Lab wont' swim!

[pants]

I have a 20 month old chocolate lab and she will not swim. She will go in the water but once she feels it getting to deep she will turn right around. Now I have tried everything from throwing a stick in the water to throwing treats in the water to going in the water myself to try and make her follow me. I have also brought her to my friends house who has a dog that loves to swim but she will not follow the other dog into the water. Has it come down to the last resort of throwing her in off the dock and making her swim or is that to risky (she may just panic and freeze)? Any advice would be great. I would love to see her swim but am now thinking that that may never happen. Thanks.

[poutpro]

I would bring her out with you in water that is over her head. Carry her though, don't depend on her following your. This will make her feel safe when in deep water. Then let her go for a little bit on her own. She will eventually become comfortable in the water

[Benny]

Another trick is to find a shallow creek deep enough to get her swimming, cross over to the oposite side of the dog and start coaxing the dog over.You may have to start walking away as well to get the dog to over come the fear of the water to be with you.

Benny

[duckbuster]

Please, what ever you do don't throw her off the dock. Be patient, it will eventually come to her. Benny's idea is a way we used on a couple of dogs. We also used your idea of using another dog to get her to go in.

Give it time. Remember she is now 20 months old most dogs are swimming by 4 months. The younger they are the less fear they have, just like kids.

GOOD LUCK & HANG IN THERE!!!

[lawdog]

I think if she has a strong retrieve instinct, that will pull her into the water. Make her go get the dummy a little farther into the water each time until she's swimming after it.

[ewirz]

DON'T FORCE HER!!! You could scare the dog and she'll never swim. She'll swim when she's ready, just like a baby learning to walk. Labs are bred to swim, its in their instinct.

I had the same issue with my black lab. She would wade up to her knees but would not go any deeper, regardless of what I threw or if I was in the water. Then one day, just like someone flipped a switch, she swam. Now I can't keep her out of the water.

Giver her plenty of opportunity, make it fun, but don't force her.

My 2 cents

ERW

[Ole #1]

Go to a small lake or stream, the dog needs to see the other shore. This might cure it and if it does, gradually move on to bigger lakes

[4FOR]

I don't know if you have any kids or not if you do when it gets nice take the dog and kids swimming the dog should want to go with the kids ( if you don't borrow the neighbors kids if the dog likes them)

[sheepheadslayer]

Got my pup last october and just got her to swim last night. I have taken her 5 or 6 times this spring with no luck. She would just go out and stand in the water up to her chest. She would play around in the knee deep water, stick her head under water and everything but would not swim. Last night on about the 6th stick in the lake she went and got it. Then for the next 30mins that is all she did. What a good feeling. Just be patient and it will happen.

[Benny]

Every ones got some great advice for you, and I agree with them to not force the pup at all to swim.

I think the pup will do fine with the advice given here, just have lots of patiance.

Benny

[pants]

Thanks for all your input. I will keep you all informed as to if she will finally do the swim!

[hoggs222]

I have tried to get my dog into the water 2x so far this week. She won't even go near the water. Feet dig right into the sand. I picked her up & set her in the lake with me in there with her & she just runs out. Should I wait until the water is a little warmer befor I attempt this again?

[B@ssmaster]

I have a 100# lab I bought for duck hunting, had the same problem too when he was a pup. Took him a while to decide the water was fun, now I can't keep him out. I agree with the other posts, don't throw the dog in. I eventually resorted to getting in the lake ankle deep and coaxing him in with his training bumpers. Eventually he started following me deeper and deeper. Took a little longer to get him to do the jumps off the dock, but I worked it the same way, I got in the water just off the dock with a bumper, he eventually decided he wanted to play more than he didn't want to jump. Was worth it. You haven't lived until you see an 11 month old 100 pound black lab thunder down the dock and leap into the lake. The splash is incredible. Be patient, work with the dog. It will come. And in his case the water temp turned out to be a non-factor. He now routinely breaks ice to retrieve his toys, his training bumpers or downed ducks. Gives me the shivers watching him, but that's why we have them.

[Yooperhawgs]

I have a Springer Spaniel that would not get in the water that was over her head, even as much as she wanted too she would not go into water that she could not touch the bottom. I took the "throw her off the dock approach" and I advise don't do it unless you are prepared to get wet. It didn't hurt her in any way and she ended up loving the water after the incident but luckily I did it at my Grandpa's pond for I had to strip down to my bloomers and go get her. She did the dog paddle with the front feet but didn't use her back legs at all. Imagine a dog that is straight up and down in the water, splashing around just going around in circles in one spot. It was rather funny to see. I got in and held her and had to teach her how to swim. I supported her with one arm under the chest and with the other moved her back legs. She got the idea and before you knew it she was off and swimming! Thought I was the only one with a dog that couldn't swim. Like mentioned before, be patient and if all else fails, jump in and give lessons!

[Benny]

Whats better yet is to be out at the Game Fair and have a 50lbs female run down the bank out onto the dock and right at the point of no return hit the binders, then run all the way back up the dock to the shore and then go into the water.

All the while the crowd is getting the biggest laugh you ever heard.

Next try she runs full bore to the edge of the dock, hits the binders and barks at the dummy.

Can't wait to get there thise year to see if she will humiliate me again.

Benny

[Tripleplay]

Just a warning that if you do use the kids as an encouragement to get the dog in the water---dogs have front nails! My son and his cousin were in the lake and although my GSP loved swimming and the water in general, she wouldn't jump off of the end of the dock. She would actually run back up the dock and jump off it to the side in about knee to chest deep water. The kids started calling her to try to get her to jump off the end of the dock and she got so excited she actually kind of fell off of the end of the dock---well now she's in the water and started chasing the boys.

Needless to say---those front feet a churning away led to a very scratched up back on the cousin (got hit at least four times by her front feet) and one very wet owner who jumped in with clothes on to separate dog from nephew. (I also got scratched but that isn't the dogs fault--she only knows how to swim to keep her head above water and not to avoid my body or my nephews with her nails.)

Obviously the kids can encourage some dogs into the water and in my case overcome the dogs fear of jumping off the end of the dock, but from now on, my dog has her e-collar on when the kids are swimming as I need to be able to overcome her wanting to play tag with them and my voice alone wasn't enough the first time and I won't risk a second time.

[B@ssmaster]

I forgot to mention the claw thing. Definitely warn the kids, or make sure they are out of reach. I learned pretty quick how to duck and run (dive and swim) the instant he went airborne, just to avoid the claws. It kind of became a game for us. He did zig one time at the last instant and landed right on top of me. I drank a little lakewater with that impact. Did the Gamefair thing too. He can't compete on distance, but he gets some great OOOHHHs and AAAHHHs from the crowd when he hits the water.