Dogs to the Rescue

Lifeguard dogs are special dogs that rescue swimmers in trouble. In a lot of ways, dogs are perfect for this type of work. Many kinds of dogs can run twice as fast as humans. They can also pick up sounds from struggling swimmers that humans can’t hear. Plus, dogs often stay calm during scary moments. (Their cuteness can help people stay calm too!)

Best of all, canines are excellent swimmers. Lifeguard dogs can pull more than three people at a time through water without getting tired. They wear life jackets with handles for swimmers to grab onto. And they can pull a raft with up to 30 people on it! 

Lifeguard dogs have a special job. They rescue swimmers in trouble. Dogs can be great lifeguards. There are several reasons why this is true.

Many dogs can run faster than people. They can also hear sounds from far away. Plus, dogs often stay calm during scary moments. 

Dogs are also great swimmers. Lifeguard dogs wear life jackets with handles for swimmers to grab onto. They can pull several people without getting tired.

To become lifeguards, dogs go through two years of training. Mya (one of the lifeguard dogs in Italy) trained with her owner, Michele (mee-KEH-leh).

They started by playing games like fetch and tug-of-war. Mya didn’t know that she was training for emergencies. Soon, she would be fetching people instead of toys!  

Mya and Michele also practiced swimming together. Mya got used to wearing her life jacket. They learned to work together during stressful moments. After about two years, Mya and Michele became lifeguards!

Not every dog can be a lifeguard though. Dogs, and their owners, have to go through about two years of training first. 

One of the dogs at the beach in Italy was named Mya. She trained at a special school with her owner, Michele (mee-KEH-leh). At first, Michele wasn’t sure if he and Mya would make a good lifeguard team. They had a lot to learn! 

How did Mya and Michele start their training? By playing games! The pair spent hours playing fetch and tug-of-war. Mya had a lot of fun. She didn’t realize that she was training for emergencies. Soon, she would be fetching people instead of toys!  

The next part of training was in a pool. Mya and Michele practiced swimming in calm water, and Mya got used to wearing her life jacket. 

Finally, they were ready for the last step: training in the sea. Michele and Mya swam in all types of weather. They learned to work together in stressful situations. Mya even learned to leap off a speeding boat! 

After about two years, Mya and Michele were officially a lifeguard team. There are more than 350 lifeguard dogs in Italy. Mya was now one of them! Each year, these dogs save about 25 lives.

At the beach, Mya and Michele were ready to use their training. Michele blew his whistle.

Tweet! Tweet! Tweet! 

Mya knew that meant people were in danger. She and two other lifeguard dogs raced toward the water.

By now, 14 people were in trouble. Some had grabbed onto beach floats to stay alive.

Two of the lifeguard dogs swam toward these people. They pulled the floats to shore by grabbing onto ropes.

The other swimmers were still in danger. The waves were massive.

Michele tied the swimmers—and himself—to Mya’s life jacket. Mya pulled her group through the rough waters. After 20 minutes, they made it back to the beach. All 14 swimmers were now safe. It was one of the biggest lifeguard dog rescues ever.

Everyone thanked the dogs. Children gave them cuddles. The lifeguard dogs were heroes.

Two of the lifeguard dogs swam toward the people on floats. Human lifeguards tied ropes to these floats. Then the dogs grabbed the ropes in their teeth and pulled the floats to shore.

Farther away, other swimmers were still in danger. Some of them were panicking and calling out for help.

“They were so terrified,” Michele remembers. “The waves looked like walls.” 

Mya and Michele moved quickly toward them. Michele tied the swimmers—and himself—to Mya’s life jacket. Then they began the dangerous journey back to the beach.

Mya pulled her group through the rough waters. Luckily, she knew exactly where to go. Dogs use their paws to feel where the waves are safest to swim through. Mya used this skill to find the easiest way back to shore. Without Mya, the group may have been pulled farther out into the sea.

The waves were massive, but Mya kept going. After about 20 minutes, Mya made it back to the beach. All 14 swimmers were now safe. People watching from the shore couldn’t believe it. They had never seen dogs save so many people! 

It was clear that Mya knew she had done a good job. 

“My dog was absolutely bursting with joy,” Michele says. “She was spinning around and kept barking!”

The dogs had just made one of the biggest rescues in lifeguard-dog history. The rescued swimmers thanked the dogs, and children covered them with cuddles. 

Did Mya and the other lifeguard dogs know they were heroes that day? Maybe not. But they did know that the people on the beach loved them.