Dog HATES water, but I want to teach him to swim in case of emergencies!
Hello! I have a Border Collie mix, he’s 3, absolutely hates water. Don’t know why. Been giving him baths since he was a baby! I tried creating a positive association but he’s just not having it.. Anyways, I’m with family members for a while and they have a pool in the backyard. I do want to maybe teach him to swim so he can be alright if he does fall in, but I can’t even get him to get close to the edge.. I don’t want to force him in either :/ A bit lost on how to approach this. I’ve seen him fall into the hot tub once and I felt awful for him! He got out on his own because there was steps, but the pool is much, much deeper. Should I just leave it alone? Should I just pick him up and gently put him in the water? Any advice is appreciated!
Posted Jul 9, 2025, 11:26 PM UTC