New fear of water
I learned today that my friend's dog has developed a fear of going swimming. He's a lab and pit bull mix and still fairly young, maybe around 1 year old or so. My friends have a pool and from the time the pup was 8 weeks old, he had loved going for a swim in the pool. Then they had a cookout recently and some people and other dogs were there and they were all in the pool at some point too. After that day, the dog will not get into the pool and acts scared of getting in. He still loves the water and I can tell he wants to get in but just won't. Even taking him by the pool, the dog tenses up and starts showing signs of fear. No one knows what happened or if anything happened at that gettogether to change his behavior. Any thoughts on how to help the pup get over his newfound fear and start enjoying swimming again?
Laura Napier
We do have a lake near us so that could be an option too. A lot of people take their dogs there. We just have to be extra cautious near the water's edge because there are alligators. This dog may be too large to be enticing to an alligator but you never know. Don't want to cause a whole new fear of the water.
Joseph Solano
Ohno It's unfortunate that the pup developed a fear of swimming after the incident at the cookout :( To help him overcome his fear, it's important to reintroduce swimming gradually and positively. Start by creating a calm and relaxed environment near the pool, offering treats and praise, and gradually exposing him to the water while ensuring his safety and comfort. Best of luck, I hope the pup overcomes this!
Melanie Dawes
Sorry to hear that. Lab breeds love water and being such a young dog I would definitely encourage him to re-establish his trust in water! I would start completely from scratch with lots of fun and positive reinforcement