Teaching my dog to swim?

[USMC03]

       I just got a pure bred chocolate lab a couple weeks ago and is now about 9 weeks.  I brought him to the lake today to get him in the water.  At first it went well,  short 10 ft retrieves in water that he could still stand in.  As I continued throwing out further, he didn't like not being able to touch bottom, so I ended up taking his job and having to get the dummy myself.  I tried wading out with him and placing him in deeper water where he couldn't touch, instead he just swam back to shore and didn't want to get back in unless I spent a few minutes coaxing him back in.
       So my question is how do, or did you get your dog to become comfortable in the water?  Did you wait until he was older, or just toss him in?  Or am I on the right track and just need to keep working on it?

Thanks,
Chris

[JohnWester]

good question... I did the same thing you did, kept throwing a dummy out a little bit further each time, until that one time he couldn't touch anymore.  he got it, but the next time wouldn't go all the way out, he just kind of whined at it, and then I ended up getting it.  Now it was a few weeks ago and the water was cold, so I didn't push it.  He loves water, plays in the yard sprinklers all the time, running through them.  But yeah, I am kinda curious if anyone has an answer.  I know one thing for sure, Not to just throw him in... that's the last thing I want is for him to be afraid.  I would imagine when the water gets a little warmer in the lakes, I'll take him down and go in with my suit on with him... just like introducing a kid to the water for the first time.
They know how to swim, it's instincts, it's just getting them comfortable and wanting to go in because it's fun.  then start the retrieval.
Anyone here have a answer because they have done it and know what they are doing?

[blabman]

Make it fun for him. A little at a time. Some pups go in day 1, others take a while to build some confidence. I usually just start to throw a bumper to get the puppies feet wet the first time or two then start to throw the bumper a little deeper as the pup progresses. Puppies like warm water, so cold water may make a bad attitude.

Do not throw him in.

[Auggie]

       Definitely do not throw him in. blabman is right. Some go day one and others just go when they are ready. I have owned 4 labs and each was a little different. The one that went in deeper first took the longest to figure out keeping his feet down and not splashing was the way to go. I also had one that wouldn't go any further than she could touch until she was 9-10 months old. Guess who ended up being the best swimmer I ever had? She did.

[Cody Gruchow]

just got to take it slow. if you force them they will be afraid of the water all together. for a puppy you have to make it a game make it fun, dont yell at them and dont throw them in. and some dogs inheirt the genes of there parent, say the mother didnt like the water then the pup has a chance of not liking the water either. My boss at the hunting club told me a few stories of how this was the case and the dog wouldnt go no were near the water. when i got my dog he was already 5 years old and i had every intention of making him my duck hunting buddy and brought him to the lake to figure out how he felt about the water and i cant bring him duck hunting with me now because i cant keep him out of the dang water

[thunderpout]

Yep, BE PATIENT!  Youre dealing with a very young dog.... for the first few months its all fun and games(thats how training should seem to them anyways ) If they flounder a little, cut it short and come back to what they are having issues with a bit later.... now keep in mind that I have always had english setters, not exactly known for being water dogs... I had to go swimming myself to get them to really like to go into water deeper than their shoulders, but then they loved it... especially my latest setter Drummer.... now as with Cody's dog, I cant keep him out of the stuff... especially in the summer when its warm out.  My first setter Duke, had cold water issues for years when he was a puppy because his first experiences with it was being tossed in off a dock when he wouldnt go in and then a short time later falling through thin ice when hunting... took him quite a while to get over that, but he eventually did.  For a while he'd paw and bark at the waters edge if the water was like fifty degrees or colder!

[JohnWester]

Don't have to worry about it... Am up north this weekend and he jumped right into the pond here and just swam around ... Couldn't get him out.

[Moving2thecountry]

I threw my hesitant dog in from the end of the dock on a hot day, after playing fetch at the boat launch.  She panicked, started swimming back to shore, but seemed to realize "Hey, the water is cool..." and turned around and kept swimming until she cooled down.  I've done this with one other dog, too.  Same scenario--got her hot, threw her in.  I'm just a bad guy, I guess.

[redbull135]

My 9 month old black lab was the same way.  friend of mine said take her out with her favrite toy and toss that in It worked very good she didn't even care how deep it was after that I had to drag her out.