Gun Dog Forum

How do you get a dog to retrieve from the water?

Some dogs love the water and some just hate it. Mine is in between and I have been struggling with this because I know some day I want her to be able to retrieve in water situations.

She loves the water. (A 2 yr old Weim) However, she hates to swim. She even gets in the pool to cool off but only on the first two steps. I showed her the steps when she was a puppy so she could get out if she fell in. She loves to run and fetch in shallow river creek beds and in the shallow areas of the lakes. But she will not swim, if there is no footing she isn't interested.

So my challenge is, what can I do to convince her it is safe and fun to swim?

Great pic of your dog!

For my two, I did short fetches in shallow water then got deeper and deeper as the dog got comfortable. Bell does ok, but carl will swim across the ocean for a stick =)

Grant

Most times when a dog does not want to swim it's due to being insecure/unsure of it self when the feet don't touch ground. Try going in the water to swiming depth and call the dog to you , (as this is an open forum) research training methods for duck search with versatiles , cross a creek of swiming depth and with your dog on the far bank call it to come ( if it will not come then walk away and hide , most often then not the dog will cross to be with you , LOTS of praise when it does cross then repeat the crossing.
Different dogs turn on differently , I had one that would NOT go in past the magic depth even with the bumper/ dead bird just beyond his reach all the while wineing / crying for it . As it was in the 80s I said the heck with you , threw my ball cap off and ran off the dock. When I surfaced and looked at my dog he was giving my a ball cap a beating beyond belief.... mmmmmm , swam to shore took my cap and threw it out , off he went . Go figure

Introduction to the water just like introduction to the gun HAS to be done right to avoid creating problems. Just as you pointedout the dog got a scare the first time in the water and you are now paying for it. Both posters above are right on in ways to solve it. Personlly with young pups that are hesitant to dive right int I take them out on a warm day and let them run until they are hot enough to appreciate a cool down. If on the first opportunity they don't take immediately to getting out in the water and swimming around I simply strip off my clothes and get in, and coax them out into the water with me.

It is very rare for a dog that has not had some sort of fright at an early age not to pretty quickly figure out that the water won't swallow them whole and learn to enjoy it... at least with the versatile breeds.

Your girl had a scare that first trip into the pool and it's just going to take her some extra work to get comfy with it and learn to love it. Try the above suggestions and see what you can do.... one caution, until the dog is already secure in the water avoid any running creeks or rivers where the current may carry her downstream. This could cause yet another scare that could be very difficult to get her past. CR

:roll:

Then, there is always the hot dog trick. Give pup a little taste, then go further out into the water, step at a time, with little snacks, until the pup is swimming. If not at first, keep trying.

Usually works.

Pat

I had the same problem with my pup when he first encountered water. He wouldn't go further than he could stand. So what I did to get him swimming was when he got to about where it was almost over his head, I would take his bumper and throw it just out of his reach where he had to swim to get it. Just a little bit at a time until he got his confidence up. Now he loves to go swimming.

One time I threw a stick out there for him and it sank before he got to it. I had to call him in, he swam in circles looking for that stick and he wasn't gonna come in until he found it.

throw a crippled bird in the water (not a dying bird) let it flop around out there - the dog will not be able to resist the temptation of the flopping bird - it will swim out there and get it.

WildRose wrote: I simply strip off my clothes and get in, and coax them out into the water with me.
CR

Did we really need that??? Please let us know when and where you plan to do this so we don't have to witness you stripping

Also how does this work in the winter time???

Just kidding.

Actually in the winter it works VERY QUICKLY!!!