Wat-er You Waiting For?

 

Planning to get your pup swimming this summer?  Here are some things you can do to prep for the swim season while waiting for the water to warm up.  Lakes here in our area are getting reasonably warm, but rivers are still quite cold.

Get your dog used to wearing a canine life jacket.  Make sure the one you select fits your dog properly, offers good support and flotation and is adjusted comfortably.  If your dog is not a big fan of his new apparel, work to change his attitude by giving good treats when putting on the jacket, having him wear his jacket at meal times (for eager eaters) and playing fun games while he wears his jacket.  A life jacket can make newbie swimmers more confident and allow confident swimmers to focus more on brain work rather than staying afloat when learning new skills in the water.

Regardless of your swimming goals for your dog (just to have fun and for fitness or to work towards a title), try to develop a good play retrieve on land first.  Bringing a retrieving toy to the water with you can keep your dog focused on swimming and sticking with you and not running amok and disturbing others.  Chose a floating toy that you only play with interactively with your dog and put it away when you are not training with it so it has a high value for the dog.  Once your dog is excited about his toy and play retrieves in a low distraction environment, gradually take your game to an area where there is more distraction (in my house we move from indoors, to back patio/concrete, to back lawn (good smells in the grass) to the front of the house (cars passing by, neighbors gardening, people walking dogs).  After that, we might take the behavior “on the road” to the nearest park (with the pup on a long line for safety).

Koll modelling his life jacket.

You can also “shape” a more formal retrieve, and this is highly recommended if you want to pursue titles that involve retrieving skills (like water trials or obedience).  The Clicked Retriever by Lana Mitchell is one book that is a good option for training a retrieve.

Once the water warms up there are excellent suggestions on introducing your dog to swimming here:

http://talentedanimals.com/blog/helping-your-dog-learn-to-love-to-swim/

 If you are interested in entering your dog in water trials, here are some helpful resources:

PWDCA Resource Page

Video Examples of PWDCA Water Trial Exercises

If you are in the PNW and on Facebook, the PNWPWDC Facebook page is a good place to look for recommendations for training buddies in your area.

If you're in the PNW and would like to see what water trials are all about before you think about entering one, look for information on our regional Club’s summer events here: https://www.pnwpwdc.org/events/

 If you are in a different area of the US, you can search here to find a Regional Club in your area and see what Water Training/Trial resources are available.

Have fun!