# Afraid of water.



## PittyLover314 (Dec 25, 2009)

I dont know what it is, but Harley is not good with water. He's okay in the bath tub but thats only because he gets in the bathtub before i turn the water on. 

Last weekend i went to toys r us and bought him a baby pool, i filled it up with water and watched to see if he would go in. He refused to go anywhere near it unless he was drinking out of it. I even put all his toys in there but he wouldnt step into it. Im assuming he is fearful, but i dont know how to correct this problem to get him to enjoy the pool.

Any ideas on what i should do to get him to go in? I dont want to force him. Has anyone ever had this problem with their dog?


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

Last year Vendetta wouldn't go near the water either. She will drink out of the pools but she will not go in them. This year I took her down to the lake and was playing chuck-it with her on the shore she would run and get her ball then I would throw the ball so it went in the water a little so she had to step in the water to get her ball she did fine I have been doing this for about three weeks now and she will swim. I do not force her to go in if she doesn't get her ball cause it is out to far then my son goes after it. 

Have you tried sitting in the pool and see if he will coe in there with you. maybe take him to a lake if you have one near by and play and make it fun.


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

get her hungry one day, put her favorite food elevated on a bowl ( work it out so it wont tip over when she gets to it...very important) and i bet shed happily step in to get that food.

just trying to think off ideas but basically its just associating water with positive experiences. make sure the water isnt too cold though.

..please make sure if you do the bowl in the middle thing that it doesnt drop and fall ...dont need any negative experiences. 

also, id say dont verbally egg her on to much to get in there, even if its in a nice voice. just let it happen and reward like crazy when she does it. 

ive learned that with pits, if toys dont work food always does, and if its their favorite treat and theyre hungry, shoot, you might be able to get her to do butterfly strokes in that thing.

post a vid !!!!!!!!!!


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## Notabluehippo (May 23, 2010)

im gonna bet its her name! Should of named her honda she would have done anything you asked lol sorry couldnt help it


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## PittyLover314 (Dec 25, 2009)

food is a good idea. He likes pineapple so ill try that with him. its too small of a pool to sit it so i stood in it a few times but he refuses to move. I was playing with his favorite toy while standing in the pool and he would run up to the pool and then just sit down. When i said "up" he jumped up but backed away so his paws wouldnt land in the pool. 

I wish i had a lake near by, i would have brought him already!

I didnt name him...my boyfriends parents did...if i could have named him his name would have been Coda or Perrin


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## jmejiaa (Dec 8, 2009)

I'd say the food and you in the pool as well...


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## NinaThePitbull (Feb 10, 2010)

jmejiaa said:


> I'd say the food and you in the pool as well...


her in the pool with fresh pineapples... i might just jump the fence and get in there myself!!! lol


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## christina60546 (May 6, 2010)

My GSD didn't like water but whenever I used to take him to the lake I would go in before he did and i'd go maybe 15ft, as soon as my went head under, he came in after me. I rewarded him with praise, walk back out with him and then do it again. Then i'd bring his ball in the water too so he got the ball as a treat when he came in. Now, he doesn't need me in the water and actually WANTS me to throw it in. My 5 year old pit didn't like water either in till Jake became a fan and she wanted to go in after him. Maybe he needs a little bit of encouragement from a dog that already likes water to show him it's ok?


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## intensive (Apr 22, 2008)

it sounds cruel, but just throw him in.


it worked for both of my dogs and they love to swim now


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## PittyLover314 (Dec 25, 2009)

i wish i could throw him in but the pool is tiny!! The pineapple didnt work at all...neither did me standing in it! Ahh this is harder then i thought. I might bring him to the bay in a few weeks


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## aimee235 (Apr 29, 2007)

With my dogs I just make tiny splashes with my hands/fingers and tell them to get it in a happy playful voice. I praise when they sniff or lick it. After a couple times they usually start playing in it. After that they purposefully seek out water to play in and even chase the hose. He might think it's just for drinking and not for playing.


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## Indigo Bully Connection (Dec 21, 2006)

I know I'm not gonna be much help for ya, because I've never had a dog not actually want to go in the pool... maybe not want to go in "right now". I reckon there are things I really don't think about too much... when the puppies were little I just put them in the pool with enough water to cover their paws... as I got confident they wouldn't drown each other i filled it up to where the water would touch their little bellies. The way I figure is, if they're really hot enough they'll figure it out... and all seven dogs have at my house. Maybe it try having another dog show them what it's all about, and/or just put them in the kiddy pool and wet down their underside? Out of all the things you try don't expect instant results, you're just to try to show them that they aren't going to regret it... so when you wet down your dog in the pool, do it quickly, talk excitedly, and turn him loose to run the yard and prrrrrrraise ... IDK i've done it all, each dog is different.


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## beccaboo (Dec 27, 2009)

my girl loves fetch. she will swim a mile out to bring that stick back in. george finally went past knees deep in the lake a few weeks ago to go steal the stick outta her mouth... now i gotta throw 2 sticks or he'll bout drown her tryina steal it  i think the lake is easier to break em in than a little pool tho. maybe pickin him up n puttin him in the pool is best  make him sit and wait for treats whe you do. hahaha


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

its funny.. all hell breaks loose when i take Daisy to the river or break out the water hose or sprinkler.. but she wont jump in a swimming pool and freaks when i pick her up and jump in.. lol .. she claws her way out of my arms and swims to the side, then proceeds to give me a dirty look.. haha


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## cEElint (Oct 6, 2009)

also, try putting him in there w/o water ... fill it up a little so his paws get wet, then gradually work the water level up as IBC said.. he's gotta get used to it.. some love water, some hate it, some hate it at first.. then love it once they really experience it.. lol


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

I would throw the dog in I was at a dock dogs seminar last year and they said that was the worse thing you could do. I would take him to the bay and try that route. Like I said Vendetta loves the lake but she won't go in the kiddie pools I have here either. She would go in last year either and I had ducks that would swim around in them.


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## SEBILEBLU (May 8, 2010)

I know that professional trainers usually tell you to put the leash on the dog and slowly pull them in and show them its ok. After repeated attempts they figure out, hey this isn't so bad. I have a lab/boxer mix that should LOVE water, but he hates it. My pit, LOVES the water, I can't keep her away. There was an episode ones of Dog Whisperer where there was 2 great danes that hated water and Ceasar got both in and they loved it after. See if you can find that episode online somewhere.


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## MY MIKADO (Apr 7, 2006)

Today at the lake Vendetta went in without any toys and loved it. She would swim out to my son then swim back just fast and bite at the waves then do it all over again. 

just take it slow and steady they all come around in the end.


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## Saint Francis (Jun 2, 2010)

This is going to sound horrible, but I used to just jump in with each of my dogs, one at a time, while I held on to them. We jumped in together. Cuda LOVED it! Jack HATED it! This was a full size pool in case you didn't figure that out already


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