Do Golden Retrievers Like to Swim?

Golden Retrievers are physically capable of swimming instinctively but do all Golden Retrievers like to swim? 

One thing the Golden Retriever is known for is its expertise in swimming. Its genetic compositions and structural features, as well as physical characteristics, make them adept for swimming, and it’s no surprise they are ranked as one of the top swimming dog breeds in the world.

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Do Golden Retrievers Like to Swim? 

The answer is not so surprising, No, every Golden Retriever is unique, each has its own personality, and some of them may not like the water so much. This may be due to specific reasons that your retriever may have had as a pup.

Why Does My Golden Retriever Not Like Water?

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Golden Retrievers were originally bred to be natural swimmers ready to retrieve game shot down by hunters in water. So it’s a no-brainer why the recent retrievers are so keen to water, and most of them enjoy the sport.

Aside from genetics, specific physical structures also work in favor of the Golden Retriever when it comes to swimming. Features such as its double coat, which acts as water repellent, its not-so-heavy build, and its durable legs which are also webbed, make them agile swimmers.

However, as stated earlier, every Golden Retriever has its personality and although possessing all the features that aid them to be excellent swimmers, some may not be into the water and swimming as much as others, and this may be due to some factors that affected them either as pups or as adults.

Psychological trauma as puppies may be one of the reasons your Golden Retriever may not like water. Bad memories of water may affect your Golden Retriever in the long run when they become adults. This may be a result of a poor introduction as pups to water.

When their first interaction with water is not pleasant, the puppies tend to become scared of water later in the future and may avoid it almost entirely if they have to.

Also, poor introduction by humans into the water when teaching the Golden Retriever puppies how to swim can lead to similar issues of detest for water as adults. 

Another instance that may make your Golden Retriever, not like water is inadequate exposure to the element as pups. Sometimes, when the puppies are not exposed to water a lot, they may not be so used to water and may be scared of it as the situation is not something they know about.

This can also be carried into adulthood if there is still that continuous absence of water during the stages of growth of the Golden Retriever puppies up until adulthood.

Finally, your Golden Retriever may not just like water because of its personality. 

For example, maybe she is not too big on getting her fur wet. Though this reason may be rare because they tend to have that innate love for the water, then again, the personalities of the Golden Retrievers may be different.

How Do I Get My Golden Retriever To Like Water?

Knowing all the reasons, your Golden Retriever may not be a fan of swimming or the water in general, and I wondered if you can introduce them to water cause you may be a fan of swimming yourself. 

So, therefore, you want your Golden Retriever to be your companion.

Golden Retrievers can be taught to love water again, but the most significant precaution here is taking it slow! Please do not attempt to force your retriever into the water by throwing them in at random times. That would not help at all and would only make them hate water even more.

The first step is to get them comfortable around water. Start small, maybe get a kiddie pool, or bathtub and graduate to a swimming pool at a certain point.

Encourage your Golden Retriever to get into the pool by climbing into it yourself and laying treats next to the area. You can also go in the water with the treats or stuff the pool with your favorite toys.

Allow your retriever to take its time. It would probably not get in during the first few trials, and that is perfectly fine. The watchword here is ‘patience.’ When your retriever eventually gets in, stay close to it and support it and stay close to the shallow end. This will get your retriever feel safe.

Eventually, use the toys and treats to attract your retriever to you in the deeper end. Ensure your dog has a life vest when you know you are about to lure it to the deeper end. This has many benefits for the dog and will hugely encourage it to help it stay afloat.

Having gotten used to the deeper end with the life vest, you can remove the life vest periodically and put it back on your retriever after some time.

After monitoring the progress of your retriever, you would be able to know when to take the life vest off completely. It also helps to take the Golden Retriever to the beach at this point to introduce it to large bodies of water.

Why Should I get My Golden Retriever to Like Water?

Getting your Golden retriever to like water is actually a very level-headed decision. The Golden Retriever was bred to actually like this activity, and swimming has many benefits for your dog.

Aside from the traditional health benefits of swimming, such as improving your dog’s general well-being, improved circulation, serving as a form of exercise, prevention of joint pain mainly in older dogs, etc.

There are also some added bonus everyday benefits, such as preventing heat exhaustion in your Golden Retriever, especially during the summer. It also helps make it easier to bathe your dog, which can help prevent it from a whole bunch of diseases and infections.

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