Do any of you let your nursing bitches swim in your own inground pool once their discharge stops? My soon-to-whelp girl is a water lover who will be terribly disappointed if she's prevented from swimming until the pups are fully weaned! TIA.

FWIW, I did a search on bitches swimming but didn't find anything specific to this question.

besides the fact that she would be wet, why wouldn't you allow her to swim in a pool?

I might worry if it was a stinky pond or drainage canal but your pool should be pretty clean.

The chlorine is supposedly an issue if the cervix is open. I asked my repro vet when the cervix closes and she said some bitches it closes right away after they are bred, and others take two weeks or more.

I have had a few of my girls swim within 24 hours of whelping.....I think it feels good to them and if they want to go ....that is fine. I just make sure I rinse and dry their mammaries well before they head back to the whelping box.

I have also let girls that were bred swim the following day. My pool is kept clean and the chlorine levels are kept low.....I have never had a problem. All of my dogs are use to swimming from April through November....it is a daily routine.

Think about how many babies were conceived when the parents went on vacation. You can bet those gals didn't decide not to go in the pool the next day just incase their cervixes were open. Pregnancy probably was the last thing on their minds. A little common sense goes a long way.


Whoops. Was thinking days after breeding. As for after whelping, I can't see how it could be a problem. Presumably the water is chlorinated and clean. It is not like going in a pool is like douching.