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I've taken her to the beach a few times and she won't go in. I even got her a kiddy pool for the yard. I use lots of treats when she goes around it/a paw or 2 in it. but she just isn't interested. I really really want a dog I can take to the beach and go swimming with me. Is there anything I can do so she'll like water?
When we first got Zoee she didn't like water either. My parents had just drained their pool and were starting to fill it up again. So there was just a little water at the deep end. My niece took Zoee and taught her how to swim. Now you can't keep her out of the pool when she goes to my moms.
Taggart was scared of the pool when we first got him. I think partially because my niece (the same one that taught Zoee) forced him to go in a few times. He'll go in on the first or second step, but only if he's after Zoee. She gets in and swims around just to get away from him. :p Even in the kiddy pool in our backyard he will only stand in it and stick his nose in the water. Zoee lays in it, but he won't.
My suggestion is just to expose her to water any chance you can get. And make it a fun experience. It will help if you can get in the water with her, like a large pool. I think she's still young enough that you can get her use to the water. Just don't get discouraged and give up. Keep at it and make her think water is the most fun thing in the world. :)
Good luck!! :D
Maybe she's afraid what it is? Does she like baths? Just try to encourage her to like it. :) Some labs just don't like water, lol.
I would love for my Taggart to learn how to like water too. My boy is so finicky that he doesn't even step in puddles, lol.
Anyway, Taz_Zoee's suggestion is probably the way to go. Especially keeping the kiddie pool available.
I would not try and get her into deeper and colder water just yet (beaches, lakes etc.) considering she's so young and you definitely do not want her to have a bad experience with water at this age :)
I have given her a couple baths cause she gets really dirty sometimes. And she doesn't like it. I try to make it positive but...I don't really know how??
As for the kiddy pool, I had lots of treats and toys. I tried to show her it was fun but either she didn't care or she was afraid. She got in it on her own to get a treat once. I gave her a ton of treats and praise. But she jumped right out after she ate her treats. She runs around the pool barking if there is a toy in it that she wants. But she won't go in.
She does the same at the beach. If I go in, she stands at the shore barking. Sometimes it's hot, and the water is actually kinda warm.
How should I be making it fun for her? If she is afraid (she is of bathes) how do I make her not afraid? With the bath, I just use a small container to pour the water over her. So I'm not using a hose or anything that puts "pressure" on her. I hope I can show her it's ok!
Does she like to play ball? You can start filling up the kiddie pool a little bit throw her ball in there and see if she gets it or put some yummy treats in there. My dog Dixie will get her ball or treats out of the pool but won't get in. Make it as positive as you can. As she gets older, she may like it. :) She is pretty young right now so there's still hope! :)
If you have her at the beach, try just walking her into the water with you, and not making a big deal out of it. She's still a baby, she has a lot to learn about the world. You could also carry her in while she is still small, to a point where it is deep enough that she'll have to swim, and set her in the water and praise her when she starts swimming, so she's know she can control herself in the water, and that swimming is an okay thing to do!
We did do that once. She swam great for a few seconds by herself. Lots of treats and praise. When we got to shore she ran to the top of the beach and wouldn't come close again. D:Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen
I think it's really about NEVER forcing them to go in unless it's on their own accord, and praising them wildly when they choose to. Chance is terrified of water, but I've trained him to go in and out of the kiddie pool on command. I started by throwing some kibble into the kiddie pool and telling him "up", then I would tell him "out." I'd do this every day throughout the day. Now he enjoys it and thinks it's a game. He still won't really retrieve a toy out of the pool, he just picks it up, carries it for a bit and drops it, lol.
I've accepted that he'll never be super enthusiastic about water. But there are sooo many activities I can do with him besides taking him swimming. Fetch, frisbee, agility, flyball, obedience, hiking, canicross, tracking, weight pull, and that's just naming a few!
Since she's still a puppy, she could learn to love water. Try the "kibble in the kiddie pool" method daily. Some people also say that letting them play with a water-loving playmate can really help. Just a few ideas. :)
If you have access to a real pool, where you are ALLOWED to bring dogs in, I'd say bring her out on a boogie board or some other flotation device and see how she does. I wouldn't FORCE her into the ocean or anything extreme yet. Just keep trying the kiddie pool (maybe even get a boogie board for that?) or a real pool (with a boogie board) at first. My first dog, Sassy, was perfectly content on a Boogie Board, she LOVED swimming, of course she hated it at first, but the boogie board worked for us.
Don't worry! My lab mix who is 3 now, wouldn't swim for the longest time. HATED water, couldn't do ANYTHING to get her in.
For some reason, starting last year, we can't get her OUT of the water!! She will literally swim until she passes out... she loves it!
I suggest just giving her time. We praised Sydney when she would go in, and we didn't push the issue. I think what Karen said is right - she's a pup, has a lot to learn yet. I'm sure she'll come around! :) It might not be this year, but maybe next year? Don't worry :)
Thanks, I haven't really been making a big deal of it. I take her down by the beach every now and then and let her sniff around but she won't go in really. I'm hoping maybe next year!
Lots of dogs like carrots. Let her try them as treats. Get the baby carrots. Then you can put some in the little pool and maybe she'll like trying to get them out of the pool.