Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 4:58 pm Post subject: Can our girl swim?
Our girl is coming up to two years old now and a really active dog - at least a couple of good rural walks a day; fields, woods etc.
Loves water but can't / won't swim. We have a large pond near us with good sloping sides and she runs around in it chest high but throw in a stick and she'll woof and paw the water until finally she's able to stretch out and reach it.
Have tried walking with swimmers who dive and and fetch and the minute they get to the shore they get mugged for the stick or dummy.
Also have taken her to the sea and despite the (summer!) temperatures have not been able to get her to take the plunge despite her running happily through the shallows. Once, on her lead I supported her 'out to sea' until she was out of her depth and she did swim the ten feet or so back to the shore but her little heart was pounding away and I didn't want to put her off for life by trying again. My old school dad says 'take her out in a boat and heave her in - she'll soon swim then'
Apart from that draconian route has anybody got any sensible ideas please?
Has she ever had a scare whereby she`s fallen in deeper water?, this happened to CJ.
To get his confidence up again I used to throw his ball in so he could walk and fetch, sporead over several days I threw it a littler farther each time, til he had a choice of swimming for it or letting it float away, he loves his ball too much to let that happen so he swam
Something similar may work for your girl, it could also be that she just doesn`t want to swim, not all Labs are good in water
How about taking her to a hydrotherapy session if there's a place near you that does it. They often offer a person who will go in (in a wetsuit!) with your dog and support their body, throw a ball and so on so he definately won't drown and maybe a positive experience like that will encourage her in other situations too because she'll know she can do it.
sorry but I get really angry with the old school "throw them in" people!
Why should a dog enjoy swimming? They are individuals the same as we are. She has proved she CAN swim so if she was to fall in anywhere you know she could get to safety.
Jed loves playing in the water, the waves can break over his shoulders and he is happy, but if his feet all come off the bottom at the same time he gets very worried. He CAN swim but choses not to.
Try her with just one other dog for competition. She might just run in with one other after a retrieve, but 2 seems like more effort than some dogs are willing to expend with competition!
She almost certainly can swim, just hasn't had enough personal motvation to want to! As a labrador, its a big part of their job description! But she certainly wouldn't be the first lab on LF that doesn't care to get her ears wet!
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I'm with Fee, playing with another dog that is happy in the water an swimming will tell you if your girl wants to swim, our girl was a wuss at first but when we had a swimmy water day with her siblings there was no stopping her.
If she likes to be first with a retrieve of ball or dummy she will forget about the scary water and fly in, or do a very careful plop, but she will go and not look back from then onwards.
Thats what happened on our first real swim day, so quality comes with numbers who already love the water.
Good Luck, oh and I agree the draconian way is not for me .
Arley wouldnt go in water at first I think he was about 12months when he first swam now I cant keep him out. He has a floating kong which he loves to fetch in water.
I would be careful forcing him in he may be put off for ever.
sophie was like that at first but lucky it was summer her mum and sister came to the beach and bit by bit she went in till her paws did not touch the ground now she goes far out
Bella has never swum (nowhere deep enough) but she loves splashing around in water. Shadow on the other hand does not like water at all, and would rather jump over it than get her feet wet. The only time she will venture in is if it's to get her ball.
Is there a particular reason you want her to swim? Are you training her as a gundog? If she is happy enough splashing around in the shallow water, then I'd leave her to it
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Thanks for the replies all. Some interesting points and I'm grateful.
Certainly wouldn't 'chuck her in at the deep end' - also the point about why we want her to swim is interesting and one I hadn't considered really. I suppose it's because two previous labs I've had have both swum like the proverbial fish and for this girlie I thought that for her to swim easily would enhance her life and her fun when out. But take the point that if she's happy splashing and doesn't swim - she doesn't need to retrieve for a living - well so be it and if she does want to take the plunge that's up to her.
The hydrotherapy idea is a good one too although a little overkill maybe given my thoughts above. She's never been scared off or scolded for being wet or in water - I think with labs, towelling off a steaming four legged seal on the kitchen floor that the wife's just mopped is one of the joys of ownership
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