A question to all owners of water loving dogs - when did you first let your dog into (open) water. So far all I have let Dylan (4 month lab) do is go in the paddling pool. When I walk him, we go by a lake and bless him, he is itching to get in, but my gut feeling was that he was too young. However, today we passed the lake and swimming about merrily was a 4.m.o cocker/springer cross. Now I am in two minds I STILL don't feel happy about him going in, but I felt the same about letting him off his lead, yet when I did he has been fine. What does everyone else think? My last dog was a water hating dobe - I never had this problem :rolleyes:

if he' happy and wants to go in let him,he will learn to swim.quite quicky.i wish my kids that teach to swim could learn as quick as dog's do,my dogs are flatcoats and the spainsh water dog were all swimming round 4 to 6 months old,let him enjoy himself he,s a baby,

Thanks for the reassurance, briedog. Will (maybe) give it a go this weekend...maybe...(she says with a quiver in her voice!)

I actually had to "teach" my lab mix to swim at about 10 months. :rolleyes: He'd bounce out until he hit the deep water, go under, half drown, and then dog paddle back to shore. One day I just grabbed his collar and started backing up in the water until we were both swimming. He had no trouble after that swimming out on his own. Very strange, but who knows how dogs think at times

as long as its "still" water with no flowing current like a river etc, then I would say let him do it...its good exercise without putting strain on joints of a growing pup.

I have a stream in my back garden (which is going to be fenced) it's about a inch deep sometimes up to three inches. Do you think I should let my pup in there to get himn used to watewr?
Hazel

Can anyone tell me how to get a dog to swim??

One of my SWD's used to swim as a puppy but one day she realised if she jumped up and down for long enough that the movement of this would bring the article back since then she has never swam. It's not that she's scared of the water because if something sinks she will dive under the water and stay under until she retrieves it.

Any ideas would be gratefuly received. Oh by the way she's 2 and yes she's Gollies mum.

"The Flower" jumped in my fish pond at 8 weeks old and swam across. Without thinking, because I obviously did not want to have her swimming in there, I told her off. She never swam in there again! At about 8 months old I decided it was time to start water training. Unfortunately, after her earlier experience in the fish pond she had decided that water was "Bad" and I had the very devil to get her in. But quiet perseverance and the aid of another working gundog I persuaded her and within a very short time she was quite happy retrieving from water.

Try to find some "Safe" water with an easy access and a gentle slope where she can walk in and gradually move into deeper water and you will have no trouble. Bear in mind that Labrador puppies can and sometimes do sink by the stern! Their heads come up and there behinds go down until the swimming action is only serving to push them up in the water, not move them forward and at this point panic can set in. Be aware that in the early days you may have to go in and lift the behind and push the head down! It rarely happens but you never know.

Regards, John

Hi Terri, yes Johns right they can sort of sink at first! Ive taught all mine by going in with them & holding them under the tum &showing them where & how to get out. Once they get the hang of it they`re away. Go some where shallow where you can go in with her & hold her underneath but be carful she may want to try & climb on you so wear a tshirt over your cosi & make it fun, you should find she will swim towards you & then alongside you. When mine swim alongside me, if they try to get too close I just use my arm to guide them away.Hope it works & you have loads of fun teaching her :)
Christine2
PS it was great meeting you both in Amsterdam!

Diane I`m so sorry I have got you mixed up with briedog (terri & andrew)! Just saw gollie & thought it was terri....having too many senior moments lately! :) You must of thought what the hell is she talking about saying nice to meet you.........
Christine2

I don't mind being mixed up with Terri as she's a very nice person (don't let your head swell up too much now Terri).

We will definitely have a go, as she does love water, I don't so much.

We let Moose who is ten months old go for her proper first swim at the weekend. She has been going into streams for the last few months and she loves it. We took it very easily this time making sure she didn't go out too far and did throw anything in for her. She won't though make it in the team for the Labrador syncro swimming team. Her technique has got something to be desired yet! Mars my eldest one who we have just lost :( hated the water at first. We ended up coaxing her in a shallow rock pool and then went from there. She ended up being a wonderful swimmer. When she was around one there was a full grown monster of a Rottie whose owner threw a great big piece of drift wood in for him. He stood there whimpering with his owner standing trying to encourage him. Mars stood watching and then decided that she would show him. She walked straight by him launched her self into the sea swam right out, grabbed the wood and brought it back in. Got out the sea and promptly delivered the piece of wood at the Rottie owners feet!:D She marched back to me looking so proud of herself !! Oh how I will miss her !

LOL - that must have been very embarrassing for the poor Rottie :D

Fiona
x x x

Both the owner and the Rottie looked totally embarrassed ! I had to walk away as I was laughing so much ! :D

Lucy

Hi all :) I thought that while this thread is still running, I would update you Dylan's progress. I would like to thank people for the encouragement. We took him to the lake and he shot straight in. At first he looked like he had springs on his feet, he bounced up and down for ages, then he ... wait for it... SWAM :) :) :) I was so excited I said to my boyf, "Oh look he looks just like a labrador!!" (meaning pictures you see of labs working etc!) Boyfriend looked at me like I had gone mad :)

Glad he has taken the first step. you will have difficulties keeping him out now !! :D

lucy

Like the bit "difficulties" Lucy LOL! Very tactful don`t you mean near impossible? :)
It`s a lot of fun LL.
Christine2

Tell me about it!!! you should have seen the poor baby's face when I said no and put him on his lead next to our local river(not letting him into flowing water anyway) - but the water was inches away from the path because of all the rain- the temptation must have been huge - he can't differentiate between 'safe' water and not safe. I bet he thinks I'm really mean
:( from Dylan!!!

Yes but I try not to be too negative !! :D
Lucy

I have been taking my lab pup to a local river to wade, but it's not deep enough at the moment to swim in, so we bit the bullet and took the dogs down to a nearby lake.

Ebony loves it here, goes nutso waiting for me to throw her toy in to retrieve. Juno watched and would jump in to ambush her on the way back, but would only go to where she could stand.

Eventually though she got more and more excited and went further out to mob Eb and found herself out of her depth and had to swim back in with Eb, each dog at either end of the toy!

Should have heard me and daughter cheer! :o :D

I then kept Eb on the lead while throwing the toy in for Juno, (much to Eb's disgust) but she wouldn't go in out of her depth to get it... but this was her first time, so I wasn't too worried. I will have to take her alone in future ~ but if she won't go in I will have to get toy back!