# She won’t swim!



## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

We got Fred in summer last year and I didn’t teach her how to swim as a puppy. Now she is 1 year old, and she needs to be swimming for hunting training. I have tried everything except going in with her. The weather is still too cold, so I’m trying this forum as my last resort for tips that do not include me going in with her 😉

If this doesn’t work, I’m not pushing her too far because she really panicks if she is forced. Worst case I’ll just wait for summer to arrive and we’ll go have fun swimming together. Hunting trainer wants her to be swimming ASAP so says I’ll have to go in myself. 

It’s not the water she hates, it’s just she doesn’t go in further than her feet on the ground can get her.


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

What is the motivator to go in? Toy, bird? Is it a lake where she needs to swim? And yes starting in cold weather may not be the best idea for her. You could try with a neoprene vest, combined with high value motivator in the water. And yes human in water in my experience is very high on the motivator scale🤓


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## TrumpetBlast (Jun 27, 2020)

We took it very slowly with our girl. Make sure it's a situation that you can control for the most part (no splashing kids, etc and then allow her to feel comfortable. We took ours to very shallow water at first and just played with her having her toes in the stream. Then we would toss a stick very close to her and kept going out a little further as she gained confidence. Always keeping it fun. I'd also read that if you have a water shy pup you can pair it with an older retriever and play fetch with them both. When the older dog goes in after the stick or bumper, the younger one's competitive nature will kick in and she will try to beat the older dog. I also would say, go ahead and get in there with her! That would surely be a motivation.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

Find a nice, sloping, firm footing, entry point. A boat launch works excellent for this. Put her on her leash, and yes, you are going in. If you can't find a boat launch, find a clear sandy bottom entry point.
You walk into the water with the leash and gently get her ankle height in the water. Walk back and forth and back and forth do not let her get out of thewater, and DO NOT pull her in to the point she is in over her head.! You may have to apply pressure on the leash to get her in up to her ankles.
Once you've gone back and forth a few times, let her get out of the water, but not off the leash. You will remain in the water.
Let her get her composure back and bring her back into the water, but maybe a little bit deeper. Once again, do not pull her in. Call her, prod her, lots of encouragement, favorite toys. Whatever might work.
Once she is comfortable walk her in and out of the water repeatedly many times.
Once she is ready, you will kind of support her and carry her into water that is just deep enough that she can't stand up. Let her go aimed toward shore and she should feel the ground under he feet right away. She's still on a leash. She can paddle a few feet and stand up, but don't let her out of the water. Slowly increase the distance she has to "swim" before her feet touch the ground. You're in the water the whole time with her. Don't be surprised if she swims little "panic circles" around you. Just continue to support her as you would a child.
Regardless of what the trainer wants, this may take a few weeks. The trainer will have to wait on the dog.
At one year old she should still be working the ground primarily. Steady to wing, holding the point, searching productively. land retrieval. Searching dead, stay, whoa, come, change direction. In, out. Cast left. Cast right, and more. She doesn't have to swim right this moment. She's still months away from the water retrieval component.
There's a lot of other work that can be done. Go slow!!!!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I waded across the river as Ruby was hesitant,,,she followed and started swimming


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## Frida010 (Apr 24, 2020)

Thanks a lot for all the advice. I’ve just told our trainer I’m taking it easy on the swimming. Today we just watched the others swim. She is by far the most talented of the group, or at least I think so ;-) I am not in a rush, we rented a nice small vacation house this summer close to a lake. I’m pretty sure she’ll end up loving to swim. It’s just too cold to go in with her now..

About the training, it’s a general hunting class that focuses primarily on “after shot”. Most of the others are retrievers. Pointing and searching is not part of it, unfortunately.


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## Rachpach (May 4, 2021)

Our pup wasn't keen at the start so we just encouraged her into the shallows with toys, sticks etc to start with, then very gradually threw them out further till eventually she was out of depth. Probably took a good couple of weeks. Going somewhere where there are other dogs in the water also helps I think, as they can see them swimming and mimic/copy the other dogs. Mine is less keen to get in when it is cold (I get that!!), and I noticed she was much more open to the idea once the weather got warmer. Good luck!


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

A whole summer, at a house near a lake!
No worries, you got this covered!
Have lots of fun.


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## fosterlisa (Jun 30, 2016)

Frida010 said:


> We got Fred in summer last year and I didn’t teach her how to swim as a puppy. Now she is 1 year old, and she needs to be swimming for hunting training. I have tried everything except going in with her. The weather is still too cold, so I’m trying this forum as my last resort for tips that do not include me going in with her 😉
> 
> If this doesn’t work, I’m not pushing her too far because she really panicks if she is forced. Worst case I’ll just wait for summer to arrive and we’ll go have fun swimming together. Hunting trainer wants her to be swimming ASAP so says I’ll have to go in myself.
> 
> It’s not the water she hates, it’s just she doesn’t go in further than her feet on the ground can get her.


Our Lucy hates the water! She doesn't like the rain, we have a pool that she refuses to go even when I am in with treats. She does like to get on a float in our pool & float though! Last year I started paddle boarding with her at a lake. It isn't her favorite thing to do but she will now at least get her feet in the water & is a bit more excited. Not much advise sorry, I guess maybe not all V's are water happy!


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