Nick needs help swimming

Just to add to this. As a fun extra thing to do I taught my girl to swim to me, then allow me to gather her up and hold her without any flailing or clawing. It makes life a lot easier when you don't need to worry about getting gouged while swimming with them!
While I agree with your line of thinking if you just want your dog to swim with you in the pool. And not wanting to come out of the pool looking like you were attacked by a bear. Don’t ask me how I know.
But the OP said she was training for dock diving. So for that I would be making the pool as fun for the dog as possible. Let your dog jump on your head if you have to. Once the enthusiasm is there then you can start working on setting rules for the pool.
If I was training my dog for dock diving. I would be launching myself head first off that dock, while someone held my dog back. Then I would have that person release them. I would want my dog to think I was having the time of my life jumping off that dock.
I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the objective of dock diving. Is for the dog to jump as far off the end of the dock as possible. And also I’m not sure I understand where a dock diving trainer fits into the equation? I’m not trying to offend anybody I genuinely think I’m missing something. My guess it’s just the owner or employee of the establishment and their title is trainer?
 
I’m not sure I understand where a dock diving trainer fits into the equation? I’m not trying to offend anybody I genuinely think I’m missing something.
I think it's like any other sport - there are people who know how to shape a dog to succeed in a given venue, whether it's DD or barn hunt, or agility or bite sports. So if the trainer has experience dealing with dogs who are more timid with the idea of swimming, there might be a more successful way to get them to accept it. Some dogs just aren't as bold and your method wouldn't be as successful. You have to train the dog in front of you. With a bit of reading the dog, the trainer should be able to tell when pushing too fast or hard is not the answer. That said, I have been soured by some pure positive people who take every precaution not to "scare" a dog, when the dog is oblivious to fearful behavior, and they tend to invent things to say the dog was afraid and they "got them through it". :facepalm:
 
I think it's like any other sport - there are people who know how to shape a dog to succeed in a given venue, whether it's DD or barn hunt, or agility or bite sports. So if the trainer has experience dealing with dogs who are more timid with the idea of swimming, there might be a more successful way to get them to accept it. Some dogs just aren't as bold and your method wouldn't be as successful. You have to train the dog in front of you. With a bit of reading the dog, the trainer should be able to tell when pushing too fast or hard is not the answer. That said, I have been soured by some pure positive people who take every precaution not to "scare" a dog, when the dog is oblivious to fearful behavior, and they tend to invent things to say the dog was afraid and they "got them through it". :facepalm:
I think I was just looking at it from the perspective of if the dog doesn’t want to do it. Then why try to shove a square peg in a round whole. Seeing as it isn’t exactly a complex behavior that you are trying to shape through training. No offense intended by my previous post.
 
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Here is the youtuve video of Nick trying to swim.

Also forgot to mention once Nick's ass end is off the bottom and he is not kicking his back legs, just switch off touching his back leg paw pads and this will get him to kick.
Learned this long time ago when I got certified in pet rehab aquatics. We did this rehab in a swimming pool.
 
I haven't tried many but I have an outward hound one, older model, that works great. I've also tried the new one and it worked for my girl. She didn't need a life jacket once she was fully grown so I'm not much help there. I think you will want one that has full support with a full belly band. They come in different sizes too so make sure to measure to get more coverage.
I ordered him one yesterday! Excited to see how it will work. Thank you
 
I ordered him one yesterday! Excited to see how it will work. Thank you
Great!! It should help a bunch! Keep us updated! If you want to see how my girl used to look, I had made a video almost a year ago of her progress. Second video is her 2nd time officially dock diving in May where she jumped 16+ for the first time! You'll see the difference in her swimming though, from dramatic in the first to speed in the second. Her jumping only gets better and better as she gets more confident too. Between the two videos is a little under two years of progress with no experienced instruction for us.



We went to a DD seminar over the summer and @Ravenbird is exactly right. Getting them to pop is done through shaping and it starts with ground work! We haven't been to an event yet since the seminar and we don't have access to a dock anymore so it'll be interesting to see how she does at regionals this Saturday. 😁 It's all for fun anyways. I think DD is one of her favorite things to do!! I'm sure it'll be your guys too in no time.
 
Great!! It should help a bunch! Keep us updated! If you want to see how my girl used to look, I had made a video almost a year ago of her progress. Second video is her 2nd time officially dock diving in May where she jumped 16+ for the first time! You'll see the difference in her swimming though, from dramatic in the first to speed in the second. Her jumping only gets better and better as she gets more confident too. Between the two videos is a little under two years of progress with no experienced instruction for us.



We went to a DD seminar over the summer and @Ravenbird is exactly right. Getting them to pop is done through shaping and it starts with ground work! We haven't been to an event yet since the seminar and we don't have access to a dock anymore so it'll be interesting to see how she does at regionals this Saturday. 😁 It's all for fun anyways. I think DD is one of her favorite things to do!! I'm sure it'll be your guys too in no time.
The dock diving training video is soooo cute!!! And she's come so far! I'm following this thread for swimming tips, we don't need to dock dive, but gilly needs to be a confident swimmer eventually.
 
Nick swimming update. Fast Forward to June 2023. Nick is finally swimming!! and progressing on his dock diving. 3 lessons into this season. He is still very enthusiastic, but not exactly graceful. He is accomplished at the belly flop. But does have the retrieve part down! He is outgrowing his life vest, but here are a few photos from his last session353649390_738814364912836_4801497652915706070_n.webp355823935_738814174912855_1549323044589121789_n.webp,
 

Back
Top