Introducing your dog to water

During these hot summer months, it’s a great option to train your dog in and around water. It helps to keep them cool, is a great form of low impact exercise and, if you’re wanting to work or compete with your dog, being able to retrieve items from in or across water is an essential skill.

It is key however, to introduce your dog to water in the right way, to avoid issues with safety, over-excitement or creating a fear of the water itself.

A gentle introduction

Not all dogs are natural swimmers, and some can be quite fearful of water to begin with. If you are starting out with a young dog or a dog that has never been in water, then firstly get them comfortable being near to it. These first experiences are your foundation for future training sessions, so it's important to make them positive ones.

Walking alongside a calm body of water, preferably with a gently sloping bank, or doing some simple obedience next to it, can get them used to the environment in a non-threatening or excitable way.

As a next step, encourage them gently to get their feet wet in the shallow water. If you have wellies on, it’s great to walk in with them and encourage them to walk in with you. Every dog is different - some charge straight in, others may be more reluctant. Never force a dog into the water. Keep it relaxed, positive, and pressure-free.

Don’t at this stage be tempted to throw a dummy out into the middle of the water as this can encourage the wrong behaviour (entering the water by jumping in, getting out of their depth, over-excitement, panic and fear, gulping large amounts of water). Instead, you can let them calmly explore or drop a ball or small dummy at the edge of the water and encourage a delivery back to hand, as you would on land. If they are happy, try putting it a little further out, so the water comes a little further up their legs.

If your dog is particularly reluctant to go into the water, another dog can be helpful in this situation to give them confidence. Having another calm, experienced dog alongside them, who is already confident in water, can give them the encouragement they need to dip those toes in and get involved in the fun.

Build confidence, step by step

Going at your dog’s individual pace is key to progressing with water retrieves. Some dogs may be happy to fully submerge themselves by the end of the first session, others may take a few sessions before they have the confidence to wade out until they are swimming. Take things gradually to ensure they are comfortable and, for those more confident dogs, to prevent them getting over aroused. For most dogs, water is exciting, and they can very easily become over stimulated. This makes it much harder to manage your training session.

As your dog’s confidence grows, you can place a dummy further out in the water. I say dummy rather than a ball, as a ball can be hard for your dog to get hold of (think of bobbing for apples). A slim water dummy is much easier for them to grab and light enough for them to swim back with easily. A word of caution here – if you are at all unsure if your dog will retrieve the item, tie a long line to it first. That way you can reel it back in if the dog comes back without it and you don’t have to make the decision of whether to wade in to retrieve it yourself or to say goodbye to it as it floats on down the river.

Don’t forget to also introduce your dog to steeper banks. It’s always safer for a dog to get into water in a controlled and calm manner, to avoid any sharp objects that may be under the surface. If your dog does need to jump from a bank into water, then always check first that it is safe for them to do so. If you have an excitable, over-confident dog, be sure to teach them that they do not enter water until you give them the cue to do so (I’m sure we’ve all seen the videos of the life boat going out to sea to rescue a dog that’s jumped off a pier or jetty).

Progressing to over water work

If your dog gets too used to retrieving from water alone, you may struggle later when you want them to cross water for a retrieve which is on land at the other side.

In order to train over-water retrieves, you may need to enlist a friend to help as you will need your dog to mark a dummy that is dropped on the opposite bank of a stream or small river (don’t use a pond unless you are sure the dog won’t just run around it). Your dog should swim directly across to the bank, exit, pick up the dummy, and come straight back to you. Again, make it simple at first by doing this somewhere where the banks are not so steep that your dog will not struggle to get out.

As your dog gets the idea of what it needs to do, you can start to gradually increase the distance. Take care however with faster flowing or deeper rivers and only do so once your dog is a strong swimmer. Begin with a gentle flowing stream and always check the water for hidden hazards. Avoid fast-moving rivers in flood, and don’t rush this stage. It’s easy to knock a dog’s confidence or progress before their fitness is up to the job.

Final thoughts

Water training can be one of the most rewarding and fun aspects of working with your dog, but it’s also one that requires patience and planning. By building trust, and progressing at your dog’s pace, you will help them become a confident swimmer and a reliable partner in the field.

If you're not sure which dummies you can use for water training or you want to add your collection, we have a wide range for you to choose from. Whether your dog is new to water & building up confidence or is a confident swimmer and doing more advanced retrieves, we've got something for everyone. You can view the full collection here.