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My dog hates water!
Is there anyway I can encourage her to like it? She hates going out in the rain and seems to be scared of swimming. I've tried to go in the sea with her and encourage her that way, but as soon as it gets too deep for her (usually no higher than her knee) she runs away out of it. Obviously now it's getting too cold (I haven't taken her to the sea for ages, just reminded that she doesn't like water, when she went to use the toilet and it's raining outside) but with the rain being more prominent now with winter coming in, is there anything I can do? Thanks all xx
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.Some dogs just don't like water! I wouldn't force her to go in, particularly into the sea. Maybe in a shallow stream you could walk through with her on a lead, and if she likes to fetch a ball throw that into the water. They don't tend to think of rain as the same as water in a river or the sea. Walking her in the rain on a hard surface is very good for the coat, it conditions it. Make sure you give her a good rub down afterwards.
One of my terriers is a bit like that. She will go in to water but not out of her depth. When we go to the beach, again she will not go out of her depth. I won't force her in to deep water, that would be cruel!
She doesn't like the rain much and have to pick her up and throw her (not literally) in to the garden for a wee! Once wee'd she will retreat back in. Not much else you can do.
Is it a problem to you that she doesn't like water?
She doesn't like the rain much and have to pick her up and throw her (not literally) in to the garden for a wee! Once wee'd she will retreat back in. Not much else you can do.
Is it a problem to you that she doesn't like water?
I used to live right on the cliff top at Happisburgh (where its all falling into the sea) and I took some dogs down onto the beach. A new greyhound ran straight into the sea and just kept swimming out! He didn't seem to realise he had to turn round to come back - eventually he heard the others barking and swam back but I don't think he knew what he was doing.
My dog is the same; she'll paddle if she's sure the water isn't more than a couple of inches deep. If it's raining she doesn't want to go for her walk, the other day it was raining and when my OH got to the end of the drive and leaned down to put the lead on the dog he found that she had run back to the house!
I think a lot of terriers avoid water - I have two that wouldn't swim, but did reluctantly go out to do what a dog has to do in the rain. My current GSD cross loves water, but still doesn't like being pushed out in the rain last thing at night. I think you just have to make her go out when she has to go, but not try to force her into the sea or anything like that.
Shaney didn't like water until we moved back to the seaside . Rain was Ok, ,he'd go out in six foot of snow that one ,but he'd never seen the sea .
We used to take him on the beach and he would bark and growl at the waves and run away ,until my son threw his ball out into it .
He was off like a shot,that ball was very important to him , and do you think the bugger would come out .No way. We had to walk off and then he realised we were going and came sloshing out. From then on he loved swimming in the sea . Couldn't keep him out of it ..Funny creatures dogs :)
We used to take him on the beach and he would bark and growl at the waves and run away ,until my son threw his ball out into it .
He was off like a shot,that ball was very important to him , and do you think the bugger would come out .No way. We had to walk off and then he realised we were going and came sloshing out. From then on he loved swimming in the sea . Couldn't keep him out of it ..Funny creatures dogs :)