# Tricks on getting in water



## AcadianTornado (Jul 30, 2012)

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone has had issues with their V retrieving/going in water. Whistler isn't too sure about getting in there even if we play fetch. Any suggestions? Is this an age related thing? Or maybe we have just not presented the water just right too him..


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## hotmischief (Mar 11, 2012)

I expect Ken will have some good suggestions to help you water train him. My pup went in at 10 weeks - totally by accident. Our older dog went in and the puppy jumped after him and had to swim for it. I thought it might put him off, but no, every time the older dog went in he was in there too. Now he just loves the water, loves retrieving from the water.

Maybe you could find some older, water loving dogs for him to follow.


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## Denaligirl (Aug 28, 2012)

Denali first went in the water about a month ago (around 4 months old). She had been near water before (pools, streams, and a pond) but hadn't really showed much interest in going in. Our friend suggested we come to the pond with them & their lab who loves the water. We went out and got a fun water retrieval toy and went to the water spot with our friends and their lab. Denali watched their dog for a few minutes and decided he was having way too much fun without her and all of a sudden was in the water! She retrieved the toy several times and we made sure not to throw it too far. I think that was the best way to introduce her to the water, with another dog who can show her the way. We also never forced her in, she decided to go in and also when she had had enough! Good luck!


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

It took ours a full year to learn that he loved to swim (we had been exposing him since 12 weeks). We just kept trying, never pushed it. He finally swam for the first time at a beach that very gradually got deeper; don't know if that had anything to do with it or not. Now we can't keep him out of the water!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley really only started swimming when she was about 8 months old. The key (for her) was water that was clear, calm, and gradually got deeper. We didn't ever force her to go in, but we did encourage her by tossing sticks into the water. At first, we tossed sticks so she just barely had to get her feet wet and then we tossed them farther and farther until she had to actually swim for them. Her first month or two of swimming were hysterical to watch because she tried using mostly her front paws and just splashed a ton, so was tired very quickly. After months of practice, she is a very skilled swimmer and can easily swim for an hour or more without getting tired.


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## redbirddog (Apr 23, 2010)

go swimming yourself in very shallow water (about 3 feet). If you can go with other dogs that enjoy the water it will make it much easier also. Never throw them in as panic will occur and the dog will fear water on a basic survival level.

RBD


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## AcadianTornado (Jul 30, 2012)

Thanks for the comments, I have a friend who has a 3 year old husky lab mix that plays with him often. I will try bringing them in a situation where the lab will go freely in the water so Whistler can see how much fun it is. We brought him to the beach a few times but he hasn't been keen on going in the water. We've brought him in shallow water where he can touch the ground and he just runs to the ground (beach). I'll keep patiently going through the motions with him and we'll see how he evolves. Hopefully he'll jump in before the lakes freeze over!


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Well, it looks like the fastest way to get your pup in water is to have them go with another buddy who loves to swim. Our 6 month old re-home Cooper jumped into the water today at Sunol to take his first official swim (he's fallen in by accident before...) so he could be just like his big sister! 8)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2cj3cQZRNY&feature=g-u-u


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Absent of another dog to help him here is what I did.
I put on a pair of waders and took my V for a "walk". I walked him at heel through the water on a leash but made sure he was only up to his chest, and gradually over a few days worked it to where he had to swim a little, and could walk a little. Eventually we went for "swims" on the leash.
It seemed to instill in him that he could always get himself out of the water,and increased his comfort/confidence. A Few months later he passed his water portion of the NAVDHA test with ease, and became a great coastal duck dog. He used to chase swans on the water too... Dummy


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## VictoriaW (Mar 16, 2011)

Threefsh's video should have come with a warning label. As if I didn't already want another one!!!!


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## ZDOGSMOM (Sep 15, 2012)

We lived on Fort Myers Beach, Fla when we got Ziva. Brought her home at 8 wks old... day after we got her walked over to the beach with her... sat her down on the beach...at the edge of the water.. it was a calm day and there was a calm roll to the surf coming in.... just wanted to let her explore with us right there next to her... she put her feet in the water.... then put her head down into a gentle roll of a wave and the rest was history... we couldn't keep her out of the water.....

As she grew she would run in the Gulf of Mexico and jump the waves ... and swim until I would have to make her come in to rest. She always entertained hundreds of people walking the beach. 

To this day if there is a body of water anywhere within eye sight she will be in it!


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## adrino (Mar 31, 2012)

Same here, Elza needed a long time to be comfortable in the water. We chose clear water because if she couldn't see the bottom she wouldn't go in. Never forced her also, we wanted her to go in on her own. 
Luckily she's a natural swimmer and never splashed around but even now after swimming for about 2 months she's still very cautious going in. Once she's in she doesn't want to come out! 

I suggest to use a place where the bank/beach slopes so he can slowly walk in deeper and deeper. The big step for Elza was her chest gettin wet, after that her back. Once that was done she's a water lover! ;D


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## Denaligirl (Aug 28, 2012)

I just uploaded my first Youtube video so I could share the video of her first day retrieving in the water that I referred to above. I didn't get the lab in the shot but you can hear a big splash at the end of the clip..that is him going in! Hopefully I did this right...
http://youtu.be/gMQx6u3R2KA


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## AcadianTornado (Jul 30, 2012)

Just saw the vid! Very nice! Hope to be able to bring Whistler in just like that soon!!


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## littlelulu (Jun 21, 2011)

It took a long time for Lulu to get in the water. She was probably over a year. Since she can be very cautious and nervous, we didn't want to push it, so we let her decide when she was ready. She loves to fetch so we just tossed the ball in shallow water and worked up the distance from there. Floating yummy treats in shallow water might help, too. Now at almost 3 years, she loves it! She won't go swimming just for the sake of swimming itself, but will fetch her ball or a dummy in the water til she drops. We found that a well fitting life jacket helped a lot at first. We still use it in the ocean, when boating, in very deep water or if she will be swimming for longer periods of time.


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