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On April 29th, 2019 my wife and I made the decision to rescue and adopt a male cat who we named Tucker. You can read Tucker’s rescue and adoption story HERE. Our boy has fit right in with the family and everyone loves. him. * …
On April 29th, 2019 we rescued and adopted our handsome boy Tucker Carlson. If you’re new to our blog you will want to check out our rescue and adoption story HERE. It wasn’t your typical rescue and adoption!!! Back in late May of 2019 we …
It’s a common misconception that dogs simply love splashing. In fact, some dogs can get pretty averse to water like a toddler throwing a wild tantrum come bathtime.
If your furry friend is a little aquaphobic, bath time can be a stressful time. Thankfully, there are things you can do to turn it all around.
Introduce the love of water to your beloved pet by easing their fear. Using positive reinforcement, you can encourage the desired behavior and help them finally come round. Here are some helpful tips.
Make a Gradual Introduction
Begin with limited, controlled exposures. If you own a rescue dog, the fear of water may have been a result of a past traumatic event. So always remember rule 1: never coerce your dog into the water if they clearly have an aversion to it. That will only reinforce the negative association and make them fear the water more, making it even harder to cure it.
Start by filling a small basin of water and placing it next to them. If it doesn’t generate visible fear, reward them for the behavior.
Next, dip your hand into the basin of water and let them sniff the wet hand. If the reaction is calm, give a reward.
Afterward, wet their fur with your wet hand ever so slowly, letting them feel the liquid gradually. Once more, reinforce positive behavior. If they squirm and get visibly anxious, simply stop. It’s important that they don’t feel forced to do something.
This method can take days to weeks before it finally breaks through.
Practice Wading
If your pup has a mild level of water anxiety and is fine with being around water, you can try the wading approach.
Fill a small basin with water. You can also use a small kiddie pool so you and your pup can take a dip. Hold your pup to make them feel safe. If that’s not enough, gather enough of their toys and dog treats for rewards.
After a few minutes of acquainting them with your setup, gently place the canine in the water, never letting go and letting them feel your hand holding them. If the reaction is positive or they remain calm after looking a little unsure, give them rewards.
In time, they will associate water with these rewards and are more likely to repeat the positive behavior.
Keep Calm
You can’t hope for your dog to get friendly with the water if you yourself are uneasy around it. Your dog can easily sense it when you’re nervous. So if you’re training them around a pool where you really don’t want to get in, either because you can’t swim or you have a trauma, then you can’t expect any positive outcome from it.
So keep your calm. Don’t train your dog around deep water if you can’t swim. And perhaps maybe training yourself first before training your dog is the best way to go. Or let someone else do it.
Use a Flotation Device
Keep panic at bay with a special dog vest that can aid them in their initial swimming practice. These vests are designed to help dogs breathe properly mid-swim.
If the panic sets in, they won’t sink and will simply stay afloat. Once they realize that, they can relax, get a feel of the water, and eventually start paddling.
Final Word
No more anxious bath times once they finally love the splash. For a dog parent, it will require a lot of patience, but the payoff is priceless. Use these techniques and tips to get your doggy swimming in no time.
Back in late April of 2019 we made the decision to rescue and adopt this handsome boy who showed up on our door step. You can read all about how Tucker arrived here and his full adoption story HERE on our blog. Over the past …
In early April we witnessed a car pulling up in front of our home and tossing out a cat through the car’s window. That cat tore through our front yard and hid underneath a bush by our front door for 2 1/2 days. We didn’t …
My family loves animals and I got my first pet (a cat) at the age of 5. Over the years I’ve owned multiple hamsters, gerbils, birds, turtles, fish and now I’m the proud mom to a 10 year old dog, Nellari. Owning and taking care of an animal has always been a part of my life and its a big responsibility.
Animals are a lot like humans…they have their basic needs (food, water and shelter) and then their extra needs (medical care, physical exercise and love). Many people get them as pets and then neglect them after their “newness” wears off. While most humans love their pets, sadly there are a lot who also abuse & neglect them. Today, I’m sharing a very important guest-post article with you and for all of the animal lovers in our lives.
In recognition of Animal Cruelty Month this April, canine authority Jeffrey Scott Franklin, owner and operator of Cobra Canine, is sharing six ways to prevent animal cruelty.
6 Things You Can Do to Prevent Animal Cruelty
1. Don’t get a pet as a toy or an impulse decision. The people who aren’t up for the 8 to 15-year commitment of responsibility (financially, physically and emotionally) are often times the ones who end up sending their pet to a shelter or simply not caring for the pet as is required. Pets need food, shelter, regular baths and nail clippings, vet checks, vaccines and in their lifetimes some sort of vet care or geriatric care may become necessary. Be prepared for these and this will make sure animals aren’t neglected.
2. If you don’t know much about dogs (or any specific animal in question), don’t breed them. Let experts do the breeding work. Enjoy your pet to his or her fullest- without adding more animals that may or may not end up in great homes. While we aren’t advocates of spaying or neutering until at least two years of age, we do believe in being responsible if your pet is around other animals.
3. Volunteer at an animal shelter. If you feel the need to have a fuzzy pet friend, but not a lot of time- donate your time and energy to a local shelter. Go walk a few dogs and pet some animals that need some love and attention. There are never enough volunteers at these places.
4. Keep them warm and cozy. Donate extra blankets and care items you may already have in your home to local shelters.
5. Report suspicious activity. If you see animals that are maltreated, mistreated or neglected- report it. You won’t get backlash for this from the authorities- but you very well may save an animal’s life in the process. If we keep our eyes and ears open, animals have a much better chance at having a good life or potentially, a great life and a second chance.
6. Adopt or donate money to shelters. We have found many strays over the years, and helped them medically, given them training, and found them loving homes. If you see an animal that needs some TLC, or a home- help as you are able.
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