Thread: when should a Labrador start swimming?

Hi guys my Labrador is 8 months old now and I was wondering should he be swimming yet? He seems to like the water but as soon as it gets deep he backs up and leaves the water. Any tips or technics to get him swimming? Or am I asking too much from him for his age?

Cheers Dan

get in water with him...get other dogs who like water in with him...shallow gently shelving bottom is the ideal..by 8 mths a lab should be part fish I would have thought.
heaps of fun/excitement and NO pressure

This time of year, Too damn cold to get in and play mother.
Pick a back stream, put your waders on, make sure it's not too swift but needs to be just out of his depth an walk across.
He may muck around, he may piss about, but eventually he'll come, especially if you disappear into the bush on the other side calling and encouraging him.
Ask me how i know this.

Same thing worked for my brothers lab vizsla cross he couldn't get it in any water deeper than chest hight so he walked across and into the trees the dog followed him eventually and now he can't keep the thing out of the water


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My labs nearly 1½, she loves playing around in water but just wont swim

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Thanks. Looks like I still have a lot of work to do. Maybe the waikato river is not the best place to take him. Maybe lake taupo? He may have gotten a fright after the first time he hoped in deep froze and sunk.

sing out if ya need a hand I can provide a little cocker he can chase around and follow into the water.

Thanks for all your advice. I finally got him to swim today and bring the stick back. So thats one step closer to being a duck hunting dog. Now the next step is getting him next to a gun...

when it's in a sack---- just joking. never owned one and probably never will

My lab x learnt the hard way.Was setting up decoys on a pond that was covered in green weed. Told him to sit as I walked around the edge of the pond and then called him and he went straight in thinking it was land. Took him a while to get over that fright poor bugger.

I can't help myself tonight. If all else fails mate try throwing a mince pie in the water (let him see you chuck it) and he will be in like a robber dog

On a serious note, easy does it when you introduce him to the gun.

Just spat my coffee out through my noise reading that

Originally Posted by mikee

I can't help myself tonight. If all else fails mate try throwing a mince pie in the water (let him see you chuck it) and he will be in like a robber dog

On a serious note, easy does it when you introduce him to the gun.

Originally Posted by Dan-N

Thanks for all your advice. I finally got him to swim today and bring the stick back. So thats one step closer to being a duck hunting dog. Now the next step is getting him next to a gun...

Get some one to give you a hand.
You stay with your dog just playing and make encouraging sounds.
Send the person away with the shot gun. Then have them fire. Then move closer. Stop if the dog looks scared...
Always worked well. Plenty on treats food bribery is best it is a lab after all....stomach on four legs

labs are great

Take the dog to the local clay target club & slowly get the dog closer to the shooting & they will become more comfortable with the noise. I have a Chocolate lab that is scared of guns & doesn't like swimming (she will run for miles to avoid swimming across a stream), she is comfortable at the claytarget club & will happily sit there beside me while I shoot But anywhere else & is terrified, at home she is scared of a recoil pad or other gun parts. How I solved this problem is I bought a very shiny, sharp looking, BLACK 10 week old boy Lab & called him 'Hunter' he has 1 real purpose & is amazing at it, He is now 4 years old & an incredible hunting dog & the Chocolate Lab is 11years old & still Bloody hopeless ..............some have it & some just don't.