How to Train Your Dog to Fetch in Water

Do you live near the seaside or in the beautiful countryside with rivers and lakes running by? Do you love where you live and love walking your dog there and enjoying the scenery with your four-legged friend? But are you fed up with always having to fetch your pooch's favorite ball or toy from the water because he doesn’t like getting his paws wet? That means that now is the time to train your pooch to fetch the ball from the water and save those muddy wet shoes and trousers from wading in. Or if it goes in too deep and you can’t fetch the toy back, this will stop you having to keep buying new toys or balls for your pooch, saving those precious dollars so that you can buy yourself something nice.

Training your dog to fetch in water is not only convenient for you in not having to fetch the ball yourself or end up losing your favorite toy, but swimming is great exercise for your pooch. If his favorite toy goes in the water and he knows how to swim and fetch, this is a great way to encourage him to swim, control the distance he swims so it’s safe for him, get him to come back, and prevent him from messing around in the water too much, as he's fetching for you. 

This command can be a little tricky, as it requires a few components; you’ll need to teach your pooch how to swim and how to fetch first, before combining the two together. Your dog must also have a good recall technique so that if they get into any trouble in the water, you can call him back straight away. Based on these prerequisites, this trick will likely take a few months to teach and should only be taught to pooches over six months old, as they need to be strong enough to swim well in case they get into any trouble.

Before your pooch literally jumps in, to get ready for teaching your pup to fetch in water he’ll need to learn the 'swim' and 'fetch' commands as mentioned above. Don’t skip these steps, your pooch definitely needs to be a strong swimmer to keep him safe. Invest some time in training him to come back to you; having a solid recall will also keep your pooch safe, just in case you accidentally throw his toy somewhere you shouldn’t have. It would be best to teach your pooch to fetch in water somewhere shallow with few obstacles and little to no current to begin with. A friend or relative's swimming pool would be ideal. Remember to grab your clicker to signify good behavior if you’re clicker training and a bag of tasty treats, or even make your own, but make sure they’re safe for dogs.