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getting a dog used to water



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 4th 05, 02:06 AM
MauiJNP
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Default getting a dog used to water

What's the best way to get a dog to enjoy going in small creeks to fetch
toys? I have been working on the slow approach, just getting the toy
closer and closer to the edge and then in the water a bit. Maui will get it
but not if too much of him has to go in the water (basically toes only).
Also, he will go in a little with me not even there (when Riley, my sisters
dog takes him down to the water....yes they go alone because they roam free
when outside and the property is huge). Then, in our swimming pool (which
is above ground and 34 feet in diameter) he has no problem having me hold
him with all but his ears and face in the water. He doesn't even try to
swim for the most part because he knows he is safe in my arms (we just float
around and he's calm the whole time). A few times though, he got too close
to the pool edge and fell in. Whenever he does this, he swims back to the
ladder or to me and I get him out again or hold him for awhile and put him
out to dry off. Since he does this, I know he can swim. So, how do I get
him to go in the creek farther than two inches and fetch a toy or at least
walk beside me? We have a creek on our property so I want him to be able to
feel very comfortable with it (not just ok with it). Thanks for any advice!


  #2  
Old August 4th 05, 12:49 PM
Handsome Jack Morrison
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"MauiJNP" wrote in
:

What's the best way to get a dog to enjoy going in small creeks to
fetch toys?

[]

1. Find a part of the creek with a gradually sloping bank and throw
things your dog normally retrieves on land (e.g., his toys) into the
water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Be sure to praise him when he does. Close
to shore at first, then a little further out each time.

2. Get in the creek yourself and call him to you. Repeat. Repeat.
Repeat. Be sure to use a "happy voice" and praise him when he does.
Close to shore at first, then a little further out each time.

3. Keep using another dog (hopefully he is already very comfortable in
the creek) to lure your dog into the creek, too. Repeat. Repeat.
Repeat. This way might work the quickest, if it's the right dog, and the
dog already loves to retrieve "things" from the water.

4. Be patient. "Comfortable-ness" in water can take some time with some
dogs.

Or...you can trade your dog in on a Lab, and then try to keep him *out*
of the water.

Yeah, go ahead. I dare you.

--
Handsome Jack Morrison
*gently remove the detonator to send me e-mail

You can't make this stuff up:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...e.asp?ID=19000
  #3  
Old August 4th 05, 12:54 PM
Handsome Jack Morrison
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Default

then a little further out each time.

Feel free to try it a little farther out, too.

Jeez.

[Take that, Quilt Lady!]
  #4  
Old August 4th 05, 01:31 PM
Janet B
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On 4 Aug 2005 11:49:11 GMT, Handsome Jack Morrison
, clicked their heels
and said:


Or...you can trade your dog in on a Lab, and then try to keep him *out*
of the water.


LOL! Or any retriever breed........... my choice!



--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album
  #5  
Old August 4th 05, 03:31 PM
Kathleen
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Default

MauiJNP wrote:
What's the best way to get a dog to enjoy going in small creeks to fetch
toys? I have been working on the slow approach, just getting the toy
closer and closer to the edge and then in the water a bit. Maui will get it
but not if too much of him has to go in the water (basically toes only).
Also, he will go in a little with me not even there (when Riley, my sisters
dog takes him down to the water....yes they go alone because they roam free
when outside and the property is huge). Then, in our swimming pool (which
is above ground and 34 feet in diameter) he has no problem having me hold
him with all but his ears and face in the water. He doesn't even try to
swim for the most part because he knows he is safe in my arms (we just float
around and he's calm the whole time). A few times though, he got too close
to the pool edge and fell in. Whenever he does this, he swims back to the
ladder or to me and I get him out again or hold him for awhile and put him
out to dry off. Since he does this, I know he can swim. So, how do I get
him to go in the creek farther than two inches and fetch a toy or at least
walk beside me? We have a creek on our property so I want him to be able to
feel very comfortable with it (not just ok with it). Thanks for any advice!


Get in yourself. When our BC, Scully, was a puppy she learned to enjoy
swimming by following the kids into the creek. There was no pressure or
coersion. They all played in the shallows for a while, then the kids
went in up to their necks. Scully whined, paced, then swam out to the
kids. We have to keep an eye on her because as long as somebody's in
the water, she stays with them, swimming circles around them or sort of
treading water, and she'll do it until she's exhausted.

When we got Zane, our male BC, he swam because Scully did. They also
learned to enjoy clambering up onto floating foam rubber mats for a
rest. I was impressed. *I* can hardly climb onto one of those mats
from deep water without a bunch of flailing and splashing, and sometimes
tipping over. They just climb right up onto them, with no help from
anybody.

And when we added a JRT to the household, Cooper followed the BCs into
the water. He's actually got the funniest swimming strategy. He'll try
to race the BCs out to a thrown tennis ball, but can't keep up after the
first few yards. He keeps going, though, until Zane grabs the ball. As
the big dog starts to head back to shore, Cooper also turns and heads
landward, paddling slowly and glancing over his shoulder frequently like
a surfer angling for the perfect wave. As Zane begins to pass him, he
gives a surge of effort and sort of tucks in alongside Zane's flank so
he can draft in Zane's wake. When he's getting tired, he'll turn his
head and hook his chin over Zane's back so that he gets a short tow. He
looks like a tugboat steering a freighter to dock. Or like some sort of
pilot fish escorting an orca.

Kathleen

  #6  
Old August 4th 05, 06:23 PM
Rocky
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Default

Janet B said in
rec.pets.dogs.behavior:

Or...you can trade your dog in on a Lab, and then try to
keep him *out* of the water.


LOL! Or any retriever breed........... my choice!


Or herding breeds, at least in my experience.

The only dog that I had to teach to swim was Murphy, but that
was in salt water. After she figured it out, I couldn't keep
her out of the water. Murphy taught Rocky to swim (or at least
encouraged him by going in first) in the river. Since Rocky was
only 8 weeks old, I went in with him - he couldn't keep up with
the river until he was somewhat older.

--
--Matt. Rocky's a Dog.
  #7  
Old August 4th 05, 08:34 PM
Chris Jung
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Default


"Handsome Jack Morrison"
wrote in message ...
"MauiJNP" wrote in
:

What's the best way to get a dog to enjoy going in small creeks to
fetch toys?

[]

1. Find a part of the creek with a gradually sloping bank and throw
things your dog normally retrieves on land (e.g., his toys) into the
water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Be sure to praise him when he does. Close
to shore at first, then a little further out each time.

2. Get in the creek yourself and call him to you. Repeat. Repeat.
Repeat. Be sure to use a "happy voice" and praise him when he does.
Close to shore at first, then a little further out each time.

3. Keep using another dog (hopefully he is already very comfortable in
the creek) to lure your dog into the creek, too. Repeat. Repeat.
Repeat. This way might work the quickest, if it's the right dog, and the
dog already loves to retrieve "things" from the water.

4. Be patient. "Comfortable-ness" in water can take some time with some
dogs.

Or...you can trade your dog in on a Lab, and then try to keep him *out*
of the water.

Yeah, go ahead. I dare you.


Four years ago when we introduced Pablo the Smoothie to the joys of
swimming, we used method #2 and went into the deep water, at least up to our
chests. Pablo - a collie in touch with his inner Lassie - was horrified and
went into the deep water to herd us back to shore. He seemed to consider it
his duty and accompanied us into the deep stuff every time. At first he did
that anxious fast paddling but in time he became quite comfortable and
relaxed. The other important factor was that we went swimming at the end of
blazing hot days and you could almost see the dawning realization on Pablo's
face that, just maybe, this swimming thing was OK.

This summer we've taken Lucy to the local swimming holes but method #2
didn't work at all (no inner Lassie in this collie). Methods #1 & 3 didn't
work either. So I've been carrying her in (thank goodness she's a petite
little girl) to about waist deep water, holding her in place and letting her
swim to shore accompanied by accolades to her tremendous bravery. Praise
works great with Lucy - she's a vain silly girl. I could imagine that this
method could backfire (make the dog scared of water) and perhaps even hurt
the dog's trust in his owner but it's working well with Lucy.

Chris and her swimming smoothies
Pablo & Lucy


  #8  
Old August 4th 05, 08:58 PM
Handsome Jack Morrison
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Default

On Thu, 04 Aug 2005 19:34:43 GMT, "Chris Jung"
wrote:

[]
you could almost see the dawning realization on Pablo's
face that, just maybe, this swimming thing was OK.


That "Eureka!" moment is a joy to behold, isn't it?

This summer we've taken Lucy to the local swimming holes but method #2
didn't work at all (no inner Lassie in this collie). Methods #1 & 3 didn't
work either.


I bet they would have, had you been a little more patient.

With some dogs, it can take weeks to get over the hump.

So I've been carrying her in (thank goodness she's a petite
little girl) to about waist deep water, holding her in place and letting her
swim to shore accompanied by accolades to her tremendous bravery. Praise
works great with Lucy - she's a vain silly girl. I could imagine that this
method could backfire (make the dog scared of water) and perhaps even hurt
the dog's trust in his owner but it's working well with Lucy.


You know your dog better than anyone else, so if that's what's
working, by all means keep doing it.

But...now that she's got a little taste of swimming, you might want to
try Numbers 1, 2, or 3 again -- where she can progress, more or less,
at her own pace.

It's much easier to avoid a fear of water than it is to cure it once
it gets a foothold.

--
Handsome Jack Morrison
*gently remove the detonator to send me e-mail

You can't make this stuff up:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...e.asp?ID=19000
  #9  
Old August 5th 05, 12:33 AM
MauiJNP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Handsome Jack Morrison"
wrote in message ...
"MauiJNP" wrote in
:

What's the best way to get a dog to enjoy going in small creeks to
fetch toys?

[]

1. Find a part of the creek with a gradually sloping bank and throw
things your dog normally retrieves on land (e.g., his toys) into the
water. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Be sure to praise him when he does. Close
to shore at first, then a little further out each time.


that's pretty much what I have been doing, though I forget the treats so the
reward is usually just praise. next time, I will definately take treats
becuase Maui loves them and they definately motivate him.



2. Get in the creek yourself and call him to you. Repeat. Repeat.
Repeat. Be sure to use a "happy voice" and praise him when he does.
Close to shore at first, then a little further out each time.



when I am in he usually stays as close as he can without being in the water!
I will try more with treats though!


3. Keep using another dog (hopefully he is already very comfortable in
the creek) to lure your dog into the creek, too. Repeat. Repeat.
Repeat. This way might work the quickest, if it's the right dog, and the
dog already loves to retrieve "things" from the water.


the other dog doesn't live here anymore and that's what slowed our progress
the most. however, he will be visiting for a week or so and I plan to use
that to my advantage!

4. Be patient. "Comfortable-ness" in water can take some time with some
dogs.

Or...you can trade your dog in on a Lab, and then try to keep him *out*
of the water.


I love Maui and having a small dog but my next dog will definately be a dog
that loves fetch, retrievals and water since those are some of my favorite
games/activities.


Yeah, go ahead. I dare you.



yeah, my brother has a golden and the dog would sooner drowned than come out
of the water without the toy he went in for. My brother often has to go in
and drab the dog out if the stick floats away and the ball sinks.

anyway, thanks for all the great advice. I will try them all out and see
what happens.


--
Handsome Jack Morrison
*gently remove the detonator to send me e-mail

You can't make this stuff up:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles...e.asp?ID=19000



  #10  
Old August 5th 05, 12:35 AM
MauiJNP
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Janet B" wrote in message
...
On 4 Aug 2005 11:49:11 GMT, Handsome Jack Morrison
, clicked their heels
and said:


Or...you can trade your dog in on a Lab, and then try to keep him *out*
of the water.


LOL! Or any retriever breed........... my choice!





next dog I am getting must be part fish and part retriever! I just love
playing fetch with a dog or taking them swimming! Plus, living with water
near by eliminates the wet car ride home!





--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bestfr...bedience/album



 




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