# What if my golden doesn't like to swim?



## bababa123 (Aug 2, 2010)

I have a two year old golden retriever and she has hated swimming ever since we got her. Is this normal? I thought goldens were bred to retriever on water and land.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Some Goldens don't like it or haven't had an experience that helps them learn to like it.

The swimming instinct can also be weakened if the breeder isn't breeding for performance. My dogs have all come from competition lines, and they're nutso for the water.

What's your girl's background?


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

Most love the water, some just never take to it. Our lab was even somewhat afraid of water, including puddles, but that was because she was a guide dog and was told never to go into water when she was wee. She grew up to fear it.

If you really want her to like the water there are things you can try to get her to like it better, but I'm sure you've already tried them: swimming with her, taking her into the water with a number of other dogs around who love to swim (if she likes other dogs), getting her to retrieve out of water.

But really, consider yourself lucky that your dog doesn't jump in any body of water, puddle, dirty ditch, mudhole that you come across. We were happy that our lab didn't really enjoy swimming because we could go to the dog beach and she would stay mostly clean while all the other dogs were just caked in grime and so were the owners' cars. lol. Now our golden puppy is beside himself when he just walkes through a water-filled pothole or puddle...and we live in Vancouver! We have many wet and dirty dog days ahead....


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

I often say that Max is the only Golden who's afraid of water! He has no desire to jump in the pond, even when his friends are here and merrily running in and out of it. We've gone to the lake and he looks at me like, "you want me to do what?" 
The pond is pretty yucky, so I'm not really too upset that he'd just as soon walk around the edge as jump in!


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

My Liam hates water...... Ponds, Pools, or bath tubs are places you will never see Liam around or even think of getting in........ LOL


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## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

I am in the process of trying to acclimate Remy to the water now. He is (approx) 2 years old and I am hoping it's simply that he had not been introduced to it earlier.

We tried a swimming pool - and he was having none of that! Then we went to a river - he was fine, even happy, as long as we kept it really shallow. He enjoys chasing me back and forth. So that's what we've been doing at least 1X a week - just to make sure it's a happy experience.

I'm really hoping we can get another dog or two to come with us - and then perhaps he'll really get into it - until then, I'll just keep trying.

For me it's pretty critical - we've got a boat, and I don't want him on it unless he is comforable with the water. I can certainly put a life jacket on him (as I did for my boxer) but I still want him to not be so terrified!

Any ideas/thoughts/suggestions would be very appreciated.


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

When we were in CA a couple years ago, I met a man with a golden. He said he lived on the beach and his dog had NEVER swam. 

Sometimes they need another dog to show them it is ok. However it is perfectly ok that they don't swim too. Just like people, some just don't like water. 

I do agree most performance bred goldens the breeders do EVERYTHING in their power to introduce the dog to water before they go to their forever homes. That certainly does help. 

Ann


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## Max's Best Friend (Jul 7, 2010)

my max loved the water so much he peed it in. Good thing it is a large lake and no one else was looking.


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## Loisiana (Jul 29, 2009)

Conner and Flip love to swim, but not Annabel. She does like to wade in it and dunk her muzzle, but she wants to keep her feet on the ground.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

My dogs took to it when they saw the older dog fetching. They just couldn't help trying to catch him. Comet learned to swim while trying to catch Gus, and Jax learned to swim while trying to catch Comet. Ojo learned to swim while trying to catch Jax. It's kind of like having your old dogs around forever.


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## Sweet Girl (Jun 10, 2010)

Mine wanted to keep her paws on the ground until she saw me toss the ball a little further out. Temptation got the better of her... and once she realized she COULD swim... she was hooked! 

But we did start very slowly - very calm lagoons - and worked from wading up to swimming at her pace. Now that she's older, I love it for the exercise she gets.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

Jasper has no desire to swim. He wants his feet to touch the bottom. He likes to go into the water and loves to wallow in the water, but no swimming.

Danny on the other hand is a totally swimming freak and he adores the water and getting wet and swimming around.

Jasmine is also big on swimming. She would live in the water if it were possible.


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## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

I have four goldens, three love to swim, the fourth and youngest does not. He is pretty well bred with some field in his pedigree. I don't know why he doesn't like it, but doesn't bother me in the slightest. We have an inground swimming pool, once in a while I let the dogs go swimming. Last week I opened the gate, three dogs jumped right in, Raider stood outside the gate, watched, but wouldn't even venture into the pool area. Oh well. I love him anyway even though he is not a water dog.


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## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

Just throw that tennis ball in the water and I'm sure they will go for it, no matter where those balls go, they go after them LOL


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ranger didn't like water when I got him. We were walking by a calm shallow off a river and I couldn't get him to go in at all. The next day we went back and he marched up to the bank (it was a foot drop into the water) and he paced back and forth for about 5 minutes. You could SEE him working up the courage to get in. Sure enough he hoped in and waded around for a little bit. He LOVES to wade in the water but only up to his chest. I took him out a little further once and he swam as fast as he could back to shore!

He did have a breakthrough the other week when his dog walker took the pack of dogs to the river. She was throwing a tennis ball in, which Ranger didn't care about, but soon his competitive nature got the best of him. Instead of waiting in the shallows and body checking the dog who ran back with the ball (making the other dog drop it so Ranger could pick it up), he started going after the ball when it was thrown. Soon, HE was the one swimming out first to the ball and bringing it back. All he needed was to see 5 others dogs splashing around and that combined with his competitiveness gave him the bravery needed!


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

Goldens are as individual as people and some just don't like water. Sunshine hated water in all forms, dew, snow, rain, puddles, baths, ponds, etc. She wouldn't go out if it was raining, would only walk in the beds (on mulch) in the morning to do her business and would not step in a puddle to save her soul. Nothing ever scared her about water but from puppy hood she just hated it. So funny too, because we still had Shannon, our sheltie, and Shani loved water - I got them a pool thinking Sunny would love it and Shani wouldn't be interested... HAH! Just the opposite - go figure.


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## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Princess Bella said:


> Just throw that tennis ball in the water and I'm sure they will go for it, no matter where those balls go, they go after them LOL


 Tried it. Tried sticks. Tried having his friends up. Nope, not gonna happen. If the pond ever goes dry, I think we'll find about a half dozen tennis balls in the mud.


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## Elisabeth Kazup (Aug 23, 2008)

Penny was a little over 2 when one day she decided "Water, cool" and went right in. She's never looked back. Keep exposing her and let her make the decision.


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## AmbikaGR (Dec 31, 2007)

Lots of good advise here, especially not forcing the issue. But if all fails buy her a boat!


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## Lestorm (Feb 25, 2007)

As soon as the pups are old enough, i put on my wellies and walk into a stream. The pups follow me in and together we play until they are confident. I then move down stream where it is deeper (top of my wellies deep) and off they go. Never failed yet!


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