Tips for Water Work with Your Dog

A key factor here is trust – your dog needs to trust you, and you need to trust him. This trust also plays a crucial role in this article: We're going into the water, and believe me, your dog needs an extra dose of trust to venture into the cool water without worry.

Water sports and swimming with your dog can be an incredibly fun experience, but they can also quickly become dangerous. To help you better understand the situation, I'd like to first explain what to avoid before we look at how to approach water work correctly.

The big “don'ts” of water work

• Don't start water training too early; wait until your dog is at least six months old. Anything else is too early and will overwhelm him.
• Don't throw toys if your dog can't swim yet. Naturally, they'll want to chase the toy and won't even think about it. They'll just jump in, and then you might have your dog experiencing the first "I'm losing my footing" trauma.
• Let your dog experience water neutrally at first. This means you don't emphasize it or avoid it—it's simply there, and you can experience it together.
• It's especially important that you don't train in waters that are off-limits to dogs or in areas with hazardous conditions. Blue-green algae or oil film can have serious health consequences, and in the worst case, contact with them can even be fatal. Make sure the water is safe for both you and your dog.

So, now you know what not to do. Let's take a look at what you need to do so you and your dog can have fun in the water and stay safe.

The “dos” of water work

• Please only train your dog near water if conditions allow it. This means the weather and temperature should be comfortable for your dog. Avoid stormy weather and temperatures that are too high or too low.
• Walk your dog near bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, ponds, and canals, so he becomes accustomed to the water and experiences it as neutral. If he gets too excited, move further away from the water; if he avoids it, walk closer to the shore.
• Only practice with your dog near water when the environment is quiet and you won't be disturbed by other dogs or people. The water is already exciting and new enough; your dog (and you) don't need any more distractions.
• Make sure the water has a shallow entry so your dog can easily get in and out. It's also recommended to avoid water with waves. Your dog would probably be very surprised and not particularly happy if a wave suddenly splashed in his face.

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