HARD TASKS: My Socks disppears, when she sees me in my swimming suit
with another type of bowl and the slip-lead in my hand. Those three things tell her: Swimming lesson, puh!

I then begin training with my Lab-Mix. She isn't afraid of water in the least. After some time Socks reappears, probably because she hears how we're having fun and is envious (?? my interpretation ). Then I can easily take her on the leash and she comes into the water VOLUNTARILY . She even jumps. Requirement; I have to be in the water first.

"HARD TASKS: My Socks disppears, when she sees me in my swimming suit
with another type of bowl and the slip-lead in my hand. smiley for Those three things tell her: Swimming lesson, puh!"

If Socks comes to you so easily when your in with the lab mix then I would work socks after the Lab mix and don't try and call her with those visual cues in her presence.

Use those visual distraction separate from the swimming when your just hanging out with the dogs.

In other words make those distractions become neutral and not tied to the pool in any way.

I never call her with my voice or hand signs when I'm in my swimming suit, but the visual signs like a swimming suit I can't avoid. She simply disappears and I know then it doesn't make sense to try to catch her. I did this in the beginning, yes, but this was long time ago and i learned it is hopeless, I'm simply not as quick and as smart as a dog.

To use the visual distractions separate from swimming - wow! why didn't this enter my mind! Great!. A heap of thanks, Bob! I have to apply this also much better for all exercises. I do generalize all of them a lot, but I didn't care much about such things.

It is really stunning what those beasts observe and how they can distinguish. E.g. While the leash in my hand + swimming suit tells them Swimming!, the leash + I wearing shoes and of course without swimming suit, just in my normal shorts tells them: Juhuu, walking! and they get crazy. The leash in my hand separate from swimming or walking tells them: She's coming to take me and then THEY decide, if they want or not. Sometimes quite tricky.

Every day brings more and more surprises and makes me love those incredible crittirs more and more.

A dog's visual read on us is often much stronger then what they hear us say.

Sort of a lie detector in their head that tells them when we are trying to fool them.

Hey, hey, I never fool my dogs. Well, great idea again! Maybe I should test this some day.

What do you think would happen if I'd disguise myself as a clown or a witch and put on a very stinky perfume and kept my mouth shut and didn't move at all? Would they still recognize me?

If they could scent you from downwind they would recognize you but the costume would quite probably freak them out.

That would be adding a HUGE distraction they've never been exposed to.

Some dogs might even try and take a few bites but most would probably run out of fear.

tks! So I guess, I better leave it!

As with any sort of distraction most dogs, can be exposed to pretty much anything if exposed gradually.

True, I should have thought of this. So I'll start with changing my face a bit, then wearing unsual dresses, then gradually changing my smell from time to time. I'm awfully curious how they will react.