When I got my black lab all I could think about was taking her to the beach and having her play in the water. To my surprise she absolutely hated the water. She is a Labrador, she is supposed to love the water I thought. I was set out on making her like water and here’s how I did it.
Be with them
The first time our dog ever touched the water I was holding her. I carried her out into the ocean and just placed her in the water while still holding her. I would let her try to doggy paddle, but I would make sure she knew I was supporting her. We kept doing this and eventually would let her swim on her own. She still hated the water so we would do it very close to the shore so she could swim out of the water.
Another thing we did was walk her on the leash into very shallow water. We would go as far as she was ok with and then we would get out of the water. She would get rewarded every time we did this.
Once she started to be a little more comfortable I would go into the water and get her to swim to me. I wouldn’t go very far, probably just over a couple feet out, and I would call for her and try to get her to come to me. Once she got to me I would pick her up because she would be scared and I didn’t want her to panic. After I picked her up I would turn her around and let her swim back to the shore.
Be consistent
If you only take your dog to swim and play in the water a couple times a year they will never get comfortable. You have to take them as much as you can, so they can get used to the water. The more time spent in the water the better. We took our lab to the beach, to a pool event for dogs, and to the lake.
Get them a toy
The one best thing that helped us was getting a toy for the water. We got her a ChuckIt! Amphibious Bumper Floating Fetch Toy. We had noticed she seemed interested in grabbing sticks in the water so this toy seemed perfect for her. It floats on top of the water, so she can see it well. When she is out of the water she can chew, play fetch, and play tug of war with it. She loves this toy and loves swimming after it.
Learn from other dogs
If you can, take your dog swimming with other dogs. Seeing other dogs swim can help to comfort them, especially if they already know the other dogs. This helped with our dog. The pool event for dogs was a great day for her. She really seemed to be more comfortable after that event.
Reward them
Remember to alway reward and show them they are doing good as they get used to the water, just as if you were training them for anything else. It doesn’t matter if it’s treats, petting them, or verbally. Make the water something fun for them. Always reward them, don’t punish them when they are learning to like the water.
