My boxer is afraid of the pool!!!!

[dally]

We just discovered that our 1 year old boxer is scared of my parents swimming pool. Last year I did not take her around it because she was too young. Now this year we were so excited to take her, and she is scared! She will run around the pool and chase and bark at everyone and everything in there! We even tried walking her in but she won't do it. We are not sure if she associates it with getting a bath or what. She was only in one body of water...a small lake...trying to catch geese one time. As soon as we got there, she ran immediatly and jumped in after the geese. She got so scared and ran right out.

Any suggestions on what we should do? I have heard so much about boxers love for water. That's why we are confused! We want her to have fun with it, and not be scared. But we do not, by any means, want to force her. She is so darn cute!

 

[ladyluck_t]

ABout the only water that katie likes is the various water bowls i have for her around the house. She absolutely HATES any other water and will run in the opposite direction. It really is a good thing we live in NM, when we lived in AL she would "hold it" until it stopped raining or she couldnt hold anymore!

From what i have seen on here some like water and some dont, but mostly it is an all or nothing kinda thing!

Carolyn and Katie

 

[dally]

Thanks for your response Carolyn! Maybe Dallas just does not like water! That is so interesting how your dog hates to go out in the rain. Dallas is kind of wierd at first , but when we step out into it, she is completely fine. We'll see throughout the summer with the pool thing.Thanks so much!

Your Katie kind of resembles our Dallas!! Don't you just love them!!!!

 

[diego's heart]

I was just reading the swimming section in the Barron Series Training Your Boxer by Joan Hustace Walker. It's an excellent book and talks about how to introduce your furbaby to water/pool. There's a mention of using a floatable life jacket. Patience, treats and praise are the hallmarks for any training I suppose !

 

[angray]

Mugsy HATES water!!!! He won't even walk in puddles on the ground. When we go for walks in the morning, he will find some way to walk around the puddles on the road. In the morning if there is dew on the grass, he will step one foot on the grass to see if it's wet, and then he'll back up and do his business right on the cement! It's so hysterical, because he is by no means delicate, and he sure acts like it when it comes to water!!

 

[Elyse]

Nestle loves the bath but is so frightened of the ocean. We live right on the water and we can't even get her to put her paws on the water. She will walk up to the kiddy pool when the baby is in it but that is it. Oh, she totally freaks when she sees the hose too.

 

[ladyluck_t]

Thanks for your response Carolyn! Maybe Dallas just does not like water! That is so interesting how your dog hates to go out in the rain. Dallas is kind of wierd at first , but when we step out into it, she is completely fine. We'll see throughout the summer with the pool thing.Thanks so much!

Your Katie kind of resembles our Dallas!! Don't you just love them!!!!

I jsut looked at your gallery, Dallas sure does look a LOT like katie, especially some of the pics from when katie was around 2. She is a matronly 4 now, and has filled out a little more in the chest/girth area. Gotta love these guys! They are the worlds BEST!

Good luck with the water!

Carolyn and Katie

 

[zubbeyboy]

My Dog cant swim

Flex is not afraid of water but he cannot swim.My last Boxer AXL couldnt swim either.Sink like anchors REALLY.Is this common in Boxers?

 

[dally]

Flex is not afraid of water but he cannot swim.My last Boxer AXL couldnt swim either.Sink like anchors REALLY.Is this common in Boxers?

I'm not sure either! I have heard that sometimes they have trouble swimming because their chests are so massive...they tire out and struggle. But that was just told to me from a friend. Not sure if it actually true, because like I said before, i have heard of how much boxers love the water. Thats why I was questioning our Dallas not being interested in going near the pool at all.