How cold is to cold?

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Originally Posted by Breck

Sounds like you have a creek running through your back yard.
I'm sure the little bugger go a shock when she went under.
Most folks worry about training puppies in cold water because it adds to stress of training possibly causing a bad water attitude later. Coming out of water into frigid air isn't fun either.
If after this dunking your puppy goes romping back into the creek of her own free will, and it is not dangerous, you may be OK who knows. Adventurous pup may not be phased by a little cold water later.

When you get to actually training puppy your water needs to be 65+. In Ohio that means late April or May.

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That is my big concern, besides her getting sick. I think I was more in shock than she was though. I am new to all this, so any advice that I get is truly appreciated.

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Originally Posted by Wayne Nutt

I'm with Breck on this. Lardy recommends a minimum of 55 degrees but prefers in the 60+ range. Lardy wrote a RJ article on this subject.

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Can you point me in the direction of this article :)

I've heard trainers say that they don't do "work" in water unless the combined daily air temp is at a combined 100 degrees. that combo (60 high in day / 40 low in night, etc) supposedly creates a more comfortable water temp.

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Originally Posted by AmyK

Can you point me in the direction of this article :)

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Lardy Volume I, page 4 of the very first aricle called "The right start". He mentions 65 degrees for water intro.

In Swimby, Lardy Volume I, page 28 he mentions 60 degrees F or above for swimby.

There's no magic formula. But why push it? If you're wondering if you "ruined" your pup, probably not. But that doesn't mean you should expose him to it again tomorrow.

A conservative rule of thumb would be that if it's too cold to wade into for you in sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt, it is too cold to put pup in. This part in new color and font is just my opinion. It is conservative, by design. If I'm an amateur training only a dog or two per every few years, I have zero pressure to push the temperature envelope.

Chris

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Being new to this, I need all I can get :)

when u throw up a hot cup of coffee and it falls to the ground frozen

AmyK, The articles Chris pointed out are all correct but it was not the one I was thinking about. The article that I remember was "Improving Your Dog's Water Attitude" published in the Jan/Feb 2004 Retriever Journal.

If you would like a copy PM me your address and I will mail a copy to you. It is only 2 1/2 pages.

This makes me think of my friend and mentor in this game! Swinton would bring his water thermometer every single time we trained on water. Anything under 55* was verboten, and any over 85*! I sure miss those days sometimes!:D

Thanks Wayne...I would appreciate that very much :)

Our training group in So. Ga. goes by the "rule of 120": combined water and ambient (air) temp of 120 degrees. Sunny day at 70 and water at 50-plus okay because how dogs feel after exiting water and drying out on a nice day with sun is important (my opinion).