My dog seems terrified of the water (tail under her legs and heart beating). We now have a pool in our backyard and I want her to enjoy swimming. I'm not going to force her to swim, but I wish she would want to. Can I do anything?
2007-04-19 08:53:29 · 19 answers · asked by babyi'melectricc. 4 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Try to coax her into the water with you. Offer her a treat and see if she'll jump in for it. Play with her and jump into the pool while she's running with you. Just help her associate water with good things. She probably thinks you're trying to give her a bath.
2007-04-19 08:57:41 · answer #1 · answered by gilgamesh 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dogs are extremely smart about water.. My dogs love swimming.. but wont go anywhere near my pool.
I think they are more comfortable with water they can walk into, simply because they know they can walk out.. perhaps the dog is scared of being trapped in the water? Maybe it is the smell of the water.. they pick up on the faintest of chemical scents.
If I go to the local lake.. my dogs are comfortable jumping off the end of the dock and swimming to the shore.. because they know they are safe.
It all depends on the layout of your pool? If it is inground with a normal staircase to walk out.. as soon as your dog realizes it is there and gets comfortable with getting in and out.. the dog will probably go swimming .. but the pool chemicals will have to be kept to the absolute minimum. Above ground pools.. it will take a lot getting used to.
Maybe try getting one of those little plastic kiddy pools.. my dogs love them and they cost next to nothing.
I have 2 large Labradors.. they were born to be wet. That has a lot to do with it.. some breeds just naturally hate water.. look into that possibility as well.
2007-04-19 09:06:34 · answer #2 · answered by lost_but_not_hopeless 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dog never did like water. I started taking her down to a lake and she eventually would go into the lake a short way. It may be hard with a pool because the dog would be in water over its head right away.
Try putting a little wading pool in the yard, put in a few toys and see if the dog enjoys it.
2007-04-19 09:09:07 · answer #3 · answered by Patti C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the dog is terrified of water you should probably not ever make it to swim and how can the dog ever enjoy swimming if it's terrified of water. If you can get her over it, do it in a slow process.
2007-04-19 08:57:45 · answer #4 · answered by SL65 AMG 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it doesn't like water it wont start. I had an American Bulldog that LOVED water and the ocean. She would jump in and refuse to get out. Unfortunately she was killed by a car. later on I got another AMBD, the dog I have now, and she hates water and is scared of it......she has not gotten over it. At the ocean she just runs along the edge barking at it. I figured eventually she would jump in...I even tried bribery to no avail!
2007-04-19 09:00:11 · answer #5 · answered by st0l1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well...I remember with my puppy...she was terrified of the water...even why I tried giving her baths! So, I started to bathe her in a small plastic bin with a low water level, so she wouldn't be so terrified. Pretty soon she started enjoying the water and as she did, I started bringing the water level up, and now I've had her for 3 years, and I take her to the beach, and she's just fine with water. I guess their like children. They need to be introduced to the water and then will eventually grow to becoming comfortable with it.
2007-04-19 09:02:25 · answer #6 · answered by ChelseaS 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what kind of dog you have. If you have a bulldog, just leave it alone. Some dogs can't/don't swim because it's not thier job. My Greyhound would sink like a brick!
I'm sure there are plenty of other things for you and your dog to enjoy together. Don't sweat it.
Also, not sure if chlorine is ok for dogs or not. I would guess that dog fur is not good for the filter system.
2007-04-19 09:00:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Probably not. My dog is also scared of water - he even avoids puddles! You could try getting her to splash about in a small amount of water in a paddling pool by playing with a favourite toy or using treats, and then gradually increase the depth of water. Or maybe she would feel safe if you were in the water with her.
2007-04-19 08:59:24 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dogs have in part webbed ft, which helps them swim better, and that i've got on no account come throughout the time of a dogs that doesn't understand a thank you to swim, yet i've got come throughout the time of a few dogs that detest water with a burning hobby, lol. Our oldest Pit Bull likes to swim. as quickly as we take him to the park down the line some blocks from our domicile throughout the time of the summer time, he will run and leap interior the water and attack the fountain. purely undesirable area is that he will now and lower back swallow too lots water and throw it back up, that's why we continually might desire to continually exhibit screen him now. My lady Pit is uncertain of water an excellent form of the time, yet as quickly as i ultimately coax her into leaping in, she has an excellent form of exciting.
2016-12-29 10:39:21 · answer #9 · answered by camden 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You shouldn't do anything. Just let her be. And maybe little by little, she'll start warming up to the idea. And you'll be suprised... she might just give it a shot and end up liking the water. Of course, my dog never liked water. And she was a Siberian Husky. Everytime it was time for her bath, she'd go running like crazy! And for all those years, she never came to like the water. So maybe your dog just like mine. Anyway, just give it a try and I hope everything turns out o.k.
2007-04-19 09:02:38 · answer #10 · answered by Popcorn 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋