Learning to swim?

I'm hoping to get a lifejacket for Addie soon and take her swimming. She never has before, what is the best way to go about introducing her? I don't want to scare her or make her dislike the water!

Any tips would be great

Is she toy driven? If so, an easy method is to throw her favorite toy just barely into the water, then very gradually increase the distance of the tosses until she has to swim to get it.

We took our dogs in by craddling them, in and out several times until they comfortably trusted us. Then we would allow them to swim a bit and then craddle again, etc. When they were comfortable we'd use toys to encourage jumping. We were cautious but it seemed to pan out, now I can't keep them out of the water. lol

I second the toy method. You could substitute a floating treat for a toy for a more food-driven dog. Also, a natural bank or beach that increases gradually in depth is much easier for dogs to get accustomed to than a pool, even with a ladder or stairs.