How do I get my Labrador!!! to swim???

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millimoo

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I have a 15 month old chocolate labrador.
She loves water and will wallow and roll in anything - not my favourite hound when she does it in a muddy puddle.
However she will not take the next step - the minute she thinks she's nearing lift off she steps back to shore.
I've thrown toys, sticks, food and taken her down on a couple of occasions with doggy friends that swim, but to no avail.
Short of me getting in there too, has anyone got any suggestions?
 
hi
i have a golden retriever, now 5, but we were in the same situation as a yearling! He absolutely LOVED his gun dog dummies, so when we threw it in the water - near the bank he went in, then a bit further and a bit further. We kept him on an extension lead in case we needed to drag him back! Also help beacause there were a couple of other dogs swimming already.
It might be an idea (you'll hate me for this) to go in and get him to follow you, loads of praise when he does, or get another dog to help.
But be careful what you wish for - I now can't get the boy out of water and my house usually stinks of ponds
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Throw her in
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I know it sounds horrible but we used to take our GSD youngsters to a deep but not too deep part of a local brook and physically put them in, or walk out into the shallow waves in the sea with them.
Back that up with loads of praise.

Throwing something in for her is another option. My boy is obsessed with water but is a bit wary of swimming, he is too big to throw
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so any time he does get a little out of his comfort zone I make lots of encouraging noises and tell him how clever and brave he is.
 
I've come to the conclusion that my dog, at age six, will never be a swimmer. We have tried several times to take her swimming, but she either plants her feet down in the sand, or screams the place down if I let go of her in a swimming pool. The closest she has got to actually swimming is wading in a kiddie pool up to her shoulder. This is fairly normal for a bully breed, but Labs? I didn't think there was such a thing as a non-swimming Retriever.
 
Our vizsla was obviously a duck in a previous life! She LOVES water!! I don't think it helped that my OH is in the Army and took her out walking through wet fields and puddles etc from about 6mths old so, with this in mind, I can only really suggest getting your feet wet yourself and letting her follow
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Thanks for all your suggestions.....
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She loves water, and is impossible to keep her out, she just gets about 3 inches off the top of her back, but just won't make the next step?
Oh well, looks like i'm going to have to get my legs wet
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will also get my bro out with his 10 month old Bull Mastiff who is has just got her smimming wings and loves it.....
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If it makes you feel better my lab was slightly slow on the actual swimming part
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He has always been totally obsessed with water but would only paddle when he was little.

He got his confidence by regularly going to a place that has a gradual slope in to the deep bit - so he used to run in after a toy - and gradually we could get him in further - eventually he swam.. but he is still wary of any water that doesn't have a slope in...!

We were also told to get in water and play with his fav toy - the idea being he follows you in when he sees is save and is so desperate to play..
 
I have two labs, who love the water. My hubby goes in the sea with them and swims up and down the bay (with his wet suit on though) and they love it!

Go in with her and show her there's nothing to be afraid of.

Alternativey find another dog who loves to swim, to show her what to do. Be patient and try to give her confidence. She's probably wondering why her mum doesn't want to go in with her!
 
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