Ten tips for waterwork with the dog

Waterwork and swimming by Susanne Reinke

Waterwork with the dog In the past posts you discovered why foot work and linen are important aspects to live harmoniously with your dog. An important factor is trust – your dog has to trust you and you. This trust also plays a crucial role in this article: we go into the water, and believe me, for this, your dog needs to trust an extra portion again so that it goes carefree into the cool water.

Water work and swimming with your dog are an incredibly great experience, but can also quickly become dangerous. So that you can classify it better, I would like to explain what needs to be avoided first before we look at how you really affect water work.

The five big “defines” of waterwork

Do not start with waterwork too early, but only when your dog is at least six months old. Everything else is too early and overwhelms him.
Do not throw a toy if your dog cannot swim until now. Of course he wants to follow the toy and don't think at all, but just jump in, and then you may already have the first “I lose the floor under my feet” trauma in the dog.
Let your dog experience the water neutral at the beginning. This means that you neither emphasize it nor avoid it – it's just there and you can experience it together.
It is particularly important that you do not train in any for dogs or in dangerous waters. Blue algae or oil film can have serious health consequences and, in the worst case, contact can even be fatal. So make sure that the water is safe for you and your dog.
Under no circumstances do you disrupt your dog's trust! Don't put it in by losing it into the deep water with other dogs, toys or food. This not only ruins you the waterwork, but also destroys your dog's trust, so that you also get problems in normal situations in everyday life because it no longer feels safe with you.

So now you already know how you don't do it. Now let's see what you have to do together so that you and your dog can enjoy the water and be sure.

The five “dos” of waterwork

Please only train with your dog on the water if the conditions also give it up. This means that the weather and the temperature should be pleasant for your dog. Avoid stormy weather and too high or too low temperatures.
Go for walks with your dog on waters such as lakes, rivers, ponds and channels so that it gets used to the water and experiences it as neutral. If he turns too much up, continue to run away from the water, when he avoids it, run closer along the shore.
Only practice with your dog on the water when the surroundings are calm and you are not disturbed by other dogs or humans. The water is already exciting and new enough, your dog (And you) Doesn't need more distraction.
Make sure that the water has a flat introduction so that your dog can easily get on and out. It is also advisable to avoid water with waves. Your dog would probably be very amazed and not particularly enthusiastic if a wave suddenly claps his face.
First of all, make sure that your dog swims safely. To do this, go into the water or pull rubber boots or waders. Do not throw anything before your dog has not decided to swim off. Only when you can send your dog into the water everywhere with the “go swimming” command and then swim on the water without stimulus, you can start the dummy work in the water. Without a stimulus swimming, he does not mean a thrown ball and therefore goes into the water, but that he simply goes into the water on your command “Go swimming”. If you now start with the dummy work in the water, the same applies as with the footwork: train step-by-step with a system, so that your dog is simply swimming and brings the dummy without hesitation and brings.

Waterwork with the dog So, with that you are already well positioned, for the first water adventures with your dog. If you want more help and instructions so that your dog starts to swim safely and immediately in every water, I can recommend our suitable podcast sequences for waterwork. Alternatively, our online water course might be something for you. By learning how your dog goes directly and straight into the water (So without avoiding) And how he gives up the dummy after swimming without shaking out extensively and delighting yourself with a drip rain.

If waterwork is not yours: No problem! In the next post I will show you a different exciting way to load your dog as appropriate. See you soon!

Here you will find the right podcast sequences on the subject of waterwork and dummy training on the water:

The author

Susanne Reinke is a graduate environment scientist and founder of the online dog school 'hunting fever', who specializes in dummy training and footwork. In 2014 they founded 'hunting fever' in Lüneburg before moving to Canada with her family and her two great people in 2018 and successfully digitized the concept from then on. Today you and her team accompany dog owners in the entire roof room with a uniquely structured training approach-practical, individually and everyday-oriented. Her motto: “Everyone can do dummy training.”

Tip: More posts by Susanne Reinke