In June, I took my cattle dog mix, Annie Oakley Tater Tot, to the Durango Off Leash Dog Park in Colorado, through which the Animas River runs. She had never shown much interest in water, and whenever she’d be near a lake or stream, stood just deep enough to get her paws wet.

But she followed a pack of dogs down to the river’s edge. It was running fast that day. What if she followed them in and got swept up by the current? Did she even know how to swim? If she slipped away, could I reach her?

As soon as I got back home, I did what a lot of my friends with young children do: I took her to a swim lesson.

This might sound like obsessive dog person overkill, but it’s a way to keep dogs safe if they are ever near water, said Dr. Jerry Klein, the chief veterinary officer of the American Kennel Club. He’s also been an emergency and critical care veterinarian for over 30 years and said the most common setting where dogs drown is in swimming pools, especially when the pool isn’t fenced in.