What this swimming skill is
This skill is about using the hands and arms to move along. It starts with the dog paddle, the quick, hand over hand paddle most people know. Then comes a longer, slower push, where the hands reach forward and push the water back toward the feet.
It builds on your child's first swims on their own. Next comes the flutter kick, a small, quick kick with the legs taking turns. Later, the arms and legs join up into strokes.
Why it matters
Moving with purpose.
Your child goes where they mean to go, rather than just splashing.
Feet off the bottom.
Children who walk along the pool floor discover that their arms can carry them.
A handy way to reach the edge.
The dog paddle keeps the head up and is a useful way to get to the side.
The start of every arm stroke.
Feeling the water push back on the hands makes later strokes much easier to understand.
Who it is for
This suits toddlers and young children as the natural next step after their first swims on their own. Your child is ready when they can move a short way toward the wall with help close by. If you are learning as an adult, this is a great place to start too. Your instructor slows it down and explains why each part works.
Part 1 of 2
The dog paddle
The goal
Your child paddles with the hands taking turns, keeping the head up. They move toward a toy, the wall or the instructor, breathing easily as they go.
Why it matters
The dog paddle is the simplest way to move with the head up, and it teaches the hands to push the water.
What happens in lessons
Paddling on the spot.
Your child practises hand over hand paddling while the instructor holds them.
Scooping like a digger.
Your instructor turns it into a game: cupped hands scoop the water back like a digging dog.
Heading for a target.
Your child paddles toward a toy or the wall, with support that lightens as they go.
Easy breathing.
The head stays up, so your child breathes normally the whole way.
How you can help between lessons
- On land, play digging dogs: dig with one hand, then the other, fingers together like a scoop.
Common questions
- Is the dog paddle a real swimming stroke?
- It is not a racing stroke, but it is a real and useful way to move in the water. It keeps the head up and teaches the arms to push water. Many people use it all their lives to reach the edge.
- My child walks on the bottom and thinks they are swimming. How do we change that?
- It is very common, and it is a habit, not cheating. Your instructor supports your child so the feet come up and the arms do the work. Once your child feels the arms carry them, the habit usually fades.
- Does my child need to put their face in?
- Not for this skill. The face stays out so breathing is simple while the arms learn. Swimming with the face in comes with later skills.
- I am an adult and I sink when I try to paddle. Why?
- Most adult beginners are tense, and tension makes the body sit lower in the water. Lessons work on relaxing, leaning forward a little, and pushing water back instead of down. The feeling changes with practice.
