In a study by Dr. Frank Fish of West Chester University, eight different dogs of six breeds ranging from the Yorkshire Terrier to the Newfoundland were studied to learn more about how dogs swim.

Fish and his colleagues analyzed videos taken of dogs swimming in a glass tank and found that they swam a gait similar to a familiar trot on land. When a dog trots, moving at a pace more brisk than a walk, diagonal pairs of legs move together. In swimming, the dog’s legs move in a similar fashion, but even faster than a trot, and the legs move beyond the range of motion for a trot. This means that the swimming dogs are using a basic movement but with some modification. There was very little variation among the different breeds. To read more, click here.