Labradoodle hates water (beach, pool, baths, showers, everything)

[Michele Kiss]

Our 5-month old miniature labradoodle Fenway HATES water.

He is terrified of bath time - you literally have to hold him so tight just to get him to not scramble away. The best solution we have found is for my boyfriend to take him in to the shower with him, but even then, he typically emerges with some scratches from Fenway trying to get away! 

Fenway is also terrified of the hair dryer, so it's equally difficult to dry him after a bath. 

We have taken him to a dog beach before and he had no interest in the water, seemed afraid. (Though there were waves so that might be why.) 

We have also had a kiddie pool in a friend's backyard but he never shows any interest (besides thinking it's a REALLY big water bowl!) 

This is my first dog, so it's probably my misperception that all dogs love water! But I thought labs (or lab mixes) especially do?! All my friend's labs loooooooove the water. Some other doodles I know (e.g. half-brother, etc) absolutely love the water, can't keep 'em out of it.

I would love it if he enjoyed water. Not sure if it's futile? Or at least wasn't so tortured at bath time! 

Is there any way to get a water-fearing doodle to come around? Anyone's doodle ever started out hating the water and ended up liking it? If so, how? 

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Lots of really tasty treats can go a long way, but time is the best remedy. Ragley loves water in general, but she was NOT a fan of bathtime or the dryer at first but slow introduction, time, and treats will help! Not all doodles love water, though. I know of a few that do not. Each doodle is an individual :)

[Michele Kiss]

Thanks Stephanie. He is unfortunately still beyond treats at this stage. He won't even eat anything, not even super special stuff, while being bathed or dried :-(  We've tried things like peanut butter on the inside of the tub that people have recommended, but he simply won't eat, he is too stressed. Hoping he calms down about it over time! He may never like it but it would be nice :-)  We love the beach and pools and water activities and it would be fun to share it with him!

[Cammie Hensley]

I'm not sure about the non-bathtime water issue, but have you tried slowly introducing elements of bathtime, one by one, and with major treating/praise? For instance, bring him into the bathroom where he gets bathed and play/treat/just hang out to make him comfortable. A minute or two at first, and then build up time over several repetitions. Then do it with the water running; only running, not with him in the tub. This may be a hard hurdle to get him to accept, so you might have to try starting with the water running verrrrryy low (the loud sound of splashing water might be overwhelming if he already has a negative association with it).

This kind of slow progression training works with all sorts of behaviors, and may help Fenway learn to tolerate (if not like?) his baths over time. And always remember that if the next "step" in your progression results in him freaking out again, go back a step, make sure he's comfortable there, and then see how you can make the transition to the next step smaller.

Good luck!! :)

[Cammie Hensley]

Oh and this also can work with blow drying! Get him used to the blow drier while it's turned off, then on low and far away from him, etc. etc. Bath time is a tough one!

[Marilyn and Sherlock]

There are some good videos on YouTube on how to teach dogs to swim and to just like the water..... I thought all dogs liked to swim but a friend of mine that had a lab that didn't..... she said the videos were helpful....

[Toni Clayton]

George also thinks the baby pool is a big bowl of water for him to drink also...I think the first time my husband filled it, it was too much water, and it freaked him out...then it got a hole in it..I figure for now, we'll just turn on the sprinkler for him and try that for a while.

[Christina]

Michelle, I think getting Fenway together with dogs who like the water (Oakley) will help a lot. Let's get something scheduled and curious to see how he does at the picnic today. Now although Oakley like the water and taking a shower, he doesn't like the hair dryer so we just do a good towel dry and let him dry naturally and he is happy. When it is colder we would wrap him in lots of towels and make sure the house was toasty. Now in summer he drys really quickly. I like how his coat looks better when it drys naturally anyhow, all curly and doodle like.
The blow dryer makes him all frizzy and a huge hair ball.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Ned is not a water lover.  We bathed him once and he didn't like it, but the groomer has no problems.  He played in sprinklers when he was young, but he only gets in as far as  his tummy now.  Dogs, like people, are all different.  My other dogs love water.  We never force Ned or even entice him to get wet. He will if he wants to and I am fine with that.

[Michele Kiss]

We had a really exciting day today!! Went to the dog park and they have a kiddy pool you can fill with water. Filled it up to ankle-deep and threw Fenway's ball in. He splashed around for ages! Who knows maybe the water will grow on him :-) 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=657859707632615&set=vb.580... 

[Jaime + Oliver]

Oliver doesn't care for water either.  He accidentally chased another dog into the SF bay once and has refused to go in ever since.  I also wish he'd love the water - so many swimming opportunities around here.  Your little Fenway is adorable!