Thread: Teaching a dog to swim

Our boy just figured it out for himself and now can't get him out of the water ...
Just started in shallow water throwing sticks and he would go deeper until the point of swimming then stop .
Finally took him to the river with us and he just followed us straight in and swam , just like that .
About to head back up there now for another splash .
We did learn pretty fast to watch out for thrashing paddling legs with sharp claws ....

Originally Posted by LBD

"So how do you teach a dog to swim?"
"Same as my dad taught me to swim!"
"How was that?"
"Well every morning my dad would row me out the middle of the lake and throw me overboard and I would need to flounder my way back home"
"Was that not a bit hard and dangerous?"
"Nah was a piece of cake ... only hard part was getting out of the weighted sack to start with....

@LBD Reminds me of this ,still get a chuckle out of it & great John Wayne movie "Hondo"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8ulKND9cbY



@Bobba since the hound is older you are far better off starting off in shallower water other wise it is not unusual for them to be hesitant of ever getting in if they scare themselves ,Vizsla & Weimaraner's are 2 breeds l have seen mates dogs with this bad habit .All our dogs have always had to learn to swim from as early as they could, as we own a farm with dam's & take the hounds jet boat hunting with us & even diving in the big boat . With all my dogs l have always found as young as possible the better , my Labs all got in the farm dam as soon as they were old enough to walk with mum to it ,other wise on farms you risk a drowning & all breeds take to it much better at the earliest age IMO .

With my Vizsla's ,GSP's & farm dogs ,l normally start them by wading into the water & calling them in ,that way they have target to focus & head to not just a expanse of water & the reassurance of you being there to receive them .

This dopey bastard is supposed to be on the Bench for the Farm dogs & keep the missus company & only just turned one & is already retrieving ducks with its adopted mum our old Lab .I was actually going to look this year at getting a replacement Lab for our old girl to train up in time to retire her , but if this Looney thinks it is a Lab its got the job, last duck season the old Lab would even hand off the ducks mid water so the youngster could complete the retrieve ,did as good a job as any .
@Bobba start him off in shallow water & he will be fine & being summer make the most of the learning experience & be in the water encouraging him & it will also be a important part of forging the trust & bonding needed in a good gun dog.

Down at the local lake the other day my pup in for a swim front feet thrashing, soon found that in the reeds/grass raupo and stinky mud was more to his taste. Then a ute pulls up local cocky just out of the cowshed walks into water and dives in swimming along. I called my pup and made him sit. The cockys dog a black lab walks only like labs can walk with the whole body waving it tune with the wagging tail. the lab walks into the water and just keeps going swimming happily along without even a splash and hardly making a wave. Out comes the cocky jumps in the ute whistles the dog who just swims into shore transitioning between swimming and walking with no splash jumps onto the ute and there gone. My pup just looks as if to say WTF. the whole encounter lasted 2 mins at tops. Time in the water I guess

Our girl is totally toy focused, nothing matters but her ball. When she was young she was happy enough to go in the river to fetch her ball, but not if her feet couldn't touch the bottom - we had to fetch the ball if we threw it too far. Now she will do a huge leap into the water and swim quite a way after her ball. She loves the river, she starts squealing on the drive there once we get close.