# A golden that doesn't like water?



## Mindy72183 (Aug 2, 2009)

Pretty uncommin, isn't it? Live right by a huge lake where lots of Golden owners bring their dogs to frollick in the lake and mine doesn't like it.


----------



## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

How old is your dog? Ike is almost 3 and he still won't swim without prompting and will not swim out far enough to lose his footing unless I swim out that far with him. Not all Goldens are water dogs.


----------



## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

My Maggie didn't like water. When I'd try to get her into a wading pool, she'd stand perfectly still, only her eye balls moved. The she'd jump out at first chance.


----------



## Mindy72183 (Aug 2, 2009)

That is basically what mine does, he goes ridgid. He is 6 months. Just about 6 months and 1 week. When I got him at 3 months I put him in the kiddie pool, only a few inches of water and he just sat there. When I let him out he ran around crazy and very happy. Then after that it went down hill.


----------



## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

At six months there is still a chance that your pup will take to swimming. I got Caue when he was 8 months and and it took a while before he took his first plunge. He is now a swimming, diving and retrieving machine.


----------



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Daisy was like that until about 1-1/2 years. She saw an injured duck in the middle of a pond and she swam ... a LONG ways! The duck got away  

She's still very cautious in the water. She will swim if something motivates her enough but she really does prefer to have her feet touching bottom. 

One time I threw a fish back into the river, thinking my dog wouldn't go after it. Haha ... OMG, before I knew it she was in the middle of the river going downstream. Gave me a heart attack but man, this girl can really swim!

Your boy will surprise you one day too, don't lose faith. Just be careful with the fish :


----------



## paula bedard (Feb 5, 2008)

I bet you will see a different dog next summer when it warms up. Just spend time with him around the water so that he's accustomed to it. I expect that next summer Ike will be bolder still and venture out on his own. It's a process of baby steps. I use a wading pool to wash Ike. He's never tried to lay down in it, but he will jump in and out of it, splashing and biting at the splashes.


----------



## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

Rookie won't go near the kiddie pool at home, although he does play in the one at his doggy daycare because the other dogs are jumping in and out of it. He won't go into the ocean because he doesn't like the waves. When he was a puppy he also really disliked the lake when I first introduced him to it. I thought I had one of those goldens that dislikes the water. Then, one very hot day during his second summer, Rookie went bombing into the lake and ever since then he loves it. He will fetch the floatie as long as I keep throwing it to him. Don't be surprised if some day it just clicks for your dog too.


----------



## Jo Ellen (Feb 25, 2007)

Oh, and Doritos float 

If you try this, don't throw them out too far, just far enough to be out of his reach but so he can quickly get back.


----------



## Mindy72183 (Aug 2, 2009)

Yes, maybe he will have a change of heart. He doesn't even like a few rain drops. I had him on the tie out earlier today and the lightest mist started and he was barking at the door like crazy with this look on his face like "Hellloooo, let me in!" lol. In the long run if he prefers to be dry dog only I guess I won't have to deal with wet dog smell, lol. I had a collie for 11 years and she didn't go near the water, I just thought it would be cool to have a dog that liked it.


----------



## Mindy72183 (Aug 2, 2009)

I did put a little treat right in the shore and he wouldn't even put a paw in to snatch it. Well, like some said, maybe he will like it at some point. Is the water ever too cold for a dog?


----------

