Why is my dog scared of water? The Ultimate Guide

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Keep yourself relaxed around water, too!

Lee Deaton is founder and “leader of the pack” at Natural Healing, a canine hydrotherapy facility based in west suburban Chicago. She’s been helping dogs swim for more than 15 years — and she’s seen more than her share of nervous owners. “When pet owners feel anxious or frustrated, dogs sense it immediately,” she says. “Before taking your dog anywhere near deeper levels of water, it’s important to keep this in mind.

Introduce your dog to water very slowly.

If your dog struggles with a pronounced fear of water, start with extremely small exposures. Wait for a time of day when your pup is calm and relaxed. Pour a cup of water into a clean basin, and simply place this next to your dog. If your pup remains calm, offer praise. Eventually, dip your fingers into the water and let your pup sniff that hand. If your pup still seems calm, praise some more. Next, slowly run your wet hand over your pet’s fur. If your dog tolerates this calmly, praise him again. See the pattern? If your dog panics, stop. If your dog stays calm, continue to praise. Always reward the desired behavior. You may need to work with these exercises progressively, building up over multiple weeks.

How to stop a dog being scared of water

It is important to point out that fear cannot be removed immediately. Helping a dog get over a phobia takes time. We need to carry out controlled behavior modification sessions and redirect the fear. Positive reinforcement is essential and we should involve the help of a canine ethologist or educator where possible. However, there are some things you can do on your own which can help improve the well-being of a dog scared of water.

Things you must avoid:

  • Uncontrolled exposure to water.
  • Punishing your dog can make their behavior much worse. Remove any method of punishment, including choke collars or anti-bark collars.
  • Forcing them to do something they do not want to do. The dog must advance in the treatment of his own free will, never by force.
  • Reinforce behaviors such as crying, barking or biting. If we give positive reinforcement when a dog cries because they are scared of the water, it will validate these feelings instead of showing them there isnt anything to be scared of.

    • Things you can do:

  • Be relaxed and reinforce our dogs sense of calm at all times when around water. Pet them and use a soothing and reassuring voice.
  • Provide feelings of security. Remember that fear is an emotion, and emotions are not reinforced, only behaviors are reinforced.
  • Identify the minimum distance at which your dog tolerates water without being nervous, tense or scared. Its important to know when to stop moving them closer and its also helpful to know where you need to start.
  • Sit at the appropriate distance and lay out some treats they like leading towards the water. Try to play games of all kinds that include food, be it a kong, intelligence games or similar.
  • End the session after 5 minutes.
  • Repeat this exercise frequently, always without forcing the dog and rewarding them when they voluntarily approach the water. Use positive reinforcement and gradually move closer to the water until they become more comfortable with it.

    • Ideally, the training should be carried out by a professional, but you can use these techniques to get them started.

    How I Get A Dog Over Their Fear Of Water In MINUTES!!