GSP not a fan of water so far

[bgcole]

I adopted an 18 month old male GSP who doesn't seem to dislike water...but certainly doesn't care for it. I have a lot of water around me that i want to use to as exercise.... and Im planning to teach him to waterfowl eventually. Its worth noting that he has to date lived a very sedentary lifestyle, which we are rectifying.

Any advice on warming him up to the idea? I do have another dog that loves my pool, and he didnt pick up that way. I carried him into the pool... wasn't a fan but he wasn't mad about it (and hasn't learned to swim yet which was obvious)

I have a hunting buddy who's GSP wouldn't go into water until around 2 and now won't say out of it... but he was introduce involuntarily (he trucked into a creek at full speed because he wasn't looking)

[RichK]

I adopted an 18 month old male GSP who doesn't seem to dislike water...but certainly doesn't care for it. I have a lot of water around me that i want to use to as exercise.... and Im planning to teach him to waterfowl eventually. Its worth noting that he has to date lived a very sedentary lifestyle, which we are rectifying.

Any advice on warming him up to the idea? I do have another dog that loves my pool, and he didnt pick up that way. I carried him into the pool... wasn't a fan but he wasn't mad about it (and hasn't learned to swim yet which was obvious)

I have a hunting buddy who's GSP wouldn't go into water until around 2 and now won't say out of it... but he was introduce involuntarily (he trucked into a creek at full speed because he wasn't looking)

My GSP was not very fond of water and only had limited exposure to it. He was terrible swimmer up until the past month. This year I decided we were going to fix his swimming issues!

He's 1.5 years old and last year when I started to expose him to water, he would mostly paw at it and was very hesitant to enter. He would enter and would make short retrieves but it was a sad thing to watch.

I would pretty much throw a bumper a few feet into the water where he could walk in and grab it and then walk out. I would then add minimal distance to the retrieves.

Here is where he was at last October. You can see that he was obviously not a strong swimmer.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... 481&type=3

With a bit of exposure the past month he's so MUCH better, almost like a different dog. This is from yesterday.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... 481&type=3

Is his swimming perfect yet, no. He is light years better than what he was though and I'm confident that within four weeks his swimming will be at the level it should be.

Just go slow and at a pace that the dog is comfortable with. I was pretty sure that this dog would never swim without his rear end sinking but all it took was experience and getting in the water with him to make corrections to his posture while swimming.

[RoostersMom]

Swim with him if you can - find a spot where he has to swim across with you (and the other dog) usually they will go if they see others headed that way.

[winchester pre64]

if he likes to retrieve play next to the waters edge after a few throws put one in just to he has to get his feet wet. then a few throws next to the water then one again on the edge. after several times doing this then throw it a little deeper where he has to get his back legs in then back to retrieving on land. slowly work him into it dont force him to swiming, and wait for his reaction. only push him to where he is comfortable and no further. This worked for me my GSP did care for water at first now loves to swim just for the sake of swimming.

[ezzy333]

If the pup likes cheese throw the cheezits or whatever they call them on the water. They float and he will go get them. I haven't done this but several on here have and say it really works well. Makes sense to me.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

The best way is to get in the water with him, It builds confidence. Swimming pools are a bad Idea for this though. Find a place that allows gradual entry and exit.

[diplomat019]

my gsp wasn't too crazy for water as a pup (less than a year). then one day I'm at the dog park with him and there is a huge lake that had some geese swimming in the middle. he just took off swimming after them to my surprise. after that he was hooked on swimming. id suggest doing something that makes him excited. maybe a duck or his favorite toy.

also, something thing i read from a training book that i found helpful was to find a river/creek that you could walk across. walk thru the water to the other side and just keep on moving. eventually the pup will want to come bad enough and he will cross. i did this at about 4 months and my dog cried on the other side, but i kept it moving. eventually he just swam across and that was the beginning of his water intro. obv make it a slow moving river, not something flowing hard.

hope that helps.

[RoostersMom]

If the pup likes cheese throw the cheezits or whatever they call them on the water. They float and he will go get them. I haven't done this but several on here have and say it really works well. Makes sense to me.

Cheez puffs or Cheetos. Cheezits are the little crackers - and they don't float! My Vizsla loved the Cheetos we used at doggy training class - and to learn that they floated - he was in doggy heaven. The folks on here have some pretty good ideas sometimes!

[ezzy333]

If the pup likes cheese throw the cheezits or whatever they call them on the water. They float and he will go get them. I haven't done this but several on here have and say it really works well. Makes sense to me.

Cheez puffs or Cheetos. Cheezits are the little crackers - and they don't float! My Vizsla loved the Cheetos we used at doggy training class - and to learn that they floated - he was in doggy heaven. The folks on here have some pretty good ideas sometimes!

Thank you Cheetos is what I was thinking about

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

If the pup likes cheese throw the cheezits or whatever they call them on the water. They float and he will go get them. I haven't done this but several on here have and say it really works well. Makes sense to me.

Cheez puffs or Cheetos. Cheezits are the little crackers - and they don't float! My Vizsla loved the Cheetos we used at doggy training class - and to learn that they floated - he was in doggy heaven. The folks on here have some pretty good ideas sometimes!

Thank you Cheetos is what I was thinking about

Sorry but Im not throwing Cheetos into water to get a dog to swim...If you have bonded, the dog will want to go where you go more then go get a soggy piece of cheesy crap.

Try it and if it works, great but that doesn't work for me. All of mine follow me behind my kayak because they want to go with me and I eat the Cheetos. LOL

[Wind Dancer Kennels]

Wing clipped pigeon thrown out about 10 feet from shore...
He will go in!

[ezzy333]

Cheez puffs or Cheetos. Cheezits are the little crackers - and they don't float! My Vizsla loved the Cheetos we used at doggy training class - and to learn that they floated - he was in doggy heaven. The folks on here have some pretty good ideas sometimes![/quote]

Thank you Cheetos is what I was thinking about[/quote]

Sorry but Im not throwing Cheetos into water to get a dog to swim...If you have bonded, the dog will want to go where you go more then go get a soggy piece of cheesy crap.

Try it and if it works, great but that doesn't work for me. All of mine follow me behind my kayak because they want to go with me and I eat the Cheetos. LOL[/quote] Why are you sorry? We are trying to help the OP and are not really concerned what an old pro like you wants to use. We were just informing what many people have told me they do that works.

[bgcole]

[/quote]
My GSP was not very fond of water and only had limited exposure to it. He was terrible swimmer up until the past month. This year I decided we were going to fix his swimming issues!

He's 1.5 years old and last year when I started to expose him to water, he would mostly paw at it and was very hesitant to enter. He would enter and would make short retrieves but it was a sad thing to watch.

I would pretty much throw a bumper a few feet into the water where he could walk in and grab it and then walk out. I would then add minimal distance to the retrieves.

Here is where he was at last October. You can see that he was obviously not a strong swimmer.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... 481&type=3

With a bit of exposure the past month he's so MUCH better, almost like a different dog. This is from yesterday.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10 ... 481&type=3

Is his swimming perfect yet, no. He is light years better than what he was though and I'm confident that within four weeks his swimming will be at the level it should be.

Just go slow and at a pace that the dog is comfortable with. I was pretty sure that this dog would never swim without his rear end sinking but all it took was experience and getting in the water with him to make corrections to his posture while swimming.[/quote]

Haha, that first video was really funny because its exactly the way he was swimming in my pool... pitiful really.

Thanks to all for all the great ideas... I actually havent been able to get him into retrieving anything yet so im gonna probably try swimming with him first and then cheetos second. Just been working on sit stay and come. Sit and come have been going great. Come on a 75 ft check cord he has been learning way way faster than the other dogs ive trained but ive also never started with an 18 month old. Stay is still a work in progress, but weve had some success.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

Cheez puffs or Cheetos. Cheezits are the little crackers - and they don't float! My Vizsla loved the Cheetos we used at doggy training class - and to learn that they floated - he was in doggy heaven. The folks on here have some pretty good ideas sometimes!

Thank you Cheetos is what I was thinking about[/quote]

Sorry but Im not throwing Cheetos into water to get a dog to swim...If you have bonded, the dog will want to go where you go more then go get a soggy piece of cheesy crap.

Try it and if it works, great but that doesn't work for me. All of mine follow me behind my kayak because they want to go with me and I eat the Cheetos. LOL[/quote] Why are you sorry? We are trying to help the OP and are not really concerned what an old pro like you wants to use. We were just informing what many people have told me they do that works.[/quote]


I was simply trying to help. I don't see Cheetos being more affective then simple rewards and pressure. Treats (aside from my praise)are a crutch to me.

[Sean]

I threw bumpers for the old retriever and loved him up and told him what a good dog he was, all while the pup was tied up watching. The pup went nuts after the first couple of bumpers that when I finally threw one for her she didn't even hesitate and dove in. A few minutes later I was helping my daughter with something when I realized the pup was headed across the river to chase birds she had been watching, I guess she was comfortable with water after that.

[Cicada]

Swim with him if you can - find a spot where he has to swim across with you (and the other dog) usually they will go if they see others headed that way.

x2
I just drop them off on an island and drop anchor 30 meters off and start fishing (ignore the whining) soon they will be swimming out to you other and the other dogs.

Grant

[Max2]

I started max at late age also. I would lay in the pond facing him on shore. Naturally he would want to be with me. I would push myself back slowly to get him to come in. Once he was in deep enough for me to hold him and assure him it was alright I would take him into deeper water slow and easy. I would then put my hand and arm between his back legs and point him to shore and give him a gentle push. Far enough from shore so that his feet would flap a couple times before he would be touching the bottom of the pond. He loved it. He soon became like a little kid with this exercise as if to say to me "lets do it again" Just kept increasing the distance from shore line and he was swimming in no time. Not to pretty.... but swimming just the same. Next level to get him to swim on his own I would swim up and down the shore in water just deep enough that he could not touch bottom and he could come in on his own . If I saw him stress'n I would say nothing and turn to shore so he could touch bottom. He was probably closer to 4yrs old if my memory serves me correct. My reason for late start was I thought I had no reason for him to swim but would like to recommend to all new dog owners I think it is important to teach your pup to swim as it could save his life someday .Again just my opinion