How to rid my Labrador of hydrophobia?

I have a two-year-old labrador. She simply refuses to get into water to swim. I have tried to get in and show her and also used a ball to attract her, but nothing seems to work. She comes near the pool but doesn’t look confident to try it. What can I do to get her some swimming practice?
— Anil Kumar

Hi Anil,
Most dogs are instinctively good swimmers but do not necessarily enjoy it. They also need to be trained to enter swimming pools as it is not a natural environment for them to simply walk into. And yes, be prepared to get wet as your dog will learn to be suspicious of the water if you don’t lead them.

Set the stage for her to not hate the swimming activity — pick a warm day; create a lot of excitement; pull out all her toys and invite the kids and other water-loving dogs if you can. Get in the pool and invite her in — you can hold her leash and lead her in gently but firmly. Do not drag her in, but every time she takes a small step forward, encourage and reward. Use her most favourite treats and give them to her only when she moves towards the water.

Do not expect her to jump in and start swimming right away. Allow her to get comfortable being in water — ankle or knee deep is good enough to start her off. Play in the water with her toys. Let it be a normal behaviour being in the water and do not make her too self-conscious. Slowly encourage her to move deeper and deeper controlling her with the leash. Let her chase you in the pool — initially, it will mostly be about reaching you and clinging on to avoid swimming, but once the fear goes off she will start doing the normal dog paddling. Play games like fetch so that her focus is on the toy and not on the swimming effort. Keep up the excitement.

Of course, there is always a slim chance that your dog may totally dislike it or is a bad swimmer. Keep the leash on with a harness so that you can pull her out to safety. If she does not want to swim, do not force her. Consult a professional trainer to help you out if needed. If you need assistance to train or help your pets overcome such fears, send an email to pets.faq@gmail.com