does anyone else have a golden retreiver that hates water?

Question

i have a lab/golden retreiver that absolutely hates water he wont even go out to the bathroom in the rain i never did anything to him with water except bath him and i dont make that chore horrible on him he will be 7 this month and i was wondering if this is a common problem he is soo bad he will walk around a water puddle dont get me wrong he does stay clean but he wont even go swimming or play in a creek or anything that has to do with water it is like he is allergic to it or something it has been rainy for the last couple days and i have to force him out (not physically) to go to the bathroom

Answer 1

lol i know those probs well,i think every breed of dog has a water shy one.
we had a great dane who wouldnt go near water for 14 years we tried every thing, nothing worked though and in he last year she struggled just as much at bath time as she did when she was a year.
it always took 3 of us to bath her and for some reason we always ended up just as wet as her!

Answer 2

he probably had a bad experience as a pup. When we got our lab pup she was a rescue. She was terrified of water due to her maltreatment. We began by just sitting with her in the garage when it rained and petting her and talking to her. Slowly she figured out a little water wont hurt her and we began to have her walk through puddles and take her out to play in the rain.
It was a very slow process and she still hates baths but is not afriad of water any more. As for baths, all I can recommend is having a routine of treats and playing afterward so he knows when he has to have the bath that a reward is coming after. Also try not to get frustrated because most likely the fear is not he fault.

Answer 3

I think it is a seeing and depth problem.Get his trust and walk threw the puddles with him. I only know for sure this isnt normal and fear is the clue! Best of luck