot Days Might Lead to Sunstrokes

This point isn’t about the risk of lakes for puppies per se, but rather about the weather conditions that people choose to go to a lake in.

More often than not, you’ll visit your nearest lake on a sunny day to cool off. While this sounds great, it might mean trouble for your little doggo.

The high heat may harm your buddy’s little feet and stomach as the sand’s temperature rises. In addition, spending too long under the direct rays of the sun could lead to heatstroke or sunstroke.

To keep these worrying scenarios from happening, you must:

• Avoid walking your dog in sunny areas and resort to the shade instead
• Keep your puppy hydrated by giving him water every now and then
• Apply doggo sunscreen on your pup’s feet and stomach
• Limit your pup’s walks on the sand to certain times of the day when the sun isn’t intense

There Might Be Harmful Objects in the Sand

Lakeshore sand hides more things than you can imagine. Since puppies like to dig, yours might discover objects that might injure him in the process, including:

• Broken bottles and glass pieces
• Old, spoiled food
• Plastic or metal objects with jagged parts
• Fishing hooks

A Lake Might Be Polluted

Unfortunately, the water of the lake itself is likely not clean with all this pollution going on around us. Therefore, you must be extra careful not to allow your dog to drink lake water.

Also, lakes are filled with dead fish that might pique a pup’s interest. Needless to say, dead fish are full of toxins that might harm a puppy if he decides to treat them as chew toys.

Lastly, don’t forget that lakes contain wild, dry weeds that could hurt a dog’s mouth or throat if he ingests them.

For all these reasons, you must watch your dog closely when you take him out to the lake to make sure he stays safe.

Paul S.

Paul has been creating content for the dog niche for many years. The information he shares comes his first hand experience growing up in dog lovers household and then owning multiple dog breeds of his own as an adult. Paul enjoys doing the hard research to collect, analyze and present our dogtemperament.com readers with the best answers to their questions.