How To Introduce Your Pet Safely To Water?

Image Source: Pixabay.comInitial preparations

Before you take your pet to a large water body make sure you and your pet are adequately trained for such an activity. Pets require time and effort to develop familiarity with water. One of the first things to ensure when training your pet in water is its response to voice commands. Your pet must be responsive to your commands as it often needs to be warned in deep or dangerous waters. It is a good idea to introduce your pets to water when they are young. Allow them to play in shallow warm baths and around sprinklers. This builds their comfort level over the course of time. Make water based activities fun for your pet. This provides positive reinforcement. Make sure to use floatation gear at the beginning for young pets. Constant supervision is recommended as fifteen minutes of swimming is equivalent to an hour’s worth of running around. This can easily tire the pets and might require the intervention of the owner.

Training your pet to like water

In the initial days of water training, you need to enter the water with your pet. Hold its body in water as it learns to paddle. Go into the waters with your pet repeatedly to build its confidence. This also makes them comfortable in deeper waters. The company of the owner also provides a soothing effect and stops your pet from panicking. Never force your pet to stay in water if it does not want to. Forming negative bonds with water might make them uncomfortable for life. Certain pets are more accustomed to water than others. Certain breeds of dogs for example are natural swimmers, whereas others are not. So you should adjust your expectations accordingly. The key thing to remember is that, this is a gradual process. Take things in steps and slowly. Move to deeper waters only after your pet is completely comfortable in relatively shallower depths. Starting in warm water is ideal for young pets.Once your pet has picked up the basics, progressively make it more challenging. For example lead him out into the pool and make him swim to the shore. Making him play fetch on the water is also a good exercise. Make gradual progress towards deeper waters, making sure your pet doesn’t tire out in between. Once you are confident your pet is able to navigate on his own, you might want to move on to directional signals. With enough training and patience, your pet will soon be a reliable companion in the waters.

Tips for Bathing a Pet Who Hates Water

 Some pets just

love

water, but let’s be honest here: it’s a rare pet who is really excited about getting into the bathtub. What do you do when bathing your pet has turned into a wrestling match worthy of a reality TV crew? Here are some tips.

1. Stick to a professional.

Let’s just go ahead and get the “last resort” out of the way. When all is lost and you’re tired of getting scratched up and your pet is tired of getting traumatized, then take your pet to a groomer. They know how to deal with difficult pets and how to be very efficient and calming during the grooming process so that your pet won’t have to suffer too much, even if your wallet begs to differ.

2. DIY, but not in your house.

Take your dog to

a DIY dogwash. The anchor leash will help keep your dog’s head still to eliminate struggle. Better yet, between no scuffling, the raised tubs, and the hand-held spray, this should entirely eliminate back strain while you give your pet a very thorough washing.

3. Use a hand shower at home.

Many DIY instructions about bathing a pet include filling buckets of water to pour over your pet to wet and rinse them, but we’ve had the experience of a dog who was much more amenable to being bathed at home

once the pet's parent started using a hand shower for wetting and rinsing the pet’s fur.

4. Use dry shampoo between washings.

If you want to extend the time between trauma – I mean bathing – then try using this

Dry Shampoo For Dogs and Cats

to make dirt removal gentle and simple without water, and while preserving essential oils in the fur.You can also try

Bio-Groom Waterless Bath No Rinse Shampoo

, which contains anti-microbial tea tree oil. Along with cleaning your pet's fur, this spray can also detangle fur and relieve itching.

Do you have any tips or tales about bathing your pet? Let us know in the comments, and consider signing up for PetPlus, a benefit program for pet owners that provides member-only access to medications at wholesale prices, plus discounts on food, supplies, vet visits, boarding, and more.