Watergoing and retrievers

For the benefit of r.p.d.b.-ers who don't train retrievers,
I just wanted to mention this about retrievers and water:

I don't consider that they "love" it.

ceb...

This is very interesting. I always thought they did, that it came
naturally to them. I appreciate the information.

My Queenie's mother was a Golden, and her father is unknown, but Liisa
and others guessed at least part Border Collie and I see that in her a
lot. I can't get her to retrieve and she hasn't been trained to herd, but
she makes circuits around the yard in a way neither of my others do and
she will go get someone if they are lagging behind.

She's a fantastic dog and loves to play and makes me laugh a lot, but I
have considered her not very retriever-like, at least partially because
of this swimming thing -- but I will stop blaming that!

Although she's not physically sensitive, in the sense of being very rough
and tumble, she does seem to get cold easily and to love warmth. Even in
the summer, when we're all outside, she's the only one of the 3 black
dogs to seek out a sunny spot rather than a shady one. She's like a cat
in that way -- so maybe that's part of it too.

Thanks again for the info..

Being a "good water dog" is, indeed, one of the most
important features of a working retriever. Roughly,
this means a dog that works effectively in the water,
without needing a whole lot of training specifically
to make him or her go in.

At this retriever training kennel, both trainers, John and I,
agree that the ideal attitude, on the part of the dog, appears to be
acceptance that water is something that must be dealt with
on the way to a retrieve. The best water dogs we've had have
not been inclined to play in the water or to go in at all when
there wasn't a retrieve involved. Conversely, the dogs that

Janet B...

Interesting. My dogs have all enjoyed my baby pool to cool off in,
but that's not swimming - it's soaking off heat. None of them have
been interested in going into water except to retrieve, but love to do
that over and over and over. Lakes, ponds, oceans - as long as I
throw something, they're out there. I always figured that was just
because that's what we DO.

want to get in the water all of the time have tended to be
mediocre water retrievers.

The ideal Labrador has physical and temperament traits
that make him or her a good water dog. Physical traits
include size, a coat that drips and shakes dry, and low
physical sensitivity. Size is a factor because the water is
often cold. Temperament traits include a (bull-like?)
tendency to go straight to the objective without diverting
atttention to looking for easier routes, obliviousness to
minor hassles, and the persistence to keep going when
slowed down by having to swim.

I think the Labrador undercoat remains dry, but am not
certain of that, nor how effective insulation it is in the
water. Labs have naked bellies, so a big area of their skin
does contact the water, whether I'm right about the
undercoat or not.

The Chesapeake is a different dog. It also has a good
water coat and the size not to get chilled easily, but they
seem to be more physically and temperamentally
sensitive. Good ones have tremendous focus that elevates
"getting to the destination" above any and all potential
distractions. It might be tunnel vision. I have seen
Chesapeakes snag a decoy line and swim 80 yards with
the decoy bumping against their sides without giving the
slightest sign of having noticed.

The point is, John's and my opinion is that being a "good
water dog," for a retriever, is mainly a matter of being
focused on the objective and not bothered by having to
swim on the way. Actually liking to get into the water
when not retrieving seems to be a detriment.

Plenty of Golden retrievers have this attitude and are
great water dogs as well.

Amy Dahl

diddy...

Thank you for this EXCELLENT review of breed traits. It explains a LOT
about why they train the way they do, and the different characteristics
that make living with them different than working with them.
It's their tunnel visioned sense of mission, that can often be a bit thick
to get through when teaching them, which may explain the repetition thing.
I'm accustomed to dogs that you show once, and they have it. You just have
to make sure that you send the correct message the first time, and you're
in.

However with the work at hand, I can see that tunnel visioned sense of
mission as being an asset and a desired trait to a working gun dog. It's
posts like this, that keeps me coming here.