The dog is afraid of water. What to do?

As a rule, a dog is afraid of water, either because of the stress it has suffered, or because of a predisposition inherited from its mother.

If your pet’s mother reacted without joy to words about bathing, it is likely that the puppy will also turn her tail at the sight of a bath of water. Therefore, it takes up to three months to begin to form the character of the animal and its habits. This is the most important period of socialization, overcoming fears, reinforcing stereotypes. During this period, the owner has a great influence on the puppy and can change those habits that interfere with the animal.

Usually a dog that has inherited a fear of water avoids approaching the pond, stops when it reaches the edge of the pond. At the same time, she barks at the owner, urging him to leave the “terrible place.”

Ways to teach a puppy to water:

• Try to walk more often in the area of ​​reservoirs. It is especially important to have time to play by the water on a hot day. It is better to do this before the dog has eaten. If the puppy enters the water, it should be pleasant for him, otherwise the next time there may not be such success;

• You need to try different interesting games in shallow water. Favorite toys can be used, running along the edge of a shallow reservoir;

• You can throw a treat near the lake, but it is important to ensure that the distance to the water decreases gradually;

• The most effective way will be the example of other dogs – playmates who love water;

• A personal example of the owner will also be an effective method. Experienced dog breeders will have a couple of memories of how they creatively helped the puppy enter the water. For example, they say that one dog breeder, being in the water, shouted, pretended to be drowning, and the faithful defender forgot his fears from excitement and rushed to save the owner.

Important!

Don’t shock your dog. The dog is afraid of unexpected water getting into his eyes, nose and ears. The task of the owner is to show the pet as clearly as possible that he is not going to water it and that the water does not pose any danger to him.

The main thing is that the dog feels the impulse to move into the water on its own. Warn other family members that throwing the puppy into the water is out of the question. If the dog swims next to you, then support him for a while under the stomach. Do not interfere with the desire of the dog to swim to the shore. Remember that in a situation where a puppy is afraid of water, gradualness and goodwill are in your favor. The patience and delicacy of the owner will sooner or later defeat the pet’s phobia.

At the same time, you need to avoid lisping, showing pity. Animals remember reactions well and in the future can manipulate the owner.

If the dog has already experienced water stress (for example, someone was too rude to teach him to swim), then correcting this problem will be quite difficult. It is not always possible to achieve the desired result, so try to accept a friend for who he is. When trying to teach to water, try not to focus on successful and unsuccessful attempts.

Remember that dogs, just like people, have individual traits. Sometimes it makes no sense to wonder why a dog is afraid of water, it may not be a fear at all, but simply a dislike for water. And this means that you need not to get rid of fear, but to instill a love for swimming.

In this case, leave the game near the shore unfinished each time – in the most interesting place. Let your pet start the game with joy next time, otherwise it may seem boring to him.

Rules to follow when bathing a dog:

• Avoid the waters of large industrial cities;

• It is also better to refuse swimming in reservoirs with steep banks, strong currents and underwater pits;

• Do not forget to rinse the dog with fresh water after swimming in the sea;

• Don’t let your dog dive, don’t reward him for it;

• Make sure that a hot dog does not run into the water, give it a drink, cool the hair on its head with a wet hand.