This evening was our neighborhood’s annual Doggy Dive at the pool. Even though Benny is the one who hates water, we brought him with us. (China would have been Mrs. Crankypants.)
Benny hadn’t even seen the pool – just smelled it – and had already put on the breaks. Inside the pool area we let him off leash and he alternated meeting new dogs (many of whom tried to hump him) and cowering away from the pool. I got him to wade in for a few seconds, but he kept leaping out.
After a while, we tried the “help”-him-into-the-pool method that other people were trying with great success. Yeah, it didn’t really work for us. As you can see, he swam to the nearest wall (which, unfortunately didn’t have the bench along it that the other dogs were using to get out) and tried to get out. We kept calling to him to come over to where that step was, but he was in freak-out mode, and I sent Danny over to help him. Poor Boo bloodied his back nails on the pool wall. They were down to the quicks to begin with – he shuffles his back feet when he walks.
We called it a day after that. I got him home, used styptic on his nails, and washed the chlorine off of him. I hope that he at least had fun meeting all the other dogs and chasing them around the pool. I know I had fun. They should always let doggies in the pool. Except that someone dropped a deuce by one of the tables.
that’s so cool that they have a ‘doggy pool day’ 😀 poor benny… our dog hated water too, everyone told us that labs looove the water, but once we got her in the water she just swam as fast as she could to get out :p
Aww,..
… the poor Benny. His panicing reminds me a bit a report about a dog training for a dog who had panic to walk up or down the stairs in a house. The dog trainer let the dog owners walk with their dog up and down the stairs. At first the dog reacted like usual in pure panic(going on full reverse, tail between the legs and panical yelping) but after two hours or so it walked up down the stairs from alone.
The trick they used was to put a very short leash to the belt of the owner so that the dog had to walk right at the side of his owner. Then they let the two walk slowly up and down the stairs, encouraging the dog, but show no remorse when it tried to pull back. After a few ups and downs the dog understood that the stairs weren’t so dangerous and it was able to walk up and down without the leash. Finally it walked the stairs up down all by himself.
Perhaps you could try something similar with Benny at a lake shore, just walking with him, keeping him at a very short leash, in and out of the water. First only that his legs get wet, and by the time till he have to swim beneath you.
Awww poor Benny!! Maybe someday he’ll enjoy water 🙁
I liked all your picutres!