I have a 3-year-old Standard Poodle who excels at every element of the junior hunt test for flushing breeds—except swimming. The test requires her to sit at the edge of a pond while a dead duck is thrown into the water. She then needs to retrieve the duck, which is about 20-30 yards away.
I’m running out of ways to motivate her to swim. I’ve tried using other high-drive retrievers, but she just stands on the bank and barks. I’ve tossed treats into the water, gradually increasing the distance from the shore, but she won’t budge once the water hits her shoulders. I’ve followed Susan Garrett’s swimming video on YouTube, and while she’ll do everything else, she still won’t swim. Playing with a flirt pole at the water’s edge works for play, but not for swimming. I’ve even stood in the middle of the pond with high-value treats, and although it takes a lot of coaxing, she’ll swim out for them but loses interest once she’s out of the water. She also attends hydrotherapy classes weekly, where she will swim, but the first throw into the water requires two people to get her in. After that initial refusal, she’ll happily jump in on her own.
I’ve reached out to other hunting Poodle handlers, and they face the same problem. Many end up switching breeds, while others resort to e-collars, which I’m not fond of.
She’s a great swimmer once she’s in the water; it’s just getting her in the first time that’s the challenge. Any ideas?