Hello, I have an issue with my dog, I'd like for him to swim, but he hates water.

He's very afraid, and since I have not had him since a puppy, I don't know if there was an incident regarding water that I am not aware of.

Any idea's on getting him to swim? I'v tryed to use his prey drive, and nothing, he's only go in the water until his chest touches the water.

Should I even try to get him to swim? Or just be content with having and awesome on land dog?

thanks

I can't remember how old your dog is, but I have to say that MOST of the dogs I've had in the course of my entire life with dogs have not liked water until they were older. 2 years or so. I tried acclimating them as puppies and they hated it. One actively avoided water like the plague because he fell off a skiff when he was younger. Now, at 2 years old, he wades right in with no prompting from me.

This has applied even with a water dog I had. I thought he had defective water genes! Then, when he was 2.5 years old, I suddenly couldn't get him out of the water.

Don't give up!

 Quote:

I don't know if there was an incident regarding water that I am not aware of.

Does it really matter? No.

Go swimming with him. Drag his ass in. Well, not drag, but keep popping the leash til he follows along.

He doesn't have to like it, and it's not like you're asking him to do something that'll hurt him.

Can't edit, but in my case (this was a small puppy, mind you), I would start by crossing creeks and if he didn't initially follow, I'd just keep going as if I didn't care if he came or not. His loss. His desire to follow brought him across. However, he certainly did not like it at the time, and lo, there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth. By 6 months, however, he was a swimming fool.

Easiest thing that worked for me was for myself to go in the water and the pup followed me in. Took her a few times to get used to it and after a few months she will go right in by herself.

For my retriever mix, it was as simple as throwing a toy in (one that floats).

For my manchester terrier, she will not go in the water beyond the point where it touches her chest unless we're holding her.

We tried leading her in with toys, throwing a toy for our other dog (she always chases him when he chases toys), and bringing her in and supporting her belly while she learned to swim well. None of these things ultimately worked. She hates it unless she's in our arms. If we carry her in and let her go, she swims to shore and up and down the dock whimpering. Over time, she seems to be getting braver though, so maybe one day she'll come in on her own.

what worked for me was a baseball and another dog that liked to swim. Erika loved to swim and Roxie who was three didn't want to go near it. I got them chasing the ball and once I got them cranked upped I tossed it a few feet into the lake, Erika went in after it and returned, At first Roxie went to the water's edge, then her feet then her chest until she was finaly swimming

my dog is 3.

I'v tryed using toys,
going in my self and having fun in the water, he still will not come in after me.

I think it's got to be on his terms that he will swim, I still have hope, but will not cry if he doesn't want to.
Thanks for the advice

I'm glad someone brought this up because it's been on my mind. When our pup Nickie was at our house just two days (he was 8 weeks old at the time), he was outside on the patio with my hubby. Hubby thought Nickie had gone around the corner of the house and so just started doing some chores on the patio where we have an in-ground jacuzzi. He started adding water from the hose (this was in November so the jacuzzi was not heated but the thin plastic solar cover was on the water). Next thing you know, Nickie had come bounding up, put his little paws on the slippery fiberglass edge of the pool and promptly went head over paws into the water (under the solar cover!). Hubby said he grabbed him out in about 2 seconds but naturally he was soaking wet and shivering. He dried him off with a towel and Nickie was ready to play some more. Nickie does not avoid walking near the jacuzzi anymore like he did for a few days and he is also very aware of the swimming pool in the other section of our yard.

My question is - should we try to get him into the pool water when it gets warmer or will he just freak out because of his bad experience?

With our pitbull, we just waited until the weather was nice and warm and one day when we were in the pool, just lifted him up and gently put him into the pool - showing him how to find the steps at both ends and climb out. Buster would get into the pool on his own after that when the weather was really really hot (he would just slowly walk down the steps until the water was over his back and then would jump out.

Just don't want to create another bad experience for Nickie - he seems a little more fearful but naturally he is lots younger!

When we had our pool installed I took the time to take my 4yr old Golden Ret. (Noley) and my GSD puppy (Coach)into the dry pool. I would jump out of the pool at the far end away from the steps and then call them to come to me. They both figured out how to get out by using the stairs. Then when the pool was completed I took both dogs into the water and had them swim with me and when the went to the side to try and get out I allowed them to struggle for a few seconds before teaching them to swim to the steps. Noley loves the water, Coach was not too keen on it. Coach loved to nip at Noley's heels and ears and do anything he could to get Noley to rough house with him. Noley figured out that if he went swimming, Coach would not follow him. This went on for a little while with Coach getting frustrated because he could not get to Noley. One day my wife had both dogs out and Noley again escaped Coach's pestering by swimming away. My wife said you could see the look in Coachs' eyes as he looked back and forth at the water and his escaping prey (Noley) He finally just went for it on his own and swam after Noley. Coach is the only GSD I have ever seen that dives under water !!!!!!!!!! He goes into the pool more often that the Golden Ret. I just taught him how to be safe and how to get out and he did the rest on his own. I now have a German Water Dog.

Terry