# Afraid of water



## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

My newest golden (Zazoo - a little over a year old) is afraid of the water - last summer he would veer as far away from our inground pool as possible. My older golden won't stay out of the water. Anyone else encounter a golden that doesn't like the water or do I have one of the only goldens out there that doesn't like jumping in every chance they get?!?!?!


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I've heard of goldens acting like that.....but I think I've read that once they get accustomed to it, they'll still love it as much as any other......


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

I'd be willing to bet it isn't the water he doesn't like, its the getting in. When I had my pool we had too show Bianka and Telly how to go down the ramp and get in, after a few times you couldn't keep them out. Now Kody, he fears nothing so just took a jump in.

My suggestion would be to take him with you, show him how to walk down the steps safely, chances are soon you won't be able to keep him out.

Good luck and have fun in the pool!

Here's a pic of Bianka and Telly going down the ramp








Here's a pic of Telly heading off the ramp into my pool
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c207/DlynnsGoldens/P1010198.jpg


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## Lexie's Mom (Dec 14, 2005)

Maybe throw a special ball or something into the water to see if your dog will retrieve it. Lexie loved our inground pool. She wants to retrieve everything possible. She even tried to retrieve Tyler (my 7 year old) because he had a bubble butt last year in his trunks and she thought he needed to be saved. LOL Just don't force the dog. Maybe if you ignore it, it'll happen. I would, however, try the ball or something to see how that goes.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Wow! That's a great action shot! I wish I could get one like that of Sidney slamming into a wave in Lake Michigan.

Sidney was also afraid of water as a puppy... he would 'freeze' when put into his little blue kiddy wading pool if the water was over 4" deep... some retriever, huh? Well we never worried much about it and by the time he was a year old we were going to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior shorelines to play fetch... Sidney's absolute favorite game... well, Sidney would only parallel the shoreline. Over the course of maybe a half-dozen visits to the beach I would slowly walk into the surf and throw his ball near the edge so he would have to get his feet wet to get the ball and again to return the ball to me. He got the idea eventually idea and within a short time was slamming into the waves to retrieve... I'm convinced he actually does this on purpose... but it does look so cool!


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Great pictures, Goldndust....


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

The way I introuduce young dogs to water is to go to the edge of a pond/lake in warm weather... i just wade out a few feet and walk around..no big deal about it..i then throw a bumper out in the water for an older dog to retrieve... again not even paying attention to the pup... let them approach it in their own way in their own time.. 
during warm weather my dogs may swim a half mile a day while training and I need them to have a great water attitude.. so far they all have.


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

You're not the only one who has one who doesn't like to swim. Buffy loves the water to wade in. But once it gets over her head, then she doesn't like it. She'll retrieve sticks all day as long as they don't get too far out.


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## Brinkleysmom (Dec 17, 2005)

Well, I dont know; but Tyler my first golden was afraid of the water. He would go in as far as his feet could touch and no further. I have to laugh. I have to find the photo of the poor thing coming back out of the water as the geese were chasing him. My best friends dad is a lobsterman and whenever I would go and take him with me, we had to put a doggie vest on him because I was never sure if he could swim. He didnt mind getting wet when we would go to the ocean but again, only as far as his feet would touch.. Now Brinkley is completely a different story. She loves the water.


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## ty823 (Feb 7, 2006)

Our dog Lucy has no fear of jumping in the lake after a stick or crashing through a creek, but she is terrified of baths. I just picked her up from one today. The groomer @ The Pampered Pooch said that she has never seen a dog of any breed freak out as much Lucy did when she tried to bathe her. They tied her down into the tub with big suction cups and she ripped them off in no time. She said that even the big Dobermans they bath haven't done that, and Lucy is only 8 months old!!!!!!! Both her and her assistant have scratches all up and down their arms. I'm thinking about mailing her a larger tip.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Dusty's not a fan of water either. Just a personality quirk I think ...


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## PoconoPup (Jul 15, 2005)

I am anxious to see what Dakota will do this spring/summer up at the lake. I'm thinking he won't be too thrilled with it since he will avoid walking thru a puddle, he actually will walk completely around the puddle to get to where he needs to go. I hope that once I can get his feet wet in the lake, he'll take a liking to it! My last two Goldens weren't too thrilled with the lake, or water in general.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

PoconoPup said:


> I am anxious to see what Dakota will do this spring/summer up at the lake. I'm thinking he won't be too thrilled with it since he will avoid walking thru a puddle, he actually will walk completely around the puddle to get to where he needs to go. I hope that once I can get his feet wet in the lake, he'll take a liking to it! My last two Goldens weren't too thrilled with the lake, or water in general.


Samson is just the opposite with puddles. I can't keep him out of them.....worse than my kids. I too look forward to this summer....

Rick


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## MegB (Jul 19, 2005)

Woody started out a little nervous about the water. I just took him to the edge of our pond and let him get his feet wet. I also took him through puddles on our walks. Once it was warmer, I actually got in with him and led him out to the deeper part. It took him quite awhile to go into the deeper water on his own, but now he loves it.

Keep working at it, good luck!


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## Iris05 (Dec 29, 2005)

Iris will not go anywhere near our pool, not even into the fenced area, strange...she used to love it then just stopped.


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## shaneamber (Apr 20, 2005)

Our first Golden wouldn't go near water. We forced him a few times,but he never got comfortable with it.Our second Golden would swim like a fish,he loved the water.He would wade in and just go under completely,then ever so slowly his eyes and nose would slowly emerge from the water.Thats all you could see,the rest of him was underwater. It was very cool,he looked like a gator,which was even funny when strangers at the beach would run out of the water because of the furry gator.(salt water no less on Long Island,NY)
Of the four furkids we have now,only Katie will swim.
Shane


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

shaneamber said:


> It was very cool,he looked like a gator,which was even funny when strangers at the beach would run out of the water because of the furry gator.


You'd just need a shark fin to attach to his back......then you'd really see them run.....


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