The holiday is the perfect time to go to the sea or the lake. Probably everyone appreciates the opportunity to cool down in the water during hot days. Does your dog have a similar opinion? It often turns out that unfortunately, not. Many dogs are afraid of water and have great fears even of getting their paws wet in it. How to break the dog's anxiety? You will read about it in the article!
| 10th of August 2020 |
Why are some dogs afraid of water?
You probably know a lot of dogs that won't miss a chance to get into the water. Swimming in the lake, the sea, the pool, or even entering a puddle is a great joy for them! Labradors, spaniels or Newfoundlanders especially appreciate these attractions. However, among them, there may also be a dog that has fears of getting wet in the water. Where can they come from? In fact, there can be many reasons for this - lousy bathing experience during care procedures, an accident over the sea, uncontrolled falling into the water. Sometimes it's just a dog nature. Fortunately, this situation can be reversed in many cases. How?
How to get your dog used to bathe and to swim?
If your dog is afraid to go into the water, it's worth working with him/her to overcome his/her fear. Remember to do this slowly and sensitively. If you push too hard for your dog to change his/her behaviour, it may be counterproductive. So what can you do to break your pet's fear of water?
1. Start with small water pools - even a tiny garden pool is ideal for this role. Give your dog time to get to know it, show him/her it's safe to enter. You can enter it yourself, to make your dog curious about the possibility of having fun.
2. Encourage your dog to get his/her paws wet - grab his/her legs with a wet hand or throw a toy in the small pool - the water must be only at the bottom. Your dog can then break his/her fear and decide to enter the water to pull the toy out. If he/she succeeds in taking this step, further learning should be just a matter of time!
3. Reward your dog with treats - give him/her his/her favourite snacks as a reward for gradually approaching the water. For example, you can throw them at the edge of a puddle while you're walking and then throw them in the water right on the bank. Remember that delicacies that float on the water surface will work better.
A trip to the lake or seaside with other dog owners can also help to overcome the fear of the water. Watching other pets running around in puddles and jumping into the lake may make your dog join in the fun in the water on the first such trip.
We also encourage you to contact the Shoripette's behaviouralists, who will provide expert advice on dog behaviour and how to work with them.
The holiday is the perfect time to go to the sea or the lake. Probably everyone appreciates the opportunity to cool down in the water during hot days. Does your dog have a similar opinion? It often turns out that unfortunately, not. Many dogs are afraid of water and have great fears even of getting their paws wet in it. How to break the dog's anxiety? You will read about it in the article!
| 10th of August 2020 |
Why are some dogs afraid of water?
You probably know a lot of dogs that won't miss a chance to get into the water. Swimming in the lake, the sea, the pool, or even entering a puddle is a great joy for them! Labradors, spaniels or Newfoundlanders especially appreciate these attractions. However, among them, there may also be a dog that has fears of getting wet in the water. Where can they come from? In fact, there can be many reasons for this - lousy bathing experience during care procedures, an accident over the sea, uncontrolled falling into the water. Sometimes it's just a dog nature. Fortunately, this situation can be reversed in many cases. How?
How to get your dog used to bathe and to swim?
If your dog is afraid to go into the water, it's worth working with him/her to overcome his/her fear. Remember to do this slowly and sensitively. If you push too hard for your dog to change his/her behaviour, it may be counterproductive. So what can you do to break your pet's fear of water?
1. Start with small water pools - even a tiny garden pool is ideal for this role. Give your dog time to get to know it, show him/her it's safe to enter. You can enter it yourself, to make your dog curious about the possibility of having fun.
2. Encourage your dog to get his/her paws wet - grab his/her legs with a wet hand or throw a toy in the small pool - the water must be only at the bottom. Your dog can then break his/her fear and decide to enter the water to pull the toy out. If he/she succeeds in taking this step, further learning should be just a matter of time!
3. Reward your dog with treats - give him/her his/her favourite snacks as a reward for gradually approaching the water. For example, you can throw them at the edge of a puddle while you're walking and then throw them in the water right on the bank. Remember that delicacies that float on the water surface will work better.
A trip to the lake or seaside with other dog owners can also help to overcome the fear of the water. Watching other pets running around in puddles and jumping into the lake may make your dog join in the fun in the water on the first such trip.
We also encourage you to contact the Shoripette's behaviouralists, who will provide expert advice on dog behaviour and how to work with them.