There are many dogs that do not dare to enter the water and that suffer enormously every time we try to get them to bathe. Fear can be a bit disappointing for homeowners who love the beach, but it becomes a serious problem when we can't even offer them a normal bath once in a while.
In this article on our site we will explain why your dog is afraid of water, some tips to help you to remove this fear and some tips that will be very useful throughout this process.
My dog is afraid of water, why?
During the puppy's socialization stage, between 3 and 12 weeks of age, it is fundamental to experience and introduce our dog everything that is going to be found in its adult stage. We are not only talking about people or dogs, but also about cars, the sounds of our city or water, for example. Once fear appears the dog's socialization ends and it is much more complicated to get him used to new objects or habits.
It may also happen that an adopted adult dogarrives at our home, and we realize that he is exaggeratedly afraid of water. However, there are dogs that have been properly socialized, but for some reason have developed a fear of water. Here are some of them:
- Mistakes made in the socialization stage, such as forcing the puppy, for example.
- Dogs that have been punished or have associated the punishment with water.
- Water-related disease, such as otitis.
- Traumatic experience related to water.
- Painful physical illness that prevents them from bathing, due to insecurity.
- Elderly dogs that suffer from pain or instability, also cause insecurity.
- Various diseases that cause fear of water.
- Bathing in water that is too cold, hot or deep that makes them insecure.
Diagnosis and difference between fear and phobia
Before starting a possible therapy, it is essential to make sure that our dog suffers from a real fear of water, that is, that it is not simply that he dislikes it. A dog with fear will try to run away from the stimulus that causes fear, even barking or trying to bite if forced. He can also get "frozen" when in a situation where there is water, but it's not that common.
To assess the level of fear we will go to an unknown place for the dog, near a beach or lake, and we will do the following:
- Observe your reaction at all times, taking into account the dog's appeasement signals. We will be watching to see if he shows any signs of discomfort or defensive body postures.
- We will play with him in a new area and then try to play with him at a safe distance from the water but visible to him. Then we will carry out the same procedure with food, first in a place without water and then in another where it is near water. If the dog was scared, he probably wouldn't be playful and wouldn't want to eat, he might even try to run away.
- If, when approaching the stimulus that causes him fear, he takes between half a minute and several minutes to "recover" from the situation (we will observe that he is still panting, that he has an elevated heart rate, etc.), we are probably let's find ourselves before a dog with fear.
Unlike dogs that suffer from fear (an adaptive emotion in the face of "danger" that allows them to survive) there are dogs that have phobiathe water. In this case we will observe a disproportionate reaction with very evident symptoms of anxiety and discomfort.
When suffering fear or suffering from a phobia, our dog's immune system weakens, and that makes him more susceptible to any disease, so it is very important to work on this aspect and overcome your fears or phobias. Of course, in the case of phobias we will need the treatment that a professional can offer, such as an ethologist or a canine educator.
How to treat a dog's fear of water
It is important to point out that you cannot remove the fear immediately, it takes time to work and performbehavior modification sessions controlled together with a professional. It is very important to be clear on this point, however, we offer you some tips that you can apply yourself to promote a good association and improve the well-being of your dog.
Things you must not do:
- Uncontrolled exposure to water.
- Punish your dog. That can make your treatment much worse. Remove any method of punishment, including choke collars, semi-choke collars, or anti-bark collars.
- Forcing him to do something he does not want, the dog must advance in the treatment of his own free will, never by force
- Reinforce behaviors such as crying, barking or biting.
Things you can do:
- We will be relaxed and reinforce our dog's tranquility at all times with caresses and a soft, high-pitched voice.
- Provide security with caresses and kind words, remember that fear is an emotion, and emotions are not reinforced, only behaviors are reinforced.
- Identify the minimum distance at which your dog tolerates water without being nervous, tense or scared. It's important to know when to stop approaching and it's also useful to know the starting point to work with him.
- We will sit at the chosen safe distance and we will plant a small crop with very appetizing food for the dog. Try to play games of all kinds that include food, be it kong, intelligence games or similar.
- We will end the session after 5 minutes.
- We will repeat this exercise frequently, always without forcing the dog and rewarding him when he is the one who voluntarily approaches the water.
The actual treatment will be done by the dog trainer, but we can foster a positive association(presence of water=food) in the dog, so that it is more predisposed to work and spend time around water. Do not forget to be clear about the things you should not do, such as yelling at him, getting too close or forcing him, a mistake or trying to go too fast could weaken the positive association we are trying to generate.
