How do I take my dog�s fear to water?

[youknoww]

My dog is very afraid of swimming, I�ve been trying to take that fear from him by doing something I saw in a program: forcing him to jump into the pool with me and taking him to the stairs and out again, but after two days trying twice a day I don�t see it makes him any good. He suffers a lot and I don�t know if it is worth to continue trying.

If I�m doing the correct thing I�d like to know if in 5 days I�ll do some good because this weekend I�m going out for three weeks. I�m not trying it again without advice.

[LoftyLottie]

I have two dogs, one who thinks she's a duck and we can't get out of the water and one who thinks water is evil! Unless your dog needs to swim I would let him be.

Some dogs just like to splash about in shallow water. Can you encourage him to do this by, perhaps, playing with him rather than making it an ordeal. He might then progress to swimming (but might not!

[BillySugger]

Have you tried just going a few yards into the water yourself & seeing if he will follow you to there , maybe increase the distance a bit at a time if it works

[lankeela]

My advice is get rid of the dog and buy a lilo.

[alfieblue]

Agree with LL and BS.

[Rosetta]

PMSL Lankeela

[Vasquoy]

Start with puddles and work your way up. Throwing a ball or a toy across a shallow puddle so your dog has to cross it to get its toy is a good way to start.

Once the puddle is a done thing, try a shallow pool, then a stream and so on.

[LoftyLottie]

I am laughing about the puddles, Vasquoy - my little dog who thinks 'water' is evil actually walks through every muddy puddle he can find (and he is long haired!! yuk). Try and get him in the sea or river, etc. and he runs a mile.

[youknoww]

the thing is my dog has no problem with water as long as he touches ground but when it comes to swimming he is terrified.
I don�t know I suppose it was because another dog I had loved water and I saw him having such good fun specially in summer and I wanted this dog to have the same. But I�m not forcing him any more, I�ll try to play with him near the river or something and maybe some day he�ll found the courage to swim.

[Illyria54]

If he doesn't like the water why force the issue, one of my dogs doesn't, the other 3 go in the river he doesn't I would dream of forcing him in, he doesn't like the sound of hot air balloons either but I am not about to walk him up to one while it is on the ground, I am afraid of large spiders but if someone forced me to hold one I'd be tempted to smack them one! Accept that your dog doesn't like it and enjoy his little quirks.