How To Get A Puppy To Like Water

Not all dogs dear h2o. In fact, non even all Labrador retrievers, a brood known for their swimming abilities, beloved water (although they are certainly the anomalies)! It's of import not to force your dog to swim.

Many owners too would like their dogs to savor h2o, allow baths, or at to the lowest degree not exist afraid of the embankment! Luckily, using positive reinforcement training, nosotros tin can teach your h2o-shy pooch that h2o is fun.

A Note on the Importance of Early on Life Socialization

If you lot don't have a dog nevertheless, or have a young puppy, it's important to have advantage of a very precious affair in your domestic dog's life. Your dog goes through what's called a disquisitional socialization period betwixt the ages of well-nigh five weeks to almost 12 weeks. I can't say enough how important information technology is to understand what your puppy's development looks like at this age.

Basically, your puppy around this historic period is a sponge. New experiences are hands accepted – including h2o! If your domestic dog is not introduced to water (or anything new, actually) before this age, she'south much more than likely to be scared of information technology.

This makes evolutionary sense because mother dogs proceed their puppies safe for their early on lives. Chances are if a female parent dog kept her puppies away from something until this age, it's dangerous! So evolution has made your puppy much more accepting of new things while she's young, and much more than suspicious as she gets older. Imagine a dog that was never scared of anything new! They'd apace go themselves into trouble with cars, bears, or other dangerous things.

This critical socialization catamenia is an extremely of import few weeks of your puppy'south developmental life. Not just for water, but for everything. Socializing a dog gets a lot tougher when your canis familiaris is an adult!

So how do you socialize your pup?

Think of all the situations you desire your dog to exist comfortable with equally an adult. Then, effort to expose your puppy to them in a positive way before this window closes. A few quick experience ideas are beneath.

This includes:

New sounds (thunderstorms, vacuums)
New surfaces (tile, grates, shiny floors)
Funny-looking people (tall bearded men, women in sunglasses and hats),
Strangely-moving objects (people on crutches, bikes, skateboards)
Dissimilar animals, among countless other things.

Yous can read lots more than about the importance of socialization and how to socialize your puppy hither. A well-structured puppy kindergarten is a huge help, and I would recommend signing up for one immediately. Of course your immature puppy may non be fearful yet – but this grade will aid keep her that way for her whole life.

Now, dorsum to h2o! Specifically to innovate a young puppy to water, yous want to go on a few things in mind:

Safe . Stay shut to your puppy and don't let her swim out too far, even if she's enjoying herself. Fifty-fifty if she'due south enthusiastic, she even so can get tired easily. We recommend picking out a canine lifejacket to keep your pup safe and adrift. You lot might besides want to consider a canis familiaris float where you and your pup can rest safely floating on the h2o so your dog can get acquainted with the wet stuff.
Location . Since your puppy isn't finished with her immunization shots yet, don't just permit her frolick around in but any water source! She could be exposed to parvo or distemper . You lot can use a bathtub, a puddle, or fresh, make clean h2o that's in a location that is not frequented by dogs. Dog parks or canis familiaris pools are full of germs that could hurt your young puppy! Save those splashes for afterward.
Positivity. As noted above, yous can't just use the critical socialization period to expose your puppy – you need to brand those experiences positive too! Bring lots of treats, some fun dog h2o toys, and never, ever force your puppy into the h2o. This scary experience could have the opposite effect, giving your dog a permanent phobia of the wet stuff!

Now that we've got some ground rules in place, allow'due south move on to actually introducing your dog to the h2o. Luckily, this footstep is the aforementioned for puppies and adult dogs!

Training Your Canis familiaris to Like Water

It doesn't matter if you lot've got a brand-new puppy or an older domestic dog, you'll introduce your dog to the h2o the aforementioned way.

Keep in mind that this process will accept longer if your canis familiaris is older or has already had some bad experiences with h2o. Be patient, and keep information technology positive!

Dogs don't appreciate just being thrown in the deep finish, so we'll proceed on their terms. We want water to exist fun, so avoiding penalty, scolding, or scaring your canis familiaris is incredibly important.

First, choice out a location. I'd suggest a serenity beach where your domestic dog tin easily walk upwardly to the water without barriers. Some things to await for:

Ideally, the water should get-go out very shallow so that your canis familiaris gets her toes wet, then her ankles, and so on. I like inland lakes or ponds for this reason.
Avoid rivers, as the current is scary and dangerous for your dog!
If you must use a bathtub or pool, find a way to create a ramp for your domestic dog. This is for her safety and emotional comfort. If your goal is bathing, non swimming, then use a bathtub!
Keep in mind that crashing waves or deep, sticky mud will also brand this outing much harder! Aim for a sandy or rocky bottom.

Don't forget your treats! I suggest using i or more of these crawly training treats. These treats will help you evidence your canis familiaris that h2o is good.

Y'all have two options to proceed for grooming – you tin use one method or combine these options together. Both options utilize a clicker. If yous've never clicker trained before, check out this great article on how to clicker railroad train. While the clicker isn't necessary the way treats are necessary, I highly recommend using 1.

Option #1: Classical Conditioning

If you've always heard of Pavlov , you've heard of classical conditioning. The idea is to create an association between two unrelated things using a bridge. The "click" from your clicker is your bridge, and you're trying to link water + treats.

Permit's break this downwards into a few steps. If you're new to clicker training, I'd recommend getting familiar with using a clicker to railroad train something else starting time – try training your domestic dog to smile or say I dearest you on control!

Kickoff by putting your canis familiaris on leash and taking her near the h2o. The leash should exist long enough that she can easily move closer or further from the h2o. I similar long lines, because they're much safer than retractable leashes!
Start every bit far away from the water as your dog is comfortable. If your domestic dog is already scared of h2o, this could be a ways back! Don't worry, just be patient.
If your domestic dog looks at the water, click and give her a treat.
If your dog takes a step towards the water, click and give her a treat. Go along this until your dog is at the water's edge.
Keep to click and treat for whatsoever interaction with the water. This includes drinking, touching it, or going into the water.

Sounds simple, correct? Merely continue in mind that you lot may need to exist really patient! Never button or pull your dog into the water. Simply let her make the choices on her ain. And if she's backing off or stops making progress, call information technology a day.

I'd suggest doing several v-minute sessions, and then coming back another twenty-four hour period. If you lot keep pushing your domestic dog mentally, you'll stress her out.

Recollect, the goal is that your dog likes water – not that you force your canis familiaris into the water. Using fearfulness, coercion, or stress will not aid your dog like something!

Pick #two: Operant Conditioning

Whereas classical conditioning but involves associating one matter with another (water = treats), operant conditioning requires a bit more work on the trainer's end. Operant conditioning is what most people recall of training. You'll give your dog a cue or command, she complies, and yous reward her for information technology. Permit'south go through the steps.

Start by instruction your dog to "target" on command. This is a simple behavior involving your dog touching her nose to your open hand. It's incredibly useful!

Go to your called watery location. Utilise a long line, just similar for classical conditioning. This is not to pull your dog into the water, it's simply for safety! If you're using a bathtub in your home, however use a tether. Don't close the door – yous want to let your dog tell y'all she'southward had plenty!

Inquire your dog to "target" to your mitt, while leading her towards the water. Click and treat for success.

Go on moving closer to the water, keeping it easy at showtime and being sure to give out lots of rewards. I suggest aiming for at least 10 successes per infinitesimal. If you're pushing your domestic dog as well hard, brand it easier.

The do good of operant conditioning is that you can quickly make information technology very clear exactly what you're asking your canis familiaris to do! You lot also tin "button" your dog a petty bit more than, as you're explicitly request her to appoint with the h2o, rather than waiting for her to approach the water on her own.

Pro tip – If your canis familiaris is really motivated by toys, you tin can as well get-go out past tossing toys to the water's edge. Toss them progressively deeper – only take it tedious, but like with other options!

If you're patient and utilise lots of treats, these methods combined should take your dog confidently entering water past the end of summer!

Your dog may never love water, just this method should remove phobias, fear, and hesitation effectually shallow h2o. If you lot ever get stuck, take a break. So just go back to the final step where you succeeded and endeavor again, more slowly and with more treats.

Canis familiaris Baths: Some Beloved Them, Some Hate Them!

Some dogs beloved water, but detest baths. My Labrador is i. Y'all tin't keep her out of a lake or river, merely she hated baths until we started working to modify that. Bathroom time is a bit trickier than beach time, since it's much more than invasive.

Withal, regularly washing your dog is of import for their happiness and health, and so your dog's distaste for the bath can't be ignored!

I really suggest educational activity your dog to target for bath time. This can help keep her in the tub every bit well as lead her to it. Remember that every role of bath time is a new thing to introduce your dog to. Just like y'all had to associate water with treats for swimming, you'll need to teach your domestic dog non to be scared of a shower caput, being on a slipper bath floor, shampoo, scrubbing, and the list goes on!

Gear up your canis familiaris up for success with a few things earlier even attempting to bathe her:

Get a no-slip mat for your bathtub flooring. If she's slipping around in the bathtub, that just makes it scarier.
Starting time practicing things like holding your domestic dog yet by her collar in the living room. Click and treat if she stays still!
Then move on to rubbing your dog as yous hold her collar. Click and treat for allowing this. Don't forget to scrub all the places you'd go in a bathroom – her paws, her belly, her chest. Some dogs have a difficult time with letting humans choice upward their paws, so spend extra fourth dimension practicing this!
Introduce your dog to all of the necessary tools for a bath prior to the bathtub. Just click and give her a treat for sniffing the shampoo, the shower caput, and whatever else you lot'll utilise.

Once you're succeeding easily with each of these training steps, y'all're ready to introduce your dog to the bathtub. Practise this the same way you would for swimming.

Don't go ahead and give your dog a full bath the kickoff time you become her into the bathtub! Become her in, and let her become out if she wants. Next time she gets into the bathtub, practise the collar holds. Then practice neckband holds with rubbing the next time. After she's succeeding at each "successive approximation" of a bath, you can become ahead and try a bathroom!

I promise you enjoyed this post on teaching your canis familiaris to like h2o! I'd love to hear the pointers you lot have for teaching your pups to like water! Comment below.