Morpheus is 8 weeks, he has been with us for a week and is doing great, loves playing in the grass and well sleeping, he is almost house trained and we would like to introduce him to the water. We live on an island and love the water. I took him to the beach on Sunday, he loved digging in the sand but was not so sure of the water, I didn't force him just allowed him to play on the beach. Any recomedations on introducing your boxer to the water and swiming???
How to introduce pup to water?
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Sirus'Mommy
Super Boxer
I've come to find...for some it's an easy process...their dogs have a natural love of water. For others, like myself, it took lots and lots of patients and coaxing from myself and from another dog (my parents Yellow Lab) to get Sirus into the water. He's 18 months...and is just now starting to figure out that the water is not going to kill him! 
He's so dramatic!
He actually just started jumping into the pool, on his own. We do have to watch him quite tentively, as he's not the worlds greatest swimmer. He's also started jumping into the shower...on his own, something in which he's mearly tolerated from day one!
My advice is that you just be supportive and patient with him...and it'll be something that naturally developes over time...
But that's just my experience...
I see lots of fun 'Beach Days' in your future...
He's so dramatic!
He actually just started jumping into the pool, on his own. We do have to watch him quite tentively, as he's not the worlds greatest swimmer. He's also started jumping into the shower...on his own, something in which he's mearly tolerated from day one!
My advice is that you just be supportive and patient with him...and it'll be something that naturally developes over time...
But that's just my experience...
I see lots of fun 'Beach Days' in your future...
BooBoo & Riley
Completely Boxer Crazy
One way is to incorporate water into the sports and games that he likes. So if he likes to retreive tennis balls, do it at the beach and throw it into the water little by little. They get so caught up in their games that many times they forget their fear of the water... then after a while they realize that the water isn't so scary after all.
RentsOSketch
Boxer Booster
DOg Park
We took Sketch to a dog park in OK City, and he was always weary of water, but that last time we took him, during the bash, he just went right to it. It was odd, but very awesome at the same time.
ROS
We took Sketch to a dog park in OK City, and he was always weary of water, but that last time we took him, during the bash, he just went right to it. It was odd, but very awesome at the same time.
ROS
Shotze's Mom
Super Boxer
As Boo boo and Riley said, bring water into playtime. Splat balls can make a great water toy. Soak them and throw them. Shotze was also weary of the water in the first weeks, but now she LOVES it. Have patience, your baby is still so small. Everything is new...it could take a month or two.
adobeboxers
Boxer Booster
Just give him time. Titus wasn't too sure about the water until he about about 4 months. There is a stream by my house and his friends would always play in it and Titus would stop on the edge...then he started putting his feet in (barely) then he went up to the middle of his legs and now at 10 months he charges in and run down the stream...sometimes laying down when he gets really hot.
Time will tell, dont force him. Maybe if you walked in the water he would follow. Don't forget, he is about to go through the fear stage, where anything and everything may frighten him.
Time will tell, dont force him. Maybe if you walked in the water he would follow. Don't forget, he is about to go through the fear stage, where anything and everything may frighten him.
Ciscobxr
Boxer Insane
I guess we were not as nice with Cisco, Hubby took him to a place that he could not touch and just let go of him! Cisco started swiming like a pro and hubby stayed right behind him to make sure he was ok. Cisco is not a water lover, we have had him to the river several times and he will swim some, even goes out on his own to do it now. But he would rather be on land!
Mandy
But he would rather be on land!Mandy
babs1225
Completely Boxer Crazy
Roxi's first experience with water was a fun one. We where at the river's edge where about six other dogs where playing and having a blast. Roxi just kept running back and forth at the edge and barkin, you could tell she wanted to but she was afraid. Then the cutest bowling ball of a bulldog ran over to her and took a liking to her and if I could talk dog I swear that bulldog said follow me I won't let anything happen to you and viola roxi followed him right in. Not sure if that helps your situation but I think that if it would not have been for the other dog she would have never went in.
Melgoglia
Super Boxer
We went camping this past weekend at the lake and well this was Abigail's 1st time with lots of water. Our friends had their dog with them and she's loves the water. Abigail just followed her in at first she wasn't sure what to think but after a few minutes she was runnning in and out having a blast. At one point she kind of ventured out to far and sunk... we didn't know what to do and figured we were about to go swimming ourselfs. But up popped her head and she was swimming.. Brandy our last boxer never could swim I think it was due to being forced into the water as a pup by a friend of ours and she got scared .. whatever you do .. do not force them in let them play and enjoy it .. Abigail loves it she played and played chasing limbs, frizbees, whatever she even tried to put her head under the water to pick up sticks on the bottom... I have a swimming boxer and I love it... lovicon
little by little
Definitely little by little is the way to go. I've been trying to get Rudy in the water all summer, since we've had an especially hot and dry one--he originally wouldn't even drink from one. It took a good three months to get him to wade in up to his chest (he was interested in the koi in my parents' pond).
Then yesterday at our local river he got so involved in "chasing" the rivulets of water as they went by, that he jumped back up on the bank, and back into the water in another spot that had a drop-off and plunged headfirst, with his two little back paws on the bank, yikes! Luckily he was leashed and wearing a harness, so I could help pull him back up without too much trouble. After it happened we sat on the bank, watching the water go by, but he was not getting back in, even with coaxing. I guess that's three months work down the drain.
Definitely little by little is the way to go. I've been trying to get Rudy in the water all summer, since we've had an especially hot and dry one--he originally wouldn't even drink from one. It took a good three months to get him to wade in up to his chest (he was interested in the koi in my parents' pond).
Then yesterday at our local river he got so involved in "chasing" the rivulets of water as they went by, that he jumped back up on the bank, and back into the water in another spot that had a drop-off and plunged headfirst, with his two little back paws on the bank, yikes! Luckily he was leashed and wearing a harness, so I could help pull him back up without too much trouble. After it happened we sat on the bank, watching the water go by, but he was not getting back in, even with coaxing. I guess that's three months work down the drain.
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