Fear of Water/Bathing
A puppy is adopted at 8 weeks old…
He is nourished, vaccinated, and kept for the foremost part safely indoors, in a warm, comfy environment. he’s taken outdoors to potty several times each day and through the night. When it rains, the puppy owner does the maximum amount as he can to stay the
puppy dry. Very likely, he waits for the clouds to disappear or for the rain to become a lightweight drizzle. If it still rains, the puppy owner brings out an umbrella and quickly takes the puppy outdoors to the potty. If the puppy is reluctant to travel potty under the rain, very likely the puppy owner will attempt to rush him and gets frustrated within the process. The puppy ultimately learns that rain is some things to avoid; indeed, he detects the owner’s negative energy about the rain and discovers the goal is to urge out of the rain as soon as possible. He ultimately starts associating the rain with something unpleasant.
When it stops raining, the puppy is taken out and does his business directly and therefore the owner is happy. This further confirms within the puppy’s mind that rain is bad and lack of rain is sweet. Then the large day comes and therefore the puppy owner tries to offer the puppy a shower. The puppy is frightened but the puppy owner ignores the fear and continues to wash the puppy. The puppy gets shampoo in his eyes, is frightened of all the water poured over him, and tries to squirm his answer of the bath. Because the bath is slippery, this unsure footing makes the puppy insecure and causes him to panic. The puppy owner quickly dries the puppy at now and lets him go free. Months later, the puppy is far older. he’s never taken out when it rains and is kept safely indoors. If there are puddles, the puppy owner guides the puppy far away from them. Then at some point, the puppy owner decides it’s time again for an additional bath, but the puppy has grown quite big now and is reluctant to maneuver near the water. The puppy owner tries to force the puppy into the bath again but the puppy freezes. The owner tries to lift the puppy but the puppy growls and shows his teeth. The puppy owner gives up and decides to undertake another day. All the ingredients for a dog scared of water are laid out and now the result’s a dog scared of anything associated with water including puddles, rain, baths, and wet surfaces.
How Dogs Become frightened of Water
In the wild, the dog’s ancestors raised puppies during a den, a hole built underground before whelping. Once the puppy’s eyes were open, puppies were able to explore their enticing surroundings. The pups and nature became one element. The puppies learned about the wind, thunder, lightning, rain, and therefore the feeling of wet grass under their paws. The puppies played in puddles, got mud everywhere on their coats, and learned to simply accept the various intriguing variances Mother Nature featured every day. For obvious survival reasons, the dog’s ancestors hunted regardless if it’s was raining, snowing, or if there was a thunderstorm underway. Rain, snow, wind, and thunder were all accepted as normal events of life. Mothers were obviously not there to accompany the puppies with an umbrella or use a hairdryer if they got wet! it’s quite obvious why canines within the wild couldn’t care less about getting wet while puppies raised during a domestic setting are susceptible to becoming waterphobic!
Why Puppies and Dogs Are frightened of Water Breeders, trainers and lots of books recommend heavily socializing puppies to people, dogs, and other animals during a quick window of opportunity which closes once the puppy is 12 to 16 weeks old. Puppy classes, puppy play dates, and puppy parties are organized to make sure that puppies learn that folks, dogs, and other animals aren’t threatening. But what about rain? Not many dog owners dedicate enough time to creating rain and therefore the sensation of getting wet something fun and enjoyable! While some puppy owners may give the puppy a shower, often they overwhelm the puppy without listening to subtle signs of discomfort. Because during the socialization period puppies tend to store good experiences also as bad ones, should the puppy have an unpleasant experience with rain or water, it’s going to behave quite effect on his future feelings about water. Following are some common reasons why dogs could also be frightened of water
Fear of the Unknown
Puppies and dogs raised in areas with dry climates or not exposed to rain during puppyhood become scared of water just because it’s unfamiliar. Overwhelming Experiences Puppies forced to be bathed without much gradual exposure tend to be overwhelmed and frightened, a process referred to as“flooding.” Negative Experiences. Dog owners getting frustrated when it rains or getting mad when their puppy is frightened of water often results in negative experiences within the puppy’s mind. Water Used as Punishment Owners squirting their dog with squirt guns only teach the dog to hate water. Is your puppy or dog frightened of water? Not all is lost; some remedial work may help puppies and dogs scared of water. My dogs were raised within the Arizona desert where rain was quite rare for many of the years. When monsoon season approached, they were frightened of rain and therefore the sensation of getting wet. because of an honest desensitization and counterconditioning program, they now love the water, as you saw earlier within the picture depicting my Rottweiler Einstein enjoying the waves within the Mediterranean Sea!
