[backagain]

O.K. my pup Pearl is doing great at 11wks and now that it is warming up I think she is ready for water but a friend suggested I wait till water temps get into the 70's. Surface temps now are in the mid 60's. She dives into just about any water around the house and seems to really love it.

Should I wait a little or just let her ease into it now and enjoy it. I do feel she is ready and can tell she is going to love the water.

Just don't wanna screw any thing up.

 

[Matt Duncan]

Just think of the temps.. would you swim in it right now? at 11 weeks that water is gonna feel the same to her as it does you...

 

[David McLendon]

I have a 10 week old Cosmo pup that made her first successful mass entry into the water with her littermates at 6 weeks. They are all gone now and it has been cooler here so we haven't pushed water. I have an older pup in the late stages of swim-by and yesterday I threw him fun bumpers into the water while the C'mo pup watched. After a few I threw her a bumper really close to shore while the older pup was on retrieve and went from there. Keep it fun and keep it casual, there is too much emphasis lately on having pups doing ridiculous stuff at an early age. You'd think having a Cosmo pup I might be sucked into that, but no let them be pups and let them have fun and don't push them too early. It'll pay off later, but if you have a pup like mine be sure to make sure they can sit and be quiet.

 

[Daniel J Simoens]

Going with other dogs is probably the best advice. They'll show her how much fun it can be!! My one year old was in the water this morning and it was only about 45 deg out. Just splashing around in a shallow creek, and he had a ton of fun!

 

[Howard N]

Just think of the temps.. would you swim in it right now? at 11 weeks that water is gonna feel the same to her as it does you...

You know this how?

 

[Matt Duncan]

You know this how?

I have no scientific evidence. But I think thats a pretty good rule of thumb with a pup that young. Just like to air on the side of caution when introducing a 11 week old pup to water call me crazy I guess...

 

[Dustin D]

I'd continue to take her next to water/ponds and let her do her own thing. She has a double coat, you do not. So what you feel is nowhere near what she feels when it comes to temperature and the E-Collar for that matter.

60 is high enough. I've seen quite a few topics on here where pups went in earlier than that with no issues at all. Don't force, just encourage. When her feet touch the water, get excited.

Once it does warm up above 65 , It's game on. You can get her excited with some land retrieves, then throw one a few feet off the bank where she used to play. Gradually working the retrievers further and further out.

She might surprise you, like most often they do, and just take off in the water swimming in a little half circle back to the bank all on her own with no encouragement.

You can do like most, and always just get in the water with the pup.

Here's was my first experience with my pup and water. You'll have to read the whole thing b/c there are/were updates. What I thought was a fail turned out to be nothing at all. Our dogs are a special breed and they are more forgiving to our mistakes than we are to ourselves.
http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/showthread.php?t=80611


Cheers

 

[Evan]

Each pup is different. Age alone isn't adequate criteria to allow an owner to know whether a pup will react positively to water at a specific temp. I put on my waders and carry my pups out into fairly shallow water and gradually lower them into it - petting them and talking to them to comfort and encourage them. Reading their reactions in the moment is a good way of knowing your pup.

Take a fetch object to play with if the pup does well. I like water to be 60 F or better. But some places never get that luxury. You're just going to have to learn to read your dog, and to be patient.

Evan

 

[rbr]

If the water in a local pond that has a spot where she can walk in is in the 60s I wouldn't hesetate to give her a chance to go in on her own. Put on a pair of boots and wade in. If she's ready she will follow you.

Bert