Puppy Training: The Pool, Part 2

For Part 1, see this post.

Here we are at Attempt #2.

Stormy will love water.  She WILL.  Even if it takes half her lifetime.  I am just as stubborn as my grandpa, possibly more, and I'm declaring this to be a war against water phobia.  We will do this even if we have to start from the most basic of basics.  This method is so basic that it is primordial. 

The kiddie pool and hot dog method.

The theory here is that the dog doesn't know how to breathe properly in the water, and so she gets water up her nose and panics thinking she will drown.  This method teaches her to be comfy in shallow water, and how to breathe out while her face is underwater.  It makes sense because the first step to water fun and safety with toddlers is to get them comfy with putting their face in the water and learning how to blow bubbles.

Here are the steps I am to try.

Phase 1:  The easy part, intro to the pool.

1. Blow up the kiddie pool, let her get used to its presence.  Reward any approach toward the pool. 
2. Sit in the pool and convince her to come in with me.  Reward heavily.  This one is kind of a big deal since she is afraid of blow-up rubber anything because they move slightly on their own (the yoga ball, balloons, etc).
3. Teach her the command "get in the pool."  This shouldn't be too hard... she already knows the pointing hand motion that says "go there" which quickly taught her the verbal commands such as "get in the car/bathtub" and "go on the lawn/in the house" and "get off the couch" and "back up."
4. Teach her the command "get out."  Also easy for #3's reasons.
5. Have her sit in the pool.
6. Have her lay down in the pool.

 Kiddie pool = cheese consumption.  Anything for shredded cheese.

The cheap kiddie pool arrived last night, and I am happy to say that ALL of Phase 1 was completed!  Step 1 took a few minutes, 2 took maybe 2 minutes, 3 took 2 attempts, and 4-6 she got on the first try.  After some more practice, she appears very happy to get in there.

Phase 2:  Getting wet.  (steps 3-5 may be done concurrently)

1. Add 1/2 inch of water to the pool, let her get used to its presence, and then convince her to go in using command.  Reward heavily, this is a big step.
2. Make small round slices from a hotdog, and throw them into the water to retrieve.  The hotdog slices float, but when touched with her nose will sink and bounce around a bit, forcing her to learn to breathe out while her nose is underwater if she wants to get the treat.
3. Add another 1/2 inch of water (or 1-2 inches if she's doing really well) each day until the pool is full (about 9 inches), continuing with the hot dog retrieval and the "go in the pool" command.
4. Have her sit and lay down in the pool at various water heights.
5. Add dive toys (I already purchased balls that sink that have floaty soft tails on them) and tennis balls, teach her to retrieve them until she is comfortable.
6. Play with her in the pool, splashing more and more each time until she is comfy with being splashed in the face and finds it fun.  Fun play for her is actually a bigger draw than a food treat... but it has to be her version of fun.  (She already thinks it is the funnest game ever to play with sprinklers/hoses, so a hose will probably be involved.)
7. Add the dog life jacket, and repeat steps 4-6.

Phase 3:  The hardest part.  (Use her life jacket for this phase)

1. Use the "get in the pool" command with the large pool.  Reward for approaching and sniffing the pool, and for understanding that the little pool and the big pool are both pools.
2. Toss a hot dog slice in the kiddie pool to retrieve.  Then toss a larger hot dog slice in the big pool to retrieve.  Reward extremely heavily for entering the pool, since this is the biggest step of all.  Keep sessions extremely short and don't keep her from escaping the pool immediately after eating the treat.  If this doesn't work after a few days:
1. Gently bring her into the pool on the shallowest step, have her retrieve 1 hot dog piece and then let her out.
2. Slowly increase distance of tossed hot dog until she is willing to jump in from the top step.  (She is already willing to jump in from that step to come to us, as she sees us being safer than the step.)
3. Attempt to get her to enter pool from outside again.
3. Attempt to quickly transition rewards from floating hot dogs to hand-feeding treats and fun stuff like ball retrieval or retrieving dive toys from the shallowest step.  (The goal is to keep her from ingesting too much of the pool's salt water.)
4. Practice and play until she is comfortable and her swim stroke is effective.

Phase 4:  Bonus round.  (Remove life jacket for this phase)

1. Remove life jacket, and repeat all of Phase 3 until she displays proper control in the water and minimal discomfort.
2. Progress to deeper dive toys, and practice and play until she is comfortable.  (I expect this step to take at least the entire next summer.)
3. Expose her to other bodies of water until she's having fun... a full bathtub, a shallow pond, a lake, mild ocean waves. 
4. Profit?  Profit looks like:  Stormy enters pool on command, doesn't panic, doesn't try to climb us, and exits successfully in and out of our presence before she tires herself... and I feel complete comfort leaving her outside unsupervised alone around the pool.  
1. Bonus points if Stormy joins us in the pool of her own volition and enjoys playing in the water.

Well, there you go.  The most ridiculously slow method for introducing a dog to a pool that I can come up with, which has up to 31 steps.  I will update as major milestones are passed or if I have to drastically change the plan.

Wish us luck.