I am rather new to the forum but have done allot of reading and really learned allot. I am a new dog owner and have a 12 week old pup from good lines. Granted the water is still kinda cool here in TN (50-55 degrees )! He can't quite get up the courage to go in the water. He wants to really bad but he is scared to go in past his belly. I've even picked him up and carried him into the water and placed him in and let him follow me back to the bank...is this bad??? Should I be concerned or should I just give him more time?
slow to get in water
treecejc
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I am rather new to the forum but have done allot of reading and really learned allot. I am a new dog owner and have a 12 week old pup from good lines. Granted the water is still kinda cool here in TN (50-55 degrees )! He can't quite get up the courage to go in the water. He wants to really bad but he is scared to go in past his belly. I've even picked him up and carried him into the water and placed him in and let him follow me back to the bank...is this bad??? Should I be concerned or should I just give him more time?
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Of course it is...what would ever give you and idea to introduce your dog to water in this fashion..
There are lots of ways to properly introduce your dog to water,the way you did it wasnt one of them
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Just give the pup more time. Might be kind of cool for him yet and some are just slower. He'll get in when he's ready but make it fun for him. When he's wild about retrieving, start with short tosses just offshore with a puppy bumper or duck if he's good with that. Gradually increase the distance til he's swimming, but break it down in baby steps as slow as he needs to go to be comfortable. Or if you have a well-behaved older dog that won't drown him, let him chase big dog into the water. Doesn't hurt to have shorts on so you can walk in with him if he wants to follow you with a bumper or get him if he gets in trouble. There's no race for him to be swimming yet, so just have patience and don't build up pressure/anxiety around water for him.
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Wait for warmer water, make sure bottom is firm not deep mud, play and tease pup with a bummper or have another dog that loves swimming to play with your pup. DO NOT FORCE intro to water, make it fun!!!!
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You have gotten some good suggestions so far. My dog is 18 weeks, and I have not done any water intro other than letting him splash in running water. The water here has only been thawed for a week or 2, and I am waiting for it to warm up. When I get to that point I will do tosses into running water, then gradually make the tosses further out. In addition, also when the water is warmer, I will let him play with our older dog around the water, and the older dog may just tempt him out to swim without me actively doing anything.
Wait for the water to get warmer. Find a nice a nice, easy entry spot into the water ..... hard bottom, mild slope, etc. Wade out into the water with the pup on the bank and encourage the pup to get into the water ... act the fool, get his favorite toy, etc. Whatever you do, make it fun. If he does not want to go into the water ..... don't force him. If he does go into the water, be satisfied with whatever he does, even if he does not get deep enough to swim, even if he turns and heads back to the bank. At this age, be satisfied with whatever your pup does. If he takes to the water, don't overdo it. If pup gets tired and takes in a lung full of water, you can do more harm than good. Also, don't be surprised if the pup, well .... swims like a pup .... like his is drowning. Be patient and the pup will be swimming like a fish in due time.
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Give him time! You do not want to create a negative assosiation with the water that creates a huge problem!
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This is the same thing I do. I haven't seen a young dog yet that didn't follow the older ones in. Be warned though, once they go for the first swim, you usually can't get them out after that! :razz:
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OP: give it time, let him get in on his own terms. when introducing my young 'un I waited til around mid April and I tossed a bumper in the shallow sandy beach of a pond with a light wind in our face. he walked out and the bumper was just a little out of reach.... the rest is history.
Glad to hear you got another pup of your own to run.
David,
Glad to hear you got another pup of your own to run.
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